How to Choose an Office Chair That Supports Shoulder Alignment

Your shoulders do way more than you give them credit for, and, in fact, I bet you haven’t even thought of them much today. The facts: they’re actually major players in your posture, upper-back mobility, and the way your entire body moves. Which is why shoulder pain can be so frustrating to deal with — it can affect your entire upper body!

If you’re dealing with shoulder pinching when you lift your arms, rounded shoulders, a forward head posture, scapular winging, or just straight-up weak shoulders, your movement suffers. And when your movement suffers, everything else in your body feels it.

Now add hours of sitting at a desk—at home or in an office—and those issues can compound fast.

In this blog, we’re breaking down why choosing an office chair that actually supports shoulder alignment matters, and we’ll give you simple, actionable tips to help you create strong, stable, pain-free shoulders every day.

Note: We’re also going to be honest with you and go over what to do if you have persistent shoulder pain because sometimes you do need a better office chair, and then other times you definitely need to work on your posture and movement patterns!

Ready to browse ergonomic office chairs that help improve shoulder alignment? Skip the read and head on over to our preferred choice: The Anthros Chair.

Use code MOVEU200 for $200 off!

Can a Bad Office Chair Throw Off Shoulder Alignment?

Short answer: absolutely.

A poorly designed office chair can put your entire upper body out of balance. When your seat is too low, too soft, too deep, or lacking proper support, you automatically compensate—usually by rounding your shoulders, collapsing your chest, or poking your head forward like a baby turtle.

Most traditional office chairs provide lumbar support, which doesn’t account for the natural “S” curve of your actual spine. This results in slouching over time and contributes to that rounded, slumped posture that’s too common in most of the population.

Those small adjustments add up. Over time, they may cause shoulder impingement, upper-trap dominance, weak lower traps, tight pecs, and the classic desk-job combo: tech neck and rounded shoulders. And slouching increases lumbar disc pressure, which is painful!

A better chair won’t fix everything, but it will set the foundation so your shoulders can move freely and stay strong throughout the day. This reduces shoulder pain while sitting and makes sitting at work easier on your body.

What Should You Look for in Terms of Shoulder Health When Choosing an Office Chair?

When it comes to shoulder alignment, you want a chair that helps your torso stay upright and stable—not folded, slumped, or curved like a cashew. Look for the following:

1. Pelvis vs. Lumbar Support

Most people ask for lumbar support, but the real goal is lumbar extension—and that only happens when the pelvis is stabilized. Traditional lumbar pads push on your low back, but pelvic support sets the spine’s foundation so the lumbar curve can naturally extend into its optimal, pain-free position.

2. Tapered upper backrest that supports the mid-back (thoracic spine).

The chair’s upper back support should be able to be adjusted to meet your mid/upper back, supporting an upright optimal posture. A tapered shape allows your shoulders to be pulled back while sitting to maintain optimal posture.

3. Lower back support

This is where chairs like the Anthros shine. Proper lower back pelvis support stabilizes the pelvis, the foundation of high performance sitting.  By doing this, the natural curves of the spine are kept intact. When you support the pelvis, the lumbar region is naturally supported too and your postural muscles can relax.

4. Armrests that adjust in height and width.

Your arms shouldn’t be shrugged up or hanging down all day. And chairs that allow you to adjust your armrests, no matter what position you’re in, help maintain better posture and reduce discomfort.

5. A seat that reduces pressure

Too much pressure on your sit bones increases pain, causes discomfort, and hurts your sit bones. The Anthros Chair does this right. It has a contoured premium foam cushion with pressure relieving cutouts in the rear to remove pressure from the sit bones.

What Should You Avoid?

Skip chairs that:

Sink when you sit (a sign of poor support).
Have fixed armrests or none at all (you need to be able to adjust them).
Push your shoulders forward with a rounded backrest.
Put too much pressure on your lumbar spine.
Have a seat pan so deep your spine must round to reach the backrest.
Encourage leaning, collapsing, or perching.

