Woman Notices Her Right Shoulder Slowly Rising Over Weeks. Now, It Won’t Go Down

At the start of August 2025, professional dancer Caroline Miele noticed a subtle but persistent change in her posture — her right shoulder was slowly rising higher than her left.

“I didn’t think much of it since it was only noticeable to me,” Miele tells PEOPLE. “After a week or two, my fiancé and friends started to notice as it got more drastic.”

Used to the physical demands of dance and the occasional injury, the 28-year-old initially brushed it off, attributing it to muscle fatigue or overuse — especially since she wasn’t in any pain.

“I was able to continue working and dancing,” she explains. “The only pain I felt was an occasional muscle spasm that would happen quickly and then go away.”

Still, the asymmetry continued to worsen week by week. Curiosity soon turned into concern as she searched online for answers, only to find a flood of unsettling possibilities.

“Once my shoulder started to get really bad, I did what any 20-something-year-old who can’t afford a doctor’s visit would do — go down a WebMD rabbit hole,” Miele admits.

After nearly a month of silent worry, she finally booked an appointment with an orthopedic specialist in Florida to uncover what might be going on beneath the surface.

“He did a few different X-rays of my shoulder, along with my spine, because he thought that it might be scoliosis,” she explains. “However, it wasn’t.”

“He ultimately didn’t know what was wrong with me, so he gave me a prescription for steroids and a muscle relaxer and sent me on my way.”

The steroids brought temporary relief, but within days, her shoulder returned to its elevated position.

Unsure of what to do next, Miele turned to social media and posted a TikTok video sharing her experience and seeking advice.

“I was overwhelmed with the response I received, and it honestly made me emotional how many strangers wanted to help a 20-something-year-old girl on the internet,” she shares.

Comments and messages quickly poured in from medical professionals offering suggestions — from CT scans to MRIs to physical therapy.

While many messages were helpful, some added to her stress. “A few people suggested it could be something more serious. Some said things like a neurological disorder, dystonia, even a pre-menopause symptom,” Miele recalls. “That’s when I knew I had to get answers.”

Unable to afford advanced imaging, she opted for a follow-up with a physical therapist.

“After an initial examination, they decided to do something called dry needling, which many people suggested. We also did cupping and a deep tissue massage,” Miele says.

“While we still don’t have answers of exactly what’s going on, I’m confident that we are headed in the right direction to try to figure out the root cause of all of this.”

After just one session, Miele noticed progress and plans to continue treatment twice a week for the next five weeks. She also hopes to get an MRI or CT scan soon to rule out any underlying issues.

“I’m getting married in May and I don’t wanna look like Quasimodo walking down the aisle,” she jokes.

Miele has managed to keep her sense of humor throughout the ordeal. In her fifth TikTok update, she laughed at some of the lighthearted comments on her original video — one joked, “At least your purse won’t fall off that shoulder.”

Looking back, Miele says posting the video was one of the “best decisions” she’s ever made.

“I can’t believe the sheer amount of kind people who wanted to reach out and help me,” she tells PEOPLE. “It makes me so emotional to think that that many people cared about little old me!”

The outpouring of support from doctors across various medical fields was a surprise. “I encourage anyone who is trying to get answers to post a video on TikTok; you never know who might see it,” Miele emphasizes.

---