Written By: Muskan Gupta | Published : January 20, 2026 4:57 PM IST
Medically Verified By: Dr. Reetadyuti Mukhopadhyay
Shoulder pain is traditionally considered a problem of athletes or older people. However, it's slowly catching up with the younger working crowd as well. The shoulder joint is the most flexible in the human body and allows a vast amount of motion to take place. This complexity arises because the shoulder joint works with a combination of muscles, tendons, and ligaments in a perfectly orchestrated manner. Even if a single element is dysfunctional, it leads to pain in the shoulder area.
According to Dr Reetadyuti Mukhopadhyay, Associate Director, Orthopedics, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, "For many young professionals, shoulder pain is intimately connected to their jobs at a computer. Sitting for long periods of time slouched over a keyboard can cause the shoulders to droop into a rounded position. This creates uneven tension on the muscles of the shoulder joint. A nagging shoulder problem can quickly escalate into a regular source of shoulder pain. A slouched posture can impact not only the muscles around the shoulder area. It can also affect how tendons move inside a shoulder joint with daily activities."
Aside from desk work, most young professionals perform tasks that involve repetitive movements, which continuously stress their joints. Such repetitive stress could weaken its supporting muscles and tendons. The rotator cuff, which is comprised of muscles and tendons that are important to support and move this joint, is most susceptible to this injury due to its frequent use.
A number of conditions regularly come into play when it comes to shoulder pain in young adults. Of the most common, tendinopathy is one. This condition is associated with inflammation or degeneration of the tendons that hold the shoulder joint stable. The condition is often associated with another condition, which is bursitis. This condition is associated with inflammation of the fluid-filled sac, referred to as the bursae, that cushion the joint.
Another possible reason could be the presence of shoulder impingement, wherein the tendons get pressed against the surrounding bone structures. Thus, the movements become impossible for the individual.
In other instances, the pain in the shoulders might not actually come from the shoulders. Nerve compression in the neck region can refer pain to the shoulders, among other areas. Occasionally, the pain in the shoulders could come from other organs in the body, including the heart and abdomen. It is, therefore, important for persistent and progressive pain in the shoulders to be evaluated by a medical doctor in case its causation can lead to something serious.
The positive thing about shoulder pain is the fact that it is possible to control it or even avoid it. This is achieved through maintaining proper workplace posture in addition to avoiding long periods of sitting. Such people can also benefit from exercises to strengthen muscles responsible for stabilising the shoulder. This is in addition to the importance of avoiding certain shoulder motions.
However, in case the young professionals do experience any discomfort in the shoulder region, taking professional advice from a health care provider could assist in ascertaining the cause and treatment for the same.
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