Upper Back Pain

The upper back is the bones between the neck and bottom of the rib cage and is called the thoracic spine. Pain usually stems from bad posture, overuse of the muscles, or injury. Upper back pain can be treated with gentle stretches or exercises, home remedies for pain, or the care of a chiropractor. The doctors at Willow Bend Chiropractic Plano, TX, would like to share the causes of this pain and how to heal it.

The Muscles and Posture

While the spine holds us upright, the muscles surrounding the spine help us to move. Straighten your shoulders instead of slumping, and you'll see what we mean. Muscles can be strengthened or they can be deconditioned. When we sit in a chair and slouch, the muscles become deconditioned. They cause pain due to gravity putting pressure on the spine.

This pain can be handled by simply keeping the back and shoulders straight while sitting at a desk. Rising from the desk to move around helps as well. If the condition and/or the pain is chronic, you would benefit from chiropractic care.

Exercise

Strength training does more for the body than simply toning the arms, legs, and abs. Many people don't remember to work out the chest and back, too. Those muscles keep the chest, back, and shoulders toned, which supports back function.

Before doing any strengthening exercises, stretch before and after. This gets the muscles in condition to work out and relax them afterward. Stretch the left arm to the right side of the body and hold for ten seconds. Stretch the right arm to the left side of the body and hold for ten seconds. Do this stretch at least three times.

Now roll the shoulders back as if shrugging. Do these five times and do three sets of five.

Stand or sit on a chair with hands crossed on the shoulders. Bring the elbows together and release like a butterfly's wings fluttering. Do these five times and three sets of five.

Your chiropractor can tell you home remedies for upper back pain when you contact Willow Bend Chiropractic in Plano, TX to learn more about it.