Can Bad Posture Cause Chest Pain & How Do I Fix It for Good?
Apr 19, 2025
Bad posture can be a sneaky culprit behind several health issues, both physical and mental. If you’ve been dealing with unexplained chest pain, you might not have even considered how your slouchy habits could be at fault. Learning to fix your posture could help relieve your pain and improve your overall health. In this article, we’ll discuss whether bad posture can cause chest pain and how to fix it so you can breathe easier and feel more confident and comfortable in your body again.
To help you on your journey to better posture, Posture AI’s posture correction app can be a valuable tool. It can help you understand whether your chest pain and rib flare is caused by bad posture and learn exactly how to fix it so you can feel confident, pain-free, and comfortable in your body again, without fear or confusion.
Table of Content
Can Bad Posture Cause Chest Pain?
When it comes to poor posture-related pain, most people assume it’s the back and neck that will feel the burn. It cannot be overstated that posture is the positioning of the whole body, not just one part of it. Bad posture can cause many effects, including pinched nerves, stiffness, and even a loss of balance.
One particular side effect of bad posture that can cause so much anxiety that it sends people running to the ER in a panic, chest pain. Non-cardiac issues, such as bad posture or a misalignment in the spine, can cause chest pain. But those are common causes of chest pain, and we will explore the answers to the question, “Does poor posture cause chest pain?”
How Bad Posture Causes Chest Pain
“There are a few ways that poor posture can cause chest pain. The main causes are rib dysfunctions, referred pain from scalene trigger points, herniated thoracic discs or pinched nerves in the upper back,” says Dr. Dave Candy, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC, CMTPT, FAAOMPT, whose practice, More 4 Life, is based in St. Louis, MO.
Postural Conditions
Conditions such as kyphosis, upper crossed syndrome, lordosis, scoliosis, and forward head posture can lead to muscle imbalances, pinched nerves, and other issues that cause chest, rib, and sternum pain.
The position or orientation of the pelvis plays a significant role in spinal and chest alignment. Consequently, it can contribute to the onset of chest pain. How we sit matters, so let’s see if we can move away from the common verbal cueing: “Sit Up Straight!” Instead, scoot your chair so your feet are flat on the floor. Feel the bottom of the pelvis on the chair.
Sitz Bones and Pelvic Alignment
Besides the fleshy buttocks, there are two points of bony contact, the ‘sitz bones.’ These paired bones, shaped like rocking chair blades, are extensions of the two big pelvic blades. These pelvic blades are the same ones that make up your hip sockets and the top of your waist. Two bones connect in front to form an area called the pubic bone.
Large bones often have different names that represent a location on the bone. This naming is helpful as it allows us to direct our attention to that area for movement, feel and notice the connection, and understand that the alignment of bones is critical for posture and how we can move more fluidly.
Sitz Bone Position and Spinal Alignment
Where you sit on the sitz bones will determine the tilt of your pelvis, the shape of your spine, the position of your chest, ribs and breastbone, and even your head. For instance, see if you can rock across the sitz bones.
As you sit near the back of the sit bone, your tailbone tucks under, and the top of your pelvis tilts back. Because of the skeletal connections, your lower back will round outward. Because your nervous system is tasked with always protecting your head, it notices contact changes and pressure points across the sitz bones.
Compensation and Optimal Posture Alignment
It will compensate or balance this pelvic tilt by exaggerating the normal kyphosis, a rounding of the upper back or spine. Automatically and unconsciously, your nervous system causes you to alter, lower, collapse, or depress the breastbone down and inward.
These changes in alignment allow the back of the head to still stack over the pelvis, protecting it in case of a fall. In sitting or standing, the optimal skeletal contact of the sitz bone rocker is a little bit like the metaphor of Goldilocks and the Three Bears: not too far forward on the sitz bones and not too far back.
In this optimal place, the least amount of muscle tension is needed to hold the skeleton upright.
Pelvic Tilt, Scoliosis, and Muscle Overactivity
If the top of the pelvis tilts forward, the pressure is on the front of the sitz bones, and the lower back exaggerates its normal in-curve or lordosis. In scoliosis, an abnormal sideways curvature of the spine, either due to traumatic injury or idiopathic, the nervous system will again use certain muscle groups to maintain posture or alignment, all in service to protecting the head and keeping you upright.
