Back pain is the most common kind of back pain with as many as 80% of Americans suffering from this unpleasant condition, and back pain being the second-most common cause of work absenteeism.

Upper Back Pain Exercise

Relief can be found for thoracic pain by doing stretches. You may do these exercises right away.

1. Thoracic stretch: Sit on the floor with your legs out straight in front of you. Hold your mid-thighs with your hands. Curl you head and neck toward your belly button. Hold for a count of 15. Repeat 3 times.
2. Arm slide on wall: Sit or stand with your back against a wall and your elbows and wrists against the wall. Slowly slide your arms upward as high as you can while keeping your elbows and wrists against the wall. Do 2 sets of 8 to 12.
3. Quadruped arm and leg raise: Get down on your hands and knees. Pull in your belly button and tighten your abdominal muscles to stiffen your spine. While keeping your abdominals tight, raise one arm and the opposite leg away from you. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Lower your arm and leg slowly and change sides. Do this 10 times on each side.
4. Rowing exercise: Close middle of elastic tubing in a door or wrap tubing around an immovable object. Hold 1 end in each hand. Sit in a chair, bend your arms 90 degrees, and hold one end of the tubing in each hand. Keep your forearms vertical and your elbows at shoulder level and bent 90 degrees. Pull backward on the band and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Do 2 sets of 15.
5. Thoracic extension: Sit in a chair and clasp both arms behind your head. Gently arch backward and look up toward the ceiling. Repeat 10 times. Do this several times each day.
6. Mid-trap exercise: Lie on your stomach on a firm surface and place a folded pillow underneath your chest. Place your arms out straight to your sides with your elbows straight and thumbs toward the ceiling. Slowly raise your arms toward the ceiling as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Lower slowly. Do 3 sets of 15. As the exercise gets easier to do, hold soup cans or small weights in your hands.
7. Pectoralis stretch: Stand in an open doorway or corner with both hands slightly above your head on the door frame or wall. Slowly lean forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your shoulders. Hold 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
8. Scapular squeeze: While sitting or standing with your arms by your sides, squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for 5 seconds. Do 2 sets of 15.

Upper And Middle Back Pain

Upper back pain is felt just below the neck and just above the lumbar area of the back that is also known as the middle back or thoracic area.

The pain is also known as middle back pain or thoracic pain. The thoracic area is the part of the spine that deals with the chest cavity and rib cage.

Upper back pain is caused by several things that can be prevented. Most of it is caused by poor posture and can be remedied with using correct posture.

It can also be a symptom of a more serious condition so it should be checked out by a health care professional.

Poor Posture

Poor posture, specifically poor neck posture, can cause thoracic pain. This can happen from staring down at the computer screen for too long on a daily basis.

The pain can also be caused by having to drive long distances, lying on a couch with your head resting on the arm of the couch, or lying on your back and reading a book.

Anything that causes your neck to be extended for long periods of time can cause this pain to occur. If posture is not corrected, in time it can lead to more serious issues like long-term muscle strain, a herniated disk, or a pinched nerve.

Some things that you can do to help correct this posture problem is keep your head level and looking forward while pushing your shoulders back and your stomach area forward. When driving or sitting at your desk and computer, don’t slouch. Keep your back against the seat.

Raise your laptop or computer monitor to a level closer to your head. This will prevent the bending and slumping of the shoulders and your head hanging down which causes much of the pain. Find ways to keep your head up and eyes forward.

While it is normal for there to be some degeneration as you age, there are some conditions that are much more serious. Middle back pain can also be due to degenerative disk disease that needs more attention and could worsen over time.

If the pain is felt for long periods of time, have it checked out by your physician.

Conclusion

There are several things that may help that have been mentioned, but none of this should be substituted for medical advice that you can get from a qualified health professional. This information has been given to help educate about some ways relief can be found, but it is not medical advice.

While your pain may be chronic and make your life difficult, you don’t have to let it control you.