Physiotherapist Explains Why Bartending Wrecks Your Body

Back pain might be the headline complaint among bartenders, but it’s far from the only one. Christina Neo, a physiotherapist in Singapore who treats a steady stream of bar industry clients, sees just as much wear and tear in the shoulders, neck, elbows, and knees. These all come from the same repetitive, physical work that makes the job look effortless from the other side of the bar.

Most of it builds up slowly. A bartender shaking drinks all night isn’t thinking about their shoulder tendons; someone ducking to grab bottles from a low shelf isn’t thinking about their knees. The damage shows up later, and by the time it does, it’s usually been brewing for months.

Movement Makes Pain

Shoulder, neck, and elbow pain are all common ailments behind the bar, and they tend to share the same root causes: repetitive motion and poor posture.

Neck strain shows up as a dull ache or chronic tension, while a slipped disc in the neck can cause sharper pain that radiates into the shoulders and arms. Posture is usually the culprit; bartenders tend to slouch and look down while making drinks, and working at a low station doesn’t do taller bartenders any favors either.

Shake enough cocktails and the shoulder can develop a repetitive stress injury: tendinitis, which is just inflammation of the tendon, and shows up as sharp, acute pain. Elbows get hit the same way: repetitive strain can lead to inflamed tendons, like tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow, with pain on the outside or inside of the elbow and a noticeably weaker grip.

These overuse injuries usually come down to not getting enough rest, which is tough when shaking drinks is just part of the job description. Skipping stretches and letting muscles get weak or tight only speeds things up.

On Painful Knees

Knee pain is another surprisingly common complaint, usually showing up as wear and tear on the patellofemoral joint (the kneecap joint), which affects the cartilage. Bartenders with knee issues tend to feel it most when squatting or climbing stairs.

The cause is usually all the squatting and kneeling in tight spaces to grab bottles and cans. Interestingly, women tend to be more prone to this just because of how their bodies are built. Regardless of gender, though, poor conditioning and weak muscles make it worse.

Stretches and Exercises

Like the back, the neck responds well to a little regular attention, and a few minutes of stretches before or after a shift can go a long way.

• Side neck stretches: ease tension built up from looking down at the counter all night.

• Upper back / postural stretches: open up the chest and shoulders to help reverse the slouched, hunched-forward posture that builds up behind the bar.

• Chin tucks: strengthen the deep neck muscles and help correct the forward head posture that comes from leaning over drinks all day.

How the Workplace Plays a Role

A lot of this comes down to bar design, not just individual habits. If you’re opening a new bar, bring in a consultant to design an ergonomic station; it’ll save your staff a lot of pain down the line. Older bars often used one-size-fits-all layouts, but these days stations can be built higher, lower, deeper, or shallower depending on the region or the average height of the team.

If you’re just staff and don’t get a say in the setup, your best move is to look after your own body. Keep your core strong, and build a routine to strengthen weak spots and loosen up tight muscles. It won’t fix a bad station, but it gives your body a better shot at handling it.

When to Get Physiotherapist Help

Christina says most of the bartenders she treats are men, likely because there are still more male bartenders in Singapore, and they’re usually the ones stuck doing the heavy lifting.

Her advice applies across the board, whether it’s your shoulder, neck, elbow, or knee: if you’ve had pain for more than two weeks, get it checked out. Don’t wait until it’s so bad there’s structural damage that can’t be fixed without surgery.

And if it’s your back that’s been bothering you specifically, you may want to check out the previous article.