Over time, if your habit is to sit at either end of the ‘rocking chair sitz bone,’ altering the alignment of the top of the pelvis, the chest and neck muscles must work harder to hold the position. When muscles are overactive, their fibers shorten, and we feel or sense this ‘shortness’ as muscle tightness.
Joint Stiffness and Postural Imbalances
Eventually, joints feel stiff because the ball-and-socket relationship between the ends of the bone changes. The mobility that was once there is gone, and it becomes harder to move. Soon, you notice you can’t reach over your head or behind your back. And when standing up from a sitting position, you must use your hands and notice that you don’t seem as tall as you once were, completely standing erect.
Overactive chest and neck muscles signal the nervous system to inhibit or turn off other muscle groups that comprise the upper back, shoulder blade area, lower abdominals, and even the buttocks or gluteal muscles. These changes in skeletal alignment and muscle tension are like a dog chasing its tail.
Nervous System, Posture, and Treating Muscle Imbalances
The nervous system changes muscle tension, which changes skeletal alignment, which changes the nervous system’s decision-making process, continuously contracting muscles that are already short and thus, changing skeletal alignment, all of this alters our posture and increases not only the level of difficulty to move and function but also begins to negatively impact other systems in the body, such as respiratory, digestive, fascial and circulatory system.
These conditions can set the stage for a cascade of issues, including:
Pinched nerves
Discomfort in the chest, ribs, and sternum (breastbone)
The encouraging news is that these physical conditions and postural changes are typically treatable with the right interventions.
Muscle Imbalances
Physical therapist Lara Heimann, who created the LYT Yoga Method, says that poor posture can create an imbalance in the muscles and neuromuscular firing.
“The muscles around the chest are shortened, and the muscles in the back are lengthened and weak. Chest pain can occur because of the tightened chest, neck and shoulder muscles and the surrounding shortened connective tissue, leading to discomfort,” she says.
Dr. Candy says that poor posture, such as slouching while sitting at our desks, can also cause imbalances between the muscles on the front of the ribcage (chest muscles and serratus anterior) and the back of the ribcage (rhomboids and serratus posterior superior).
Pelvic Tilt and Muscle Imbalance
As the top of the pelvis rocks backward, the muscles around the chest, neck, and surrounding connective tissue become overactive and tightened. At the same time, those in the upper back and abdomen are reflexively underactive.
Underactive muscles become weak and elongated, losing their tone and making the joint or skeletal connections unbalanced. This is one reason why parts of our bodies feel heavy as we try to move.
Overactive Muscles and Nervous System Feedback
Overactive chest and neck muscles signal the nervous system to inhibit or turn off other muscle groups, including the upper back, shoulder blade area, lower abdominals, and even the buttocks or gluteal muscles.
These changes in skeletal alignment and muscle tension are like a dog chasing its tail. The nervous system alters muscle tension, which in turn changes skeletal alignment, and this shift affects the nervous system’s decision-making process.
Muscle Imbalances and Costochondritis"
It continuously contracts muscles that are already short, further altering skeletal alignment. As a result, this cycle not only increases the difficulty of movement and function but also begins to negatively impact other systems in the body, such as the respiratory, digestive, fascial, and circulatory systems.
“Those imbalances can cause a rib to move slightly out of place, which can put stress on the cartilage that joins your rib to your sternum,” he says. “This type of chest pain is referred to as costochondritis, meaning inflammation of the rib cartilage.”
Referred Neck Pain
Chest pain can also come in the form of referred neck pain, especially for those who sit with a forward head posture.
“When you sit with your head forward, it puts your neck muscles under tension. The scalene muscles attach to your first and second ribs and have a referral pattern that goes into the chest and sometimes down the arm,” Dr. Candy says
Pinched Upper Back Nerves
Pinched nerves in the upper back can cause chest pain when you have poor posture, particularly if you have a herniated disc or degenerative disc disease, both of which can be caused by a postural condition known as kyphosis, or hunchback.
