The upper back is a common area for pain and symptoms. Although this can be attributed to a number of reason a big one is people spending more time hunched over a desk working long hours and the use of handheld devices.
My three tips for helping to reduce upper back pain are;
1. Rolled towel stretch
2. Rowing exercises
3. Posture
1. Rolled towel stretch
A lot of people are tight through their chest which pulls the shoulders forward. The rolled towel stretch is a great way to loosen the muscles in your chest and shoulders. This can help the upper back to stay in a better posture which helps to reduce pain and symptoms. Roll up a bath towel and then lie on your back on the floor. Have the towel running along the length of your spine from the top of your shoulder blades towards your pelvis. Lie with your arms stretched out to the sides, you should feel a stretch in your chest and shoulders. You can lie on the towel for anywhere from a minute to 5-10 minutes.
2. Rowing exercises
A lot of upper back pain is due to people hunching over, which leads to poor posture. This can lead to weakened back muscles, in particular the rhomboid muscles. These muscles help to pull your shoulders back and improve your posture. Any rowing exercise, whether it’s seated, standing, bent over or upright, whether with weights, a theraband, bodyweight or a rowing machine will help to strengthen the rhomboids and decrease pain and symptoms.
3. Posture
You’ve probably guessed from the information above that poor posture plays a big part in upper back pain. Doing the above stretch and the strengthening exercise are two things you can do to help improve posture but you also need to work on your core and neck. Also, posture won’t change overnight so it’s something you need to work on over a period of time and then make sure you maintain good posture in the future. Don’t try to change everything in one go, start out easy and build as you go.
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