If your chair makes you work harder just to sit up straight, it’s the wrong chair.

We also recommend avoiding chairs that aren’t adjustable. Also, if the chair company you choose hasn’t even considered posture alignment when creating their product, we’d say skip it.

Remember: according to the National Library of Medicine, the average office worker spends over 1,300 hours per year sitting! No wonder office workers have back and shoulder pain!

Tips on How to Sit at a Desk to Avoid Shoulder Pain & Promote Better Alignment

Even the best chair can’t save you if you’re sitting horribly. So, you need to ask yourself: is the issue my office chair or my posture and movement patterns?

Try these daily posture habits for support:

Stack your ribcage over your pelvis. Think: tall, not tense.
Relax your shoulders down and back—don’t pin them, just let them settle.
Keep your forearms supported by the desk or armrests.
Place your keyboard and mouse close to avoid reaching and rounding.
Keep your elbows at about a 90° angle so your upper traps aren’t working overtime.
Place your feet flat on the floor to avoid tilting through your pelvis and spine.

Movement note: Sitting in some perfect, magic position all day is not the goal. Standing desks are great but can be equally problematic if that's all you use. The ideal is to change positions often. Give your body variety. That’s what it's designed for.

And if you need additional help, head on over to MoveU’s Shoulder Impingement, Kyphosis, and Winging Scapula Program to start fixing your posture.

What Adjustments Should You Make to a Desk to Promote Shoulder Alignment?

Here are some basic tips on how to adjust your desk to promote shoulder alignment:

Raise your monitor so the top third is at eye level.
Set your desk height so your shoulders aren’t hiked or slumped while typing.
Pull the desk closer so you’re not reaching forward.
Keep your mouse shoulder-width from your body—not way out to the side.
Adjust your chair height so your forearms land comfortably over your desk/work surface.

All of this helps reduce strain on your traps, neck flexors, and rotator cuff. However, you will also need a proper ergonomic office chair to ensure your entire body is supported.

What Features Should You Look for in an Office Chair if You Have Shoulder & Neck Pain?

If you’re already dealing with pain, look for chairs with:

Independent back adjustments (upper and lower) that are supportive of your spine’s natural “S” curve.
Armrests that adjust in height, width, and depth.
A firm, supportive cushion foundation (not a cushy sinkhole) that reduces pressure on your sit bones.

These features help place the shoulder blades in their ideal resting position and reduce neck strain.

FAQs About Office Chairs & Shoulder Alignment

1. Are There Any FDA-Approved Office Chairs That Support Better Posture and Reduce Shoulder Pain?

There are no FDA-approved office chairs. Per Anthros Chair, their chair is FDA-registered as an orthotic device, which means the chair is registered with the FDA as a device to support posture. As a registered orthotic device this chair helps with pain relief and posture, particularly for those who sit for extended periods of time.

2. How Should You Not Sit in an Office Chair?

While this is quite basic, we do really recommend finding an ergonomic office chair and fixing your posture from the ground up. Here are some tips to avoid when sitting in an office chair:

Avoid perching on the edge of the chair.
Don’t lean into one hip.
Try not to slump or round your shoulders.
Don’t cross your legs for hours.

Basically, avoid anything that collapses your spine or tightens your upper traps.

3. Stretches to Do During the Day in the Office to Support Your Neck and Shoulders

Add these quick resets throughout your day:

Pec doorway stretch – opens the chest.
Upper trap massage – reduces neck tension.
Mid-back mobility stretches – helps activate the mid and upper back.
Scapular retractions – wakes up the mid-back.
Chin tucks – counters tech neck.

These take 30 to 60 seconds and can undo hours of desk tension.

If you’re looking for an ergonomic office chair that’s scientifically known to help reduce shoulder pain, we highly recommend the Anthros Chair. Use code MOVEU200 at checkout for $200 off!

Pair that with the MoveU shoulder and upper back program, and you’re setting yourself up to fix your shoulder pain and restore mobility.