Still pursuing right-angled shoulders? Let go of your shoulders!

Hello, this is Science Popularization China. Today, let's talk about "right-angled shoulders". The shoulder is the joint with the largest range of motion in our body. It has many functions and is also one of the joints that are most vulnerable to injury. Recently, many friends around me want to have "right-angled shoulders", also known as "straight shoulders", saying that they look better this way. But is this right-angled shoulder really scientific?

Image source: https://unsplash.com/Photographer: Freestocks

Let's first talk about what this popular "right-angle shoulder" is. In fact, it means that the angle from the neck to the shoulder and the angle from the shoulder to the upper arm are both close to 90 degrees. This is a right-angle shoulder. So what do our normal shoulders look like? You can also observe it yourself when you have time. In a normal posture, our shoulders are not horizontal. There is a natural arc from the neck to the shoulder. Moreover, the inner side of the shoulder blade will show an upward rotation of 5 to 10 degrees. To put it bluntly, if the inner sides of the shoulder blades on both sides are regarded as two lines, the distance between the two lines should be narrow at the top and wide at the bottom.

Image source: https://unsplash.com/ Photographer: Luiz Rogério Nunes

But this right-angled shoulder, both shoulders are horizontal, even a little higher than the horizontal position. So what's going on? In fact, this right-angled shoulder is more of a "hard push". After taking the photo, once the force is released, it looks no different from the shoulders of ordinary people. I'm not talking nonsense, you can try it yourself in front of the mirror, when you retract your shoulder blades and then sink them, the right-angled shoulder will naturally appear. But you must not maintain this state for a long time. The muscles attached to the shoulder blades should be balanced with each other. If you maintain a fixed posture for a long time, some muscles may be strained, and you will be the one who suffers.

Image source: https://unsplash.com/Photographer: OttoNorin

The most natural body lines are the most beautiful. There is no need to limit yourself with a fixed aesthetic framework. Confidence and health are the best. See you next time.

Review丨Zhang Qinghua, Chief Physician of Orthopedics, Shougang Hospital