If you have uneven shoulders, you may not notice it until someone comments about your posture when you walk, sit, or stand. However, if you find you always carry a bag or purse with a shoulder strap on the same side because it slips off the other shoulder, that's a clue one shoulder might be higher than the other. There are different causes for this problem, and sometimes a physical therapist can help. Here are some tips for dealing with this problem and why you want to seek help.

Uncover The Cause

It's helpful to uncover the reason for uneven shoulders so the right treatment can be given. The cause might be a spine problem, uneven legs, a rotated hip, or some other condition that affects your bones. However, it's also possible the cause is lifestyle habits that cause one shoulder to overdevelop or one shoulder to get weak. A physical therapist may be able to help with muscle imbalance and get your shoulders even again by teaching you specific exercises. 

Begin Shoulder Exercises

If your shoulders are uneven because of a spine, hip, or leg problem, physical therapy may not make your shoulders level, but it might still help if you're having shoulder pain. One reason it's important to seek treatment for uneven shoulders caused by muscle imbalance is you could eventually develop nerve impingement and pain.

If one shoulder has tense or overdeveloped muscles due to a repetitive motion or behavior you have like carrying a heavy messenger bag every day, the physical therapist may teach you stretching exercises you can do at home to loosen the shoulder and get the muscle to relax.

If one shoulder is lower because the muscle has weakened, as can happen with desk jobs where you work with a mouse for long periods of time, the therapist may teach you muscle strengthening exercises you can do throughout the day to build up the muscles in your back that support your shoulder.

Learn To Work Ergonomically

Your physical therapist can also teach you how to work ergonomically so you can recover from a dropped shoulder and prevent the condition from happening again. A dropped shoulder is also called a mouse shoulder when the cause is working on a computer all day. By sitting with proper posture and placing the mouse close to your body, your back muscles won't weaken and lead to uneven shoulders.

Improve Your Posture

When you have a desk job or spend a lot of time working on a computer, it's easy to develop bad posture. Having an ergonomic workstation helps, but you may also need to learn exercises from a physical therapist that improve your overall posture.

When you've had bad posture long enough, your muscles weaken, but doing exercises targeted to your areas of weakness can make your muscles strong again so you can improve your posture. This not only improves your appearance, but it also helps you avoid shoulder and back pain.