Tight Chest & Biceps Muscles — Why They Cause Shoulder Pain and How to Fix It

Tight Chest & Biceps Muscles — Why They Cause Shoulder Pain and How to Fix It

Overview:

Shortened pectoralis major/minor and biceps brachii pull the shoulder joint forward, causing rounded shoulders, anterior shoulder pain, and restricted rotation.This postural imbalance leads to impingement and upper back strain.

Stretch Technique (Wall External Rotation Stretch):

• Stand one arm’s length from a wall, palm flat at shoulder height.

• Externally rotate your arm (90°), turn your body away, and step the same-side foot forward.

• Gently rotate your head away to enhance the stretch.You’ll feel elongation along the chest, front shoulder, and arm (biceps).

Benefits:

• Lengthens anterior shoulder muscles (pecs, biceps)

• Improves scapular alignment and thoracic extension

• Reduces anterior shoulder compression and impingement symptoms

Clinical Evidence:

• Tight pectoralis minor contributes to scapular anterior tilt and shoulder pain (Borstad JD et al., J Shoulder Elbow Surg, 2006).

• Stretching the pectoralis and biceps reduces forward shoulder posture and improves shoulder ROM (Cools AM et al., Sports Med, 2014).

• Thoracic extension and chest mobility training improve overall shoulder mechanics (Ludewig PM et al., J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, 2016).