Anyone have shortened chest muscles from anxiety/slouching?

[Lexirae_]

I’ve had bad posture as long as I can remember and my chest is ALWAYS tight, and I honestly think that it 100% contributes maybe even causes my anxiety, or makes it worse, if I’m laying on one side and turn over my chest gets super tight until I massage my chest muscles and they literally hurt to touch they’re so tense, when I’m in one position too long and move it does it too, and right when I wake up it’s the tightest, the only thing that helps it is heat/massage or a hot shower 😭 I’m trying to slowly fix my posture but from years of head down/slouching posture it hurts 😩 any pointers on what I can do ? When I fix my posture when I notice it and straighten out my chest feels like it’s being tugged up and hurts even more 😩 I have an appt with the chiropractor but wanna be a bit more prepared and ready , thank you

[lillyofthevalley37]

You could look into the Alexander Technique I think it would be of interest to you

[Lexirae_ in reply to lillyofthevalley37]

Thank you! I’ll look into it!

[SxufferingSxoul]

Hi, I get the same exact thing with trouble breathing, do you get trouble breathing as well? You need to keep in mind that posture alone doesn’t really cause the muscle tightness, it does but not as intense as it is for you. However, that combined with anxiety can make it so intense, it’s crazy. I always lay down after, does your back get tight too? Like the back of your chest? Mine sure as hell does, it’s annoying. Try getting those office chairs that have a cushion on the top, which you can rest your neck and head against, and back. It’s anxiety that’s making you worry too much, postures like this hardly ever do damage to the chest, if it ever does damage it would be to the spinal cord or neck. I honestly have the same exact problem, which lead me to using my laptop while laying down because sitting is so uncomfortable due to the tightness and trouble breathing.

[Lexirae_ in reply to SxufferingSxoul]

Yes! Sometimes I’ll notice I’m breathing sooo shallow and I figured it could, Ive had panic attacks daily since I was 16 and I’m always sooo tense, my muscles are so tense they’ll shake for an hour after I get up after being inactive 😭 my back and sides are super tight too, if I lay flat on the ground I can feel all of my muscles try to loosen and it’s so painful because they physically can’t ! I also have pretty big boobs and was diagnosed with Costochondritis after I had my son and I know that can take a long the to resolve, I think I’m making the damage worse 😭

[SxufferingSxoul in reply to Lexirae_]

Don’t think like that, its natural for us to right away think it’s a disease when we get a symptom, its like when you hear an object drop on the floor and you think “Ok that definitely broke” but you go and see that it didn’t lol. Same thing, you get a chest symptom and think, yeah I definitely have a lung disease. But in reality, it may not be true. A big sign that you don’t have chest disease is the fact that it doesnt get better when you lay down. Lung or heart diseases ALWAYS show improvement upon rest.. sadly despite all these facts, I’m still not convinced that I have healthy lungs! That’s the thing with anxiety, no matter what specialist you see, what examinations you, and what good results you get, you will still get the same thoughts. When I get an episode of these symptoms you have, standing up is absolute terror for me, and you?? As well as exercise, everything worsens during exercise ugh.