“The thoracic nerves refer pain in a circle around the trunk and can cause chest pain,” Dr. Candy explains. “In the case of a herniated disc, slouching may make the pain worse. In the case of degenerative disc disease, sitting up too straight may actually make the pain worse.”
Respiratory Distress
Chest pain can also be caused by respiratory distress due to poor posture. Multiple studies have shown poor posture can significantly reduce lung capacity (National Library of Medicine). People with decreased lung capacity tend to breathe with their chest muscles instead of their diaphragms, creating sore, tight muscles that can impede the rib cage from fully expanding.
In addition, if you can only fill part of your lungs, you might struggle to get enough oxygen, especially when working out, which may cause chest pain.
How Poor Posture Causes Chest Pain
“Poor posture can cause chest pain by compressing and straining the muscles in your chest, limiting the ability of your rib cage to expand and contract as needed. Specifically, poor posture can cause chest pain by putting excess strain on the intercostal muscles between your ribs,” says Dr. Sony Sherpa, a holistic practitioner who contributes to Nature’s Rise.
“These muscles help you breathe, so if they become strained or compressed due to improper posture, it can lead to pain in your chest.”
Understanding Respiratory Distress and Lung Expansion
If you have ever had a full-blown anxiety attack or asthma, you may already know what respiratory distress feels like. But for most of us, it is a slow, subtle loss of our ability to expand our lower side ribs and lower abdomen above the pubic bone.
Our lungs fill the interior space within our upper ribs from the top of our collarbones (clavicle) to the end of the breastbone in front and about an inch below our shoulder blades on our back. Even though the entire shape of the lung expands during an inhalation, most of the oxygen exchange occurs at the base of the lungs.
Posture, Lung Capacity, and Chest Pain
Studies have demonstrated that postures that alter the pelvic, spine, and breastbone alignment significantly reduce lung capacity, forcing individuals to rely more on the upper chest and neck muscles for breathing rather than the more efficient muscles of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles (located between the lower ribs). This chronic tensing of the muscles hinders the rib cage’s expansion.
One is aware of exquisite tender points by touching the chest muscles, breastbone, ribs, or the space between the ribs. These tight muscles and points of tenderness may lead to chest pain, especially during physical exertion.
Heart Issues
Poor posture can even cause chest pain by affecting your blood pressure and heart, which can be a potentially serious long-term consequence of not correcting your posture. Whether you sit slumped or stand in a slouched position, your nervous system keeps your head aligned over your pelvis and signals muscles around the chest and rib to tighten and shorten.
Years of an unconscious habit change the physical shape of bones (think osteoarthritis) and the ability of muscles to respond efficiently to move bones. Silently and slowly, the space within the chest cavity can alter, compressing the area around your heart.
Impact of Poor Posture on Blood Flow and Heart Health
Sometimes, the compression can become so severe that it impacts blood flow throughout the body, potentially affecting the heart and other vital organs that rely on proper blood circulation. In the long term, these detrimental effects on blood flow and heart function can lead to serious health consequences, underscoring the critical importance of addressing and correcting your posture.
“Poor posture can change the way that your body responds to stress. For example, when you sit or stand in a slouched position, your chest muscles are tightened and shortened, which can cause pain in your chest,” says Dr. Sherpa. “This is because these muscles are responsible for helping to regulate blood flow throughout your body, and when they become too tight, it can disrupt the flow of blood to your heart and other vital organs.”
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS)
“A condition known as thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) can be the culprit of chest pain as well as numbness and tingling in an arm,” says Heimann, who explains that TOS compresses nerves and blood vessels in the upper chest.
She says that, unlike angina pain caused by an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart, pain from thoracic outlet syndrome does not occur or increase with walking. Still, it typically increases when raising an arm.
Digestive Issues
Poor posture can compress the digestive tract, leading to heartburn and other digestive issues, sometimes felt in the chest. Digestive tract problems caused by poor posture can create chest discomfort, just like heartburn, which can sometimes be mistaken for a heart attack.
