Performing mid-back exercises can help reduce mid-back pain and decrease your likelihood of experiencing future mid-back pain flareups. Possible reasons for mid-back pain include direct trauma, muscle strains resulting from athletic activities, and poor posture. Mid-back exercises, according to Backzilla.com, are helpful for mid-back pain because they strengthen key muscles and promote increased flexibility in your mid-back structures.
Sitting Floor Twist
Recommended by Pete Egoscue, an anatomical physiologist and author of "Pain Free: A Revolutionary Guide for Stopping Chronic Pain," the sitting floor twist exercise stretches your mid-back muscles and improves your thoracic (mid) spine flexibility and segmental range of motion. To perform the sitting floor twist exercise, sit on the floor and extend your legs in front of you. Then bend your right leg and cross it over your left, keeping your right foot flat on the floor and in line with your left leg, pointing straight ahead. Next, put your left elbow on the outside of your right knee, then twist your upper body to the right so that your head is facing behind you. Pulling your left foot toward you, tighten the muscles in your left leg until you feel a gentle stretch in your hamstring. Hold the stretch for one minute, then switch directions and stretch your other side. Perform this stretch one time per day. To augment your stretch, consider taking deep breaths. Deep breathing expands your rib cage and adds another stretch to your mid-back muscles.
Trigger Point Therapy
According to a Feb. 15, 2002 article in "American Family Physician," trigger points are small, focal and hyper-irritable nodules situated in a taut band of skeletal muscle. They are painful when kneaded or pressed, and they often cause referred pain to other parts of the body. Your trigger points can be formed in several ways, including from acute trauma or the repetitive micro-trauma associated with poor posture. A common area in which to find trigger points is the area between your shoulder blades and your spine in your mid-back. Consider using a tennis ball to locate and address your trigger points. To do this, lie on your back and place a tennis ball between one of your shoulder blades and your spine. Then roll around on the tennis ball until you find tender areas in your muscles that refer pain to other parts of your body. Next, work these points either by keeping sustained pressure on them or by rolling back and forth and left and right over the points until your muscles relax and your pain diminishes. Switch the tennis ball to your other side and repeat. Perform this exercise three times per week.
Simple Supported Back Bend
Yoga is a constructive way to stretch and strengthen your muscles with numerous restorative poses, including the simple supported back bend, that target your mid-back to help reduce muscle pain. According to YogaToHealth.com, the simple supported back bend stretches your lower middle back, opens your chest and shoulders and reduces stress. For this exercise, you will need a bolster and a blanket. To execute it, sit on the floor and place your bolster behind you so that its ends are pointing to your left and to your right. Slowly and gently lie sideways on your bolster. Once you are stable, roll onto your back, using your elbows for support if necessary. Then use your hand to support your neck while you drape your back over your bolster. Next, lie over, not on, your bolster. Your back should be arched and your shoulders resting on the floor. Roll up your blanket so that its thickness is about 3 inches and place it under your neck to support your cervical spine. You should feel your chest opening up and your ribs moving away from your abdomen. Hold the stretch for one minute, gradually increasing the duration of the stretch over time. Before trying this exercise, talk with your primary care provider to see if it's appropriate for you.
References
- BackZilla: Middle Back Pain Exercises
- "American Family Physician": Trigger Points - Diagnosis and Management
- YogaToHealth: Restorative Yoga Poses
- "Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain"; Pete Egoscue; 1998
