Get your list of easy yoga poses for upper back pain relief
Details on upper back pain
Anywhere between the base of your neck and the bottom of your rib cage is where upper back pain might arise. The thoracic spine refers to the top and middle part of your back. Your thoracic spine is made up of 12 little bones, or vertebrae. Your thoracic spine has vertebrae that are each attached to two ribs. Each vertebra in your upper back is separated from one another by discs. As you move, these discs absorb shock. Your upper back’s numerous muscles and ligaments help keep your spine in place. Injuries, fractures, bad posture, disc disorders, and other conditions like arthritis can all contribute to upper back pain. Most upper back pain sufferers can control their pains at home if they are just mildly to moderately painful.
Cause of upper back pain
Numerous illnesses and injuries can lead to upper back pain. The following conditions can result in upper back pain:
- Poor posture
- When someone can’t stand straight, they stand crooked or bent to keep their spine in alignment, which causes upper back pain.
- Disk issues
- when issues like disc movement and disc displacement cause nerves to be rattled and torn (herniated disk).
- Fractures
- A mashup will almost always have serious repercussions. One more possibility is shattered spine bones.
- Strains and sprains
- While lifting a weight that is too heavy or not lifting a weight properly, it is quite possible to develop upper back pain from a general strain or sprain.
- Arthritis
- Upper back discomfort is most frequently brought on by osteoarthritis, which is the most prevalent form of the condition.
How to know you have upper back pain
There are numerous ways in which upper back discomfort can be expressed by different people. Some people state that their upper back pain feels like:
- a sharp or searing discomfort.
- a dull, aching discomfort.
- stiffness or muscle tension.
- an ache that travels down a nerve.
- Numbness, tingling, or weakness
Are there any yoga poses to help with upper back pain?
Some of the most frequent causes of upper back pain include physically demanding activities, straining the back muscles, back injuries, poor diet, and lack of exercise. Yoga can be helpful in situations where upper back pain is so bad that it starts to affect your daily activities. Stretching, increasing flexibility, blood circulation, and flexibility are all stressed during yoga. There are special yoga stretches for the upper back too.
All of these things can work together to relieve your back discomfort and build up your back muscles. You may rely on the benefits of yoga for easing and even treating back pain until it is caused by an underlying medical problem like osteoporosis or arthritis.
8 Best yoga poses for upper back pain relief.
- Locust Pose (Salabhasana)
Salabhasana, also known as the locust pose, is a straightforward backbend that strengthens your entire back—from the nape of your neck to the backs of your heels. Salabhasana is helpful for many conditions, including back pain, postural issues, and weakness across your back body, including your hips and hamstrings. Also, practically everyone can do the backbend because it is shallow and doesn’t put a strain on the wrists.
Steps-
- Palms facing down, lie on your stomach with your arms at your sides. Lengthen your tailbone and squeeze your pubic bone onto the floor.
- Take a deep breath in and lift your arms and body off the ground using your upper back’s strength. By looking down and slightly forward, you can maintain a long back.
- You can either hold for five breaths before lowering down, or you can inhale to ascend and exhale to gently extend and descend.
- It makes no difference how high your torso rises off the floor as long as you are lifting with the strength of your upper and middle back.
- Extended Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana)
In this position, the puppy appears to be stretching its body. Even though it is a challenging stretch pose, it is typically done after a challenging yoga session that includes poses for the spine, shoulders, and back. Uttana Shishosana expertly elongates the spine and stretches it both upward and outward while simultaneously enhancing its flexibility. Maximum stretch is applied to the arms, shoulders, and chest. Despite being an inversion, this pose stretches the chest muscles, aids in chest expansion, and opens the heart (Anahata) chakra.
Steps-
- Get down on all fours. Make sure your hips are higher than your knees and your shoulders are over your wrists.
- Curl your toes under as you advance your hands a short distance. Make a half-back motion with your buttocks toward your heels as you exhale. Don’t let your elbows rest on the floor; keep your arms moving.
- Lay your head down on the ground or on a blanket, and then let your neck unwind. Keep your lower back curled just a little bit. Press your hands down, extend your arms, and pull your hips back toward your heels to feel a nice, long stretch in your spine. Feel the lengthening of the spine in both directions as you inhale into your back.
- Then, let your buttocks fall backward onto your heels after holding for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Thread the Needle Pose (Urdhva Mukha Pasasana )
Urdhva Mukha Pasasana is a prone practice for beginners that combines Uttana Shishosana (Puppy Dog Pose) with a modification. Thread The Needle Pose is a basic twist of the torso extending and contracting the back muscles, as well as a twist of the head to aid in increased neck range of motion. With deep breathing and a twist like this, you can relieve upper back discomfort by extending the muscles in your thoracic and upper back.
Steps-
- With the tops of your feet pointing down, lie flat upon your stomach. Your arms ought to be extended the entire length of your body. Alongside the lowest rib, widen your palms and bend your elbows.
- Put your palms firmly down on the mat while you breathe in and slowly elevate your chest, hips, and knees off the floor. The palms and tops of the feet should support all of the body’s weight.
- You can maintain a straight gaze or a small cocking of the head.
- Make sure your wrists and shoulders are in alignment and that your neck is not stretched.
- Hold this position for a few breaths.
- Return your knees, hips, and torso to the mat softly as you exhale.
- Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
After sports and activities like running, the downward-facing dog pose can aid in your recovery. It enhances posture, circulates more blood, and mitigates the negative effects of extended sitting. You’ll probably practice Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose) countless times throughout your yoga career.
Down Dog is a balance between stretching and strengthening, so doing it regularly can improve your body’s balance and flexibility all over. Just be careful and mindful when doing it because it might feel difficult if your shoulders or hamstrings are stiff. Being flexible calls for caution to prevent collapsing in the lower back and shoulders.
Steps-
- Keep your hands on the floor as you sit up straight on your knees in Child’s pose, lift your butt, and then press back into a downward-facing dog.
- your fingers are widely apart. Work on extending your legs straight and bringing your heels down toward the floor.
- Look up at your belly button or through your legs as you rest your head between your arms.
- Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
A great yoga poses for bending the back is the cobra pose. Cobra Pose might be useful for easing persistent back discomfort. It’s a great counter-stretch for your chest and spine. It can stimulate improved spinal alignment and relieve pressure on the lower back. The cobra pose is a great posture-enhancing exercise that also helps to strengthen the back and shoulders.
Steps-
- Lie on the ground with your stomach toward the surface.
- Put your hands on your chest, side to side.
- To lift upward, engage your back, not your arms. Lift your torso off the ground.
- Keep your legs straight out in front of you.
- Hold for 5–10 breaths, then cycle through 7–10 times.
- Phalakasana (Plank Pose)
As the term “Plank Pose” (Phalakasana) suggests, the body is positioned in a way that resembles a long, thin plank. In the plank position, the core and shoulder muscles are heavily utilized which allows to relieve upper back pain. This pose is beneficial for anyone looking to build their arm and shoulder strength. It also strengthens and tones your entire body and helps you develop core stability and strength.
Steps-
- Step or hop both legs back 4-5 feet into a push-up position from the Standing Forward Fold.
- With the arms straight and the fingers spread widely apart and pointed forward, press onto the palms. So that the legs, hips, and torso are all in a straight line, tuck your tailbone under. While keeping the toes tucked, push the heels back and the top of the head forward.
- Take one to four breaths and hold them.
- To exhale, either lower yourself into Kataranga or drop your elbows into the Child position by bending your legs to the floor.
- Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
The final posture of this lovely pose has the body like a camel. The chest and upper abdomen resemble the back of a camel because the entire spine is curved backward. The thighs and the whole back, which are curved inward and backward, are under tension in this pose. It’s crucial for this pose that the body moves with precise alignment. The link between the breath and the movement of the back should occur very actively as the back is arched to its utmost.
Steps-
- Get up onto your knees, spread them out to hip-width, and tuck your toes.
- Roll your shoulders back, engage your inner thighs, and drag your lower tummy in and up.
- extend via both side waists and lift your chest when you inhale.
- On exhaling, begin to bend your back while keeping your chest raised and avoiding crushing your neck or lower back.
- Find your blocks or heels as you lean back; alternatively, you can do this one side at a moment by circling one arm up and behind you.
- Hold the position for a few breaths while keeping your inner thighs tight and your shoulder blades firmly pressed into your back.
- Cat and Cow Pose (Chakravakasana)
Yoga practitioners often perform the Cat-Cow Stretch (Chakravakasana), and for good reason. It entails changing the spine’s rounded (flexed) posture to one that is arched (extension). This is a straightforward vinyasa because each movement is performed in tandem with linking breath to movement (inhalation or exhalation). Spinal flexion and extension can help the discs in your back receive better blood flow. It’s a simple motion, but if you spend a significant amount of time sitting, it can be very helpful in supporting the back, reducing pain, and keeping a healthy spine.
Steps-
- Beginning on all fours, slowly press your spine up and curve your back to enter the Cat pose.
- After a brief period of holding, switch to the Cow position by lifting your head, tucking your tailbone, and pushing your shoulder blades back. Your spine is helped to shift from Cat to Cow, placing it in a neutral position and allowing your muscles to relax and relieve tension.
- Repeat ten times, smoothly transitioning from Cat to Cow and back to Cat. As necessary, repeat the sequence.
CONCLUSION
Although upper back discomfort can be quite difficult and is easy to develop due to a variety of causes, yoga is always there to support you. Although many individuals believe that exercising or doing yoga while in pain can worsen their condition, for some people, the right yoga pose and sufficient teaching can be quite helpful. Stretches that you do while in various asanas are the main component of yoga for upper back pain between shoulder blades and they aid one to gain relief from discomfort.
FAQ’s
Q1.Can yoga fix upper back pain?
Yoga can be exactly what the doctor prescribed if you suffer from back discomfort. Back discomfort and the tension it causes are frequently treated with yoga, a mind-body therapy. Your body can be both relaxed and strengthened by the right poses.
Q2. How do you release upper back pain?
Start with simple yoga poses like cobra, sphinx, and locust posture, for example, if your back pain is too severe, and work your way up to more advanced poses that will benefit your back.
Q3.What pressure point relieves upper back pain?
Triple Energizer 3: This acupoint, which is situated in the groove between the fourth and pinky, is stimulated to assist relieve upper back discomfort, neck stiffness, and shoulder pain.
Q4.Is it OK to massage upper back pain?
If untreated, muscle tension can cause pain. An upper back massage works the muscles deeply, allowing them to unwind and release tension. Pain mostly