Precordial Catch Syndrome
Perhaps less common, though often alarming, is precordial catch syndrome, which is caused by poor posture. The exact mechanism is uncertain, but it’s believed to be a pinched nerve or muscle strain in the chest. This condition is sometimes mistaken for a heart attack.
Related Reading
• Rib Flare
• Pain Around Ribs And Back Symptoms
• Flared Rib Cage
• How To Fix Rib Flare
• Precordial Pain
• Wall Angels
How to Tell if Your Chest Pain is From Poor Posture
Chest pain related to bad posture typically presents with particular characteristics.
Localized Discomfort: Pain is often focused in the chest wall and may radiate to the upper back, shoulders, or neck.
Activity-Linked: Symptoms worsen after sitting or standing in the same position for extended periods.
Relieved by Movement: The pain often improves or disappears with posture correction, stretching, or physical activity.
No Accompanying Symptoms: Unlike cardiac chest pain, posture-related discomfort doesn’t come with shortness of breath, dizziness, or sweating.
Can Bad Posture Cause Chest Pain? Here’s How to Assess It
If you suspect your chest pain is related to bad posture, here’s how to assess it:
Posture Check: Stand in front of a mirror. Are your shoulders slumped? Is your head jutting forward?
Pain Test: Adjust your posture by sitting or standing upright. If the pain improves, it’s likely posture-related.
Trigger Activity: Notice when the pain occurs, after long hours at your desk or looking at your phone?
Consult a Specialist: If your pain is persistent or severe, see a doctor or physical therapist to rule out other causes.
Always Rule Out Serious Conditions First
The best advice is to see a doctor and rule out anything serious, such as cardiac or pulmonary conditions.
“Given the downside of misdiagnosing your own chest pain – dying from a heart attack – you should always get chest pain checked out, even if you’re fairly certain that it’s not something serious,” says Dr. Candy. “Seeing a professional about your chest pain will usually lead to a quicker resolution to the problem.”
Once you’ve ruled out anything serious, speak with a doctor specializing in posture, a chiropractor, or a physical therapist to help diagnose any postural issues causing your chest pain. They can help you develop a treatment plan to correct your posture and alleviate chest pain. Of course, you can also implement posture correction practices at home.
Related Reading
• Flat Back Syndrome
• How To Sleep With Intercostal Muscle Strain
• Middle Back Pain Around Rib Cage
• Flared Ribs Vs Normal
• Back Rib Pain Left Side
How to Fix Chest Pain from Bad Posture
Fix your posture, and you’ll likely reduce or eliminate your pain. Here are some ways to treat postural chest pain.
Doorway Stretch and Strengthening
Stretch:
Stand in a doorway with your arms at 90 degrees, like a field goal
Place your forearms on the doorframe and lean forward to stretch the chest
Keep your core muscles tight to stabilize the pelvis and ribs
Hold for 30 seconds; repeat 3 to 5 times daily
Strengthen:
Stand in the doorway as if stretching
Lift your forearms away from the doorframe by squeezing your shoulder blades together without thrusting your ribs
Hold for 10 seconds; repeat 10 times
Floor Stretch and Strengthening
Stretch:
Lie on the floor, on your back, with your knees bent
Reach your arms to the ceiling, then bring them overhead in line with your ears (without thrusting your ribs)
Hold for 20 seconds; repeat 2 to 3 times
Strengthen:
Lie on the floor as before and reach your arms to the ceiling
Make fists and bend your elbows to press into the floor
Pull your shoulder blades up toward your chest without thrusting your ribs
Hold for 10 seconds; repeat 10 times
Bed Stretch and Strengthening
Stretch:
Lie on your bed with your head draped over the edge yet still supported at the base of your skull
Keep your knees bent to maintain length in the spine
“Goalpost” your arms, pulling the back of your arms into the bed
Roll your head side to side to mobilize the restricted tissues around your neck and stretch your chest
Repeat for one minute
Strengthen:
Prop yourself on your elbows as you lie on a bed
Press your hands into the bed to lift your elbows off the bed
Slowly bend your elbows to return them to the bed (like a triceps dip)
Keep your chest open and prevent your rib cage from thrusting
Repeat 10 times
Yoga and Pilates: Mind-Body Techniques to Improve Posture
These practices strengthen the core and back muscles and improve flexibility and body awareness. Key poses to try include:
Child’s Pose: Stretches the spine and relieves tension in the back and chest
Cat-Cow Stretch: Promotes spinal mobility and improves posture
Plank Pose: Strengthens the core, helping to support an upright position
Posture Correctors: Do They Work?
