2 Effective Upper Back Stretches to Relieve Pain and Boost Strength and Mobility
Quick Relief Tips for Upper Back Pain
- Foam rolling
- Popping
- Strengthening
Foam rolling your upper back can help you move into extension. If you can get on the floor and use a comfortable foam roller, such as the 36-inch Rolling With It foam roller I use, you can really get into the upper back and relieve nagging pain.
Popping your upper back can be helpful. Either a PT or chiro can do this. It’s quick relief but the magic really happens when you combine moving the upper back and then strengthening it. So if you foam roll it I would follow up with an exercise such as the Serratus Plus exercise.
Popping your upper back can be helpful. Either a PT or chiro can do this. It’s quick relief but the magic really happens when you combine moving the upper back and then strengthening it. So if you foam roll it I would follow up with an exercise such as the Serratus Plus exercise.
What Causes Upper Back Pain?
Most of the time, upper back pain is caused from sitting for prolonged periods of time. Some people think it may be related to arthritis or disc issues but that's often not the case.
Our bodies are meant to move and those who work at a desk all day, for example, tend to experience more upper back pain than others. Another reason we have upper back pain is that we are not taking the necessary steps to combat this pain! What I mean by that is we are not doing the exercises that we should be doing to help our upper back become stronger and more mobile.
by If you are someone who needs to be able to sit in a rounded back position, then we need to get you stronger in the things that you need your body to do! The number one thing that you can do to help your body get the relief it needs is to exercise your upper back.
Let me share with you my one-two punch for improving your upper back mobility and strength!
How Do You Stretch Out Your Upper Back?
For your upper back, motion is lotion! Therefore, these two exercises that I would like to share with you are going to be able to get your back feeling better in no time.
The only equipment you will need for these exercises is a chair. We are going to go over one exercise that is focused more on mobility and the second is going to be focused on strengthening. Mobility and Strengthening exercises are imperative to getting your back pain under control!
1. Upper Back Thoracic Extension
For this exercise, grab your chair and sit on your knees in front of the chair. Place your elbows on the chair and then scoot your knees back as far as you can. Next you are going to poke your butt out and sink into your arms.
You should be able to feel your upper back tighten up and feel the stretch. Make sure to keep your neck neutral, do not look up or down as this will affect the stretch. You should do about 20-30 of these and your upper back will feel loose in no time!
2. Quadruped Plus
For this movement, you are going to start on your hands and knees. Make sure that your hands are lined up right underneath your shoulders. Then you are going to push up with your hands, and then sink back down into the stretch. Push up, then dip down. Ensure that your arms are staying straight and you are not bending your elbows. There is a great demonstration of this movement in my YouTube video at the beginning of this blog!
This movement is working those muscles that are attached to your upper back and it is really really good for strengthening that area of your spine! Do about 30 reps of this movement and you will definitely be feeling much stronger.
Upper back pain is usually caused by prolonged positions and lack of movement. If you prioritize strengthening and mobility exercises i your routine, you will be able to sit comfortably, however you like!
What Exercises You Should Avoid With Upper Back Pain?
Generally speaking, you should avoid upper back exercises that promote flexion. Flexion is the rounding of the spine and is often associated with rounded shoulders and forward head posture. In fact, upper cross syndrome is a very common condition I see.
Upper cross syndrome:
Instead of doing the cat portion of the cat camel, focus on the extension. Another example of this would be avoiding push ups (strengthening the front of your body). I would do something like standing rows.
Avoid:
- Flexion based exercises such as rounding your spine during a Cat Camel
Do this instead:
- Extension focused exercises such as foam rolling
How Do You Stretch Out a Knot in Your Upper Back?
To stretch out a knot you need to stretch the muscle the knot is in. If you have a knot of your upper neck then doing an upper stretch can really help. A lot of my patients have this.
For a knot the middle of your back near your shoulder blades I would have a middle back stretch.
- Cross body stretch (as seen in the picture below)
- Serratus Plus (pictures above for reference)
Also, worth noting that it’s very common for the neck to cause pain to the upper back. It’s called referred pain. If the stretches don’t help then having a physical therapist screen your neck would be a great next step.
