Proper Posture: How to Reduce Upper Back Pain
Upper back pain results from many reasons. Primarily, the cause all comes down from poor sitting or standing position. For some people, this resulted from a minor trauma from exercising or playing sports. Usually, the pain runs in the thoracic region of your spine, along with the length of the ribs and below the neck.
This is otherwise known as interscapular pain. Modern devices, the increased use of tablets, smartphones, and laptops can be a reason for this. When you start to feel this uncomfortable state, it is better to give it urgent attention before it gets worse.
Being aware of your posture and correcting them is a very great remedy to lessen that tension. Usually, a good rest or other home treatments may help lessen the pain within days. But if it persists, you should address it in seeking professional help right away.
Why Upper Back Muscle Happens?
Eric Sampson, a Mckenzie Certified Physical Therapist, can supply the answer for this. He said that ensuring the right area of pain must be the number one thing to do in dealing this. The common injuries happen due to prolonged sitting or standing. Prolonged standing such as looking over in a standing position may also cause this.
He found out in his patients that those who suffer it are sitters. As a matter of fact, they sit for decades, in their 40’s and 50’s already. They have bad habits of poor posture for too long. The longer they do this, the more they tend to slouch more. Consequently, this could lead to a breakdown of tissues.
He further highlighted another reason which also addresses those people who stand too long while looking over their work. He exemplified the chefs and architects who could be standing too long. While having a hard time in their work, they tend to bend down and forward. As a result, this promotes poor posture habit in that upper back area.
As a result, they can have muscle strains. They can also have a lot of wear and tear to those tissues and have bulging and herniated (ruptured) disks.
As a conclusion, prolonged postural problems cause upper back pain, in most cases. Although he said, it could be some causes. Further, he mentioned that usually, it becomes chronic, like 20 years plus.
What characterizes upper back pain?
Either sides or on one side of your body, upper back pain can be felt on those areas between the shoulder blades, says Dr. Shaina McQuilkie, a Licensed chiropractor. It may last for a relatively short period of time (acute) or weeks or months (chronic). She indicated some of the symptoms:
- Localized pain between shoulder blades area, or pain that runs through your arms or other areas of your back
- A burning pain
- A prolonged dull pain
- A short and sharp burst of pain
- A painful inhaling of air
Dr. Shaina McQuilkie also added other causes of this pain. Aside from prolonged poor posture habits as Eric Sampson mentioned, this condition could have resulted from prolonged or sudden heavy lifting. Other activities such as poor sleeping positions, and other activities that involve repetitive twisting such as golf, tennis, and etc.
Quick Treatment for Back Pain
If your suspicion that an injury caused the pain, stop your activity right away. Apply ice. Apply this ice bag wrapped in towel and apply to injury immediately. Apply this for 20 minutes and repeat every 2-3 hours for the first 48 to 72 hours. This helps reduce swelling and pain.
Drug medication may also be taken such as Tylenol®, Aleve®, or Ibuprofen. Just take them with food and follow package directions.
After 72 hours, heat can be applied. Slowly stretch the back muscles. This can help alleviate stiffness.
Most people can and should already go back to regular daily activities as tolerable, as research suggests. Avoid anything that could cause or increase back pain. (then visit your healthcare provider)
Usually, back pain alleviates over a period of 1-2 weeks without further intervention. During recovery, if you start exercising, do it with caution to prevent injury from happening again. Gradual, slow and appropriate rehabilitation and proper posture can decrease healing time and help prevent re-injury.
Best Exercises For Upper Back Pain Relief
1. Anterior Shoulder Stretch
in is the simplest stretch to do. This addresses the anterior part of your shoulder, on your DELTOID. It helps in correcting abnormal posture and reduces the pain created between the shoulder blades.
How to do it:
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Start it with your right arm placed on your left side, across the front of your body.
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Then use your left hand to clasp your right elbow.
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Give your right arm more stretch by pulling your left arm inwardly without twisting your upper body
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Hold it for 20 seconds
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Do the same using your left arm
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Aim for 3 repetitions
2. One Arm Doorway Stretch
The pain between your shoulder blades resulted from tightening of chest muscles due to shoulders rounded forward. In order to ease that pain, stretching out your chest muscles by following this will help because the scapulae will be put in optimal position. It can also help restore good posture.
How to do it:
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Stand in a door frame.
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Place your forearm against the door frame. Make sure that your elbow is 90° angle while your triceps are parallel to the floor.
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Slowly move your body forward
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Hold it for 15 seconds
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At least, aim for 3 repetitions
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For a challenging one, lean your head on the opposite side
4. Hallelujah Stretch
A poor shoulder blades position could have resulted from a constant hunched position of the upper back. To help this, you should try a stretch that extends your upper back like this. It will put your muscles in an optimal position by moving them around your shoulder blades so that they can function normally.
How to do it:
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Start by sitting on a chair which backrest levels just below your shoulder blades
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Put your hands at the back of your head
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Slowly lean your upper back behind until you can feel the backrest over your upper back
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Hold it for 15 seconds
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At least, aim for 3 repetitions
5. Child’s Pose
Upper back can sometimes result from tightened rhomboids. So, this pose helps to release that tightening for a normal positioning and movement of the scapulae.
How to do it:
- Start by getting on your knees on the floor with a mat
- Set your knees as wide as your hip and keep the upper side of your toes touched on the Rest your butt on your heels
- Sit on your heels then move your upper body forward on top of your thighs or between them
- Let your forehead touch the floor
- As you lean your upper body, this should be done simultaneously: extend your arms and let your palms touch the floor
- Hold it in this position for 1 minute
- To release this position, slowly curve up your back using your hands then sit back on your heels
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Aim for 3 repetitions
6. Seated Row With Resistance Bands ( Theraband®)
This kind of stretch reinforces all the major muscles of your back like the trapezius and rhomboids. The method only consists of proper scapular motion. Strengthening this area improves agility, posture, and stability of your back.
