How do I "unlearn" a bad posture habit?

A few thoughts Deb...

You can get a brace to hold your shoulders back and down...I looked at one myself because I was becoming concerned about my posture post mastectomy.  They're really not as bad as they sound.. more like a girdle or HD bra with cross-straps in the back.

Regular massage therapy does help me.  Also, the massage therapy combined with daily stretching helps even more.  Add exercise to the mix and I'm almost back to normal.  Well...maybe not normal. 

Otherwise, just keep correcting yourself when you think about it.  Not much more you can do.  Good luck Deb.

T

That sounds very uncomfortable. Do you have full range of motion in your arm and shoulder?

Do you do shoulder rolls? If you can "feel" what it should be like to have your shoulders down and back ( "backbody" as the Yoga teacher says) maybe you can find yourself doing that more often.

Scrunch both shoulders up to your ears. Now you really look hunched up. Then roll them down and back, your chest should come forward a little. You should feel your shoulder blades moving toward one another and that little curve in your lower back should be there. Find a mirror and look at yourself so you see if you're even, and remember how much better you look  with your shoulders back and broad,  up like the proud healthy woman that you are.  

Deb,

As someone who likes to wear her shoulders as earrings... I can relate!

Here is what I have done to try and help it.

When I get up now I sit up in bed first. I raise my arms above my head and stretch from side to side. Then I put arms out to my sides and then bend the elbows so my hands are touching my shoulders, and I rotate the elbows.

Then I slowly stretch my neck from side to side and backwards and forwards and do the scrunch up of my shoulders up high then down.

All this while sitting on the end of my bed.

Then I try to remind myself throughout the day of what was drilled into me in ballet. There is an imaginary string that starts at the solar plexus and comes right up and out the top of your head and pulls your head up. Imagine that happening and you are suddenly standing taller and your head is more erect and your shoulders are lowered.

I also switched to a purse with a long strap that I wear as a crisscross across my chest so it doesn't hang down on one shoulder pulling it down.

((hugs to you))

Love ya,

g 

I asked my PT about the brace thing when I was worried about my posture after surgery, too.  She warned me that it was not the way to go; the muscles need strenght and memory to maintain posture.

You are doing what I was taught, exercise, strength training and at LEAST  10-15 min of streaching each day.  Head to toe.

I have made significant progress over the past few months and have only lost about 10 lbs but have had my clothes taken in 3 times with the streaching.  It has reshaped my torso and upper body.

I really work on the strength stuff; in the pool and only one day a week on weights and that sort of thing.

I am amazed at the difference.  Others have noticed my body changes and the better posture has made me look thinner!

Massage will be a great basis for beginning streaches.  I urge you to begin the massage therapy and yes, avoid deep tissue on the LE areas.

But in the shoulder, neck and upper back, it made a world of difference for me, both in comfort and healing.

If I had the money I would buy myself a really pretty bracelet with my favorite most calming colour on it. And when you find your tense stare at the bracelet. Maybe a dump idea, but I have a ring my mom gave me years ago, its a huge light blue saphire, and I've noticed now that I wear it again whenever I'm stressed I really stare at the colour and cut and find it really does relax me. Strange but true.  Stupid part was I had put the ring away long ago and just pulled it out about a month ago, but it is mesmerizing.pearl49

re the bracelet idea. I've also heard of putting a rubber band on your wrist and snapping it when you find yourself doing or thinking about something you want to avoid.  It hurts!

Deb, if you're working on your range of motion that's going in the right direction. But don't expect fast progress. It would not surprise me if it took 6-12 months of working on improving your range for it to happen. So don't get frustrated and give up!  

My upper body is a total mess.  I had bi-lateral with reconstruction (tissue expanders) and rads.  Last year I was undergoing physical therapy for a frozen shoulder (which I now don't think I really had).  I have found a new physical therapist who is great.  She said I am extremely tight in my pectoral muscles which is causing pain my shoulders and neck, especially on my cancer side where I had rads.  I have pain in both my shoulders and neck.  I don't think the Femara is helping matters either.  She also said the muscles in my neck are extremely tight.  I get heat on my shoulders and neck, then she does deep tissue massage and I have 7 exercises I do everyday.  I have been doing PT since Jan and I haven't really seen much improvement.  I think it is going to take quite a while before I find relief since I have been tightening those muscles for 2 1/2 years since surgery.  I also feel all of my stress in those areas and have always had a weak neck.  I noticed that I have been leaning foward and bringing my shoulders forward since I had my reconstruction.  I have a terrible time keeping my shoulders relaxed and back and down.  It is very hard to fix bad posture and takes a lot of work.  The neck pain bothers me the most and sometimes worries me that it is something more than just tight muscles.