Month: December 2025

These upper back pain stretching and strengthening exercises should help you find relief from back pain. They are easy to make at home or in the office. To see Doctor Jo’s blog post about this video, visit: The first stretch is for the thoracic area. Sitting in a chair that has a medium back height, place your hands behind your head and lean back over the back of the chair. Relax if you can and hold for 30 seconds; repeat 3 times. Next, you should stretch your pectoral muscles. If you have a foam roll, it will work better for stretching. Lie on the foam roll where it is directly over your spine and your head is supported. Now rest your elbows on the floor to one side. If that’s not enough of a stretch, you can straighten your arms and rest them on the floor. If that’s still not enough of a stretch, place your hands behind your head and press your elbows down. Hold for 30 seconds and do them 3 times. Now roll onto your stomach. Roll up a towel and place it under your forehead for added comfort. Now extend your arms to the sides as if you were forming a T with your body. Gently raise your arms toward the ceiling and try to bring your shoulder blades together. It is not necessary for your arms to be high, but they do need to be controlled. Hold them for about 2-3 seconds and do about 10-15. Turn face up again to see the “snow angels.” This exercise was taught to me by my physical therapist friend Phil, who helped me recover from my shoulder surgery. Place your arms flat on the ground in a slight stop sign position or as if you were preparing to make a snow angel. You can bend your knees and straighten your legs, but bending them will help support your back. Now slowly slide your arms up and try to keep your elbows and arms resting on the floor. Once they start to rise, slide them down. You only need to do about 10 of these with 2 sets. The next stretch will be sitting for a long time, with your legs stretched out in front of you. Bring your hands together directly in front of you and punch forward while curving your back forward and bringing your chin to your chest. You want to have a curl on your back. Hold this for 30 seconds and do it 3 times. The last exercise is “bird dogs.” This is done on all fours or quadruped. Try to keep your back straight like a table and try to keep your neck in a neutral position so as not to strain anything. Now raise one arm and bring it forward. At the same time, lift the opposite leg. Alternate arms and legs, doing 5-10 on each side. Another video mentioned: Is, Ys, Ts and Ws on a Swiss Ball ===================================================== Click below to SUBSCRIBE for more videos: ======================================== Doctor Jo is a Licensed Physical Therapist and Doctor of Physical Therapy Facebook: Twitter: ======================================== Exercises and Stretches for Upper Back Pain: DISCLAIMER: This video and any related comments are not medical advice. Consult your own healthcare professional before trying anything in this video. This information is only intended to show you the correct technique for physical therapy exercises and should not be used to self-diagnose or self-treat any medical condition. If you experience any pain or difficulty doing these exercises, stop immediately and consult your healthcare professional.

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