Posture correctors gently retract shoulders and provide physiological feedback that reminds you to stop slouching, which can alleviate chest pain.
“Posture correctors work, especially if they are worn diligently,” says Dr. Matt Tanneberg, DC, CSCS, who owns and operates Body Check Chiropractic & Sports Rehabilitation in Scottsdale, AZ. He works with elite NFL, MLB, NHL, USA Track and Field, NCAA, and high school athletes. “The more consistent you can be with wearing it, the more significant change will follow.”
Choosing the Right Posture Corrector for Comfort and Effectiveness
Posture correctors come in a variety of forms, materials, and styles. It’s essential to choose a posture corrector that’s proven practical and comfortable enough for you to wear, either over or under clothes, and it’s a good idea to choose a posture corrector that doctors endorse.
“The most common and most beneficial looks like a bra without the cups,” Dr. Tanneberg says. “You can tighten the upper straps enough to keep your head above your shoulders and your shoulder blades depressed (down and back).”
The Role of Posture Correctors in Improving Posture
Of course, you can’t expect posture correctors to do all the work. The ultimate goal is to reinforce proper posture so that, eventually, you won’t need to wear a posture corrector at all.
“Stretching and strengthening will not fully improve your posture if there is no carryover into everyday life. Using a postural correction device or brace can help bridge the gap between postural training and combating habitual compensations,” says Heimann. “A postural device can be beneficial when working at a desk for long periods as attention to posture may wane. Any kind of postural device is a supplement to postural training exercises.”
Professional Help to Fix Postural Problems
Therapeutic massage can reduce chest pain caused by poor posture. It may be wise to seek a massage therapist who works with a physical therapist or chiropractor familiar with postural issues.
Medical professionals can assess your postural conditions and work with you to outline a plan to improve your posture and eliminate chest pain. “With the help of a healthcare professional, you can develop a personalized plan for improving your posture and reducing the risk of chest pain,” says Dr. Sherpa.
Ergonomics of Everyday Life
Improper workstation setup is a major contributor to bad posture. Ergonomics—the science of designing environments to suit human needs—plays a vital role in supporting good posture and reducing strain. Here’s how to make your environment posture-friendly:
At Work: Use an adjustable chair, ensure your monitor is at eye level, and keep your keyboard at elbow height.
At Home: Sit on a supportive chair instead of slouching on the couch while watching TV.
On the Go: Bring your phone up to eye level instead of looking down.
Practice Mindfulness
Understand why poor posture causes chest pain and remain mindful of your posture throughout the day. This self-help type can go a long way toward improving your posture and eliminating pain.
Dr. Sherpa recommends the following practices:
Adjust your sitting and standing position so you don’t slouch
Use a chair with good back support and keep your shoulders aligned over your hips
Take regular breaks from sitting or standing for long periods
Exercise regularly to strengthen your core and chest muscles
Practice stress relief techniques such as deep breathing or meditation
“There has to be a conscious mental effort to change the posture and work on keeping the shoulder blades down and back all the time,” says Dr. Tannenberg. “Bad posture is habitual, so in order to fix the problem, we have to create new good habits. Once you develop the proper muscle memory of that position, then you don’t have to make as much of a conscious effort.”
Use Technology to Improve Posture
Posture apps can help you improve your posture, and therefore reduce or eliminate chest pain, in one of four ways:
Posture exercises, stretches, and yoga apps
Periodic reminders to maintain your posture
Posture analysis apps that use your phone’s cameras or other sensors to assess postural conditions
Slouch detectors, which use your desktop or laptop camera to monitor your posture and alert you when you slouch
Related Reading
• Kyphosis Self-Care
• Kyphosis Exercises
• Straightening Of Lumbar Lordosis
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