Quick Relief Tips for Upper Back Pain
- Foam rolling
- Popping
- Strengthening
Foam rolling your upper back can help you move into extension. If you can get on the floor and use a comfortable foam roller, such as the 36-inch Rolling With It foam roller I use, you can really get into the upper back and relieve nagging pain.
Popping your upper back can be helpful. Either a PT or chiro can do this. It’s quick relief but the magic really happens when you combine moving the upper back and then strengthening it. So if you foam roll it I would follow up with an exercise such as the Serratus Plus exercise.
Popping your upper back can be helpful. Either a PT or chiro can do this. It’s quick relief but the magic really happens when you combine moving the upper back and then strengthening it. So if you foam roll it I would follow up with an exercise such as the Serratus Plus exercise.
What Causes Upper Back Pain?
Most of the time, upper back pain is caused from sitting for prolonged periods of time. Some people think it may be related to arthritis or disc issues but that's often not the case.
Our bodies are meant to move and those who work at a desk all day, for example, tend to experience more upper back pain than others. Another reason we have upper back pain is that we are not taking the necessary steps to combat this pain! What I mean by that is we are not doing the exercises that we should be doing to help our upper back become stronger and more mobile.
by If you are someone who needs to be able to sit in a rounded back position, then we need to get you stronger in the things that you need your body to do! The number one thing that you can do to help your body get the relief it needs is to exercise your upper back.
Let me share with you my one-two punch for improving your upper back mobility and strength!
How Do You Stretch Out Your Upper Back?
For your upper back, motion is lotion! Therefore, these two exercises that I would like to share with you are going to be able to get your back feeling better in no time.
The only equipment you will need for these exercises is a chair. We are going to go over one exercise that is focused more on mobility and the second is going to be focused on strengthening. Mobility and Strengthening exercises are imperative to getting your back pain under control!
1. Upper Back Thoracic Extension
For this exercise, grab your chair and sit on your knees in front of the chair. Place your elbows on the chair and then scoot your knees back as far as you can. Next you are going to poke your butt out and sink into your arms.
You should be able to feel your upper back tighten up and feel the stretch. Make sure to keep your neck neutral, do not look up or down as this will affect the stretch. You should do about 20-30 of these and your upper back will feel loose in no time!
2. Quadruped Plus
For this movement, you are going to start on your hands and knees. Make sure that your hands are lined up right underneath your shoulders. Then you are going to push up with your hands, and then sink back down into the stretch. Push up, then dip down. Ensure that your arms are staying straight and you are not bending your elbows. There is a great demonstration of this movement in my YouTube video at the beginning of this blog!
This movement is working those muscles that are attached to your upper back and it is really really good for strengthening that area of your spine! Do about 30 reps of this movement and you will definitely be feeling much stronger.
Upper back pain is usually caused by prolonged positions and lack of movement. If you prioritize strengthening and mobility exercises i your routine, you will be able to sit comfortably, however you like!
What Exercises You Should Avoid With Upper Back Pain?
Generally speaking, you should avoid upper back exercises that promote flexion. Flexion is the rounding of the spine and is often associated with rounded shoulders and forward head posture. In fact, upper cross syndrome is a very common condition I see.
Upper cross syndrome:
Instead of doing the cat portion of the cat camel, focus on the extension. Another example of this would be avoiding push ups (strengthening the front of your body). I would do something like standing rows.
Avoid:
- Flexion based exercises such as rounding your spine during a Cat Camel
Do this instead:
- Extension focused exercises such as foam rolling
How Do You Stretch Out a Knot in Your Upper Back?
To stretch out a knot you need to stretch the muscle the knot is in. If you have a knot of your upper neck then doing an upper stretch can really help. A lot of my patients have this.
For a knot the middle of your back near your shoulder blades I would have a middle back stretch.
- Cross body stretch (as seen in the picture below)
- Serratus Plus (pictures above for reference)
Also, worth noting that it’s very common for the neck to cause pain to the upper back. It’s called referred pain. If the stretches don’t help then having a physical therapist screen your neck would be a great next step.