How to do it:
- Get your resistance band or Theraband and wrap it around a stable piece of furniture, or you can wrap it around the bottom of your feet
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you as your knees slightly bent
- As you grab the other ends of the Theraband, you also stretch out your arms in front of you as you get ready for the stretch
- Pull the Theraband with your elbows moving slightly behind the torso. You can feel your shoulder blades squeezing together
- As you pull the band, make sure your body to be still and straight while also maintaining that your arms are also close to your body
- Once your hands reach your torso, this ends the pulling of the band
- Hold this position for few seconds then go back to the first position by straightening your arms
- At least, aim for 3 sets with 10 repetitions
7.Trigger point therapy for Chest and Pectoralis Minor
Poor posture such as forward head posture and rounded shoulders may be a reason for overly tight pectoralis. Needless to say, this leads pain between shoulder blades. With the help of a manual massaging tool, this exercise helps reduce tension in those muscles to allow normal scapular muscles are functioning.
How to do it:
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Lie on your back on the floor with a mat
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Use a Theracane knob as a manual massaging tool. Grab the hook and position it in the grove below your collarbone.
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Once you are set, apply pressure and move the hook up and down and side to side. Do this while keeping the knob still
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Keep putting pressure until you feel the trigger point release
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Do this release on both sides
8. Thoracic Spine Extension with Foam Roller
The rolling firm foam is a great object to massage your back. Using this can ease from mild to moderate pain especially in the thoracic or mid back.
How to do it:
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Pick up your foam roller and place it on the floor, perpendicular to where your body will lay on it
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Lie down on the foam roller beneath your shoulders. The foam roller and your body should form a “T” formation.
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Lay your feet flat on the floor as your also bend your knees, then lift up your lower back. This will start the rolling back and forth of the foam roller
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Use your feet to control the movement as well so that the massage runs all the way your entire spine.
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Do this for at least 10 minutes
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Aim for at least 3 repetitions
9. Downward Dog at the Wall
This exercise, if done properly, will make you feel better afterward. This stretch can improve strength, symmetry, and alignment of your body. Aside from that, this lengthens your spine, decompresses neck and activates shoulder stabilizers. After doing this, it will improve your blood flow and increase energy, making you feel calm and strong.
How to do it:
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Begin with your hands and knees. Align your wrists right under your shoulders and your knees right under your hips. Parallel the fold of your wrists with the top edge of your mat. In the same top edge of your mat should be where you point your middle fingers
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Relax your elbow as you stretch your elbows
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Press and spread your fingers firmly through your palms and knuckles. Make sure you feel that you distribute the weight across both hands
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Lift your knees off the floor as you also lift your hips toward the ceiling
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Slowly straighten your arms, press your hips up and back as you reach the chest towards the thighs
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As you do this, form your body into a shape of “A”
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Feel the weight on your hands as you lift your hips. As you stretch your spine, lift up your buttocks then press down your heel and your palms
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Lift your inner muscles of the arm to the top of your shoulders. Then, draw your blades into your upper back ribs and toward your tailbone
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Draw your chest toward the direction of your thighs. Engage your quadriceps. Sink your heels toward the floor
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Hold for 5-10 breaths
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Release this by bending your knees and lowering your hips back to table position, or come all the way down to Child’s Pose
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Aim for at least 3 repetitions
10. Scapular Squeeze
This type of stretch strengthens the muscles which also stabilizes the scapula or shoulder blades during the early phase of rehabilitation after an injury, or it can also ease the pain in the upper back muscles.
How to do it:
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While sitting or standing, place your arms by your sides then squeeze your shoulder blades together.
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Ensure that the elbows never moved other than kept down at the sides.
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Hold for 5-10 seconds and relax
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Aim for at least 5-10 repetitions
The Importance of Proper Posture
Harvard Health Publishing published about the importance of good posture. It said that good posture is essential to balance because in standing up straight, your weight focuses on your feet. During exercise, this also helps to maintain the proper form that would lessen injuries and reap greater gains. For sports activities that work on balance, it can strengthen your abilities in skiing, tennis, golf, dancing, running and etc.
On the contrary, poor posture doesn’t necessarily mean a bad habit. This could affect balance in many ways such as slumping your core muscles. Your core muscles include your back, side, pelvis, and buttocks which are if tipped forward could cause off-balance. Strong lower leg muscles must keep you steady when standing.
A good posture, however, can be improved. Balance-specific workouts, quick posture checks, and increasing core strength and flexibility, they can noticeably show you improved posture with few simple exercises
A Good Posture Means
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Chin parallel to the floor
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Shoulders even (shoulders rolled up, back, and down)
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Neutral spine (no arching or flexing to show the curve in the lower back)
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Arms at the sides with elbows straight and even
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Abdominal muscles braced
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Knees pointing forward ahead
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Body weight spread evenly on both feet
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For sitting position, the chin must also be parallel to the floor. Knees, hips, and shoulders must be at even heights while knees and feet also points forward ahead
Conclusion
Any pain in your upper back area mostly resulted from prolonged improper posture when sitting or standing. This may cause muscle imbalances in the scapular area. This will result to very bad postures such as hunched forward shoulders or rounded shoulders. This is why a sudden back pain must be addressed right away. This does not only help ease pain but also exercises and boosts normal blood flow and functioning of your back muscles. A good posture will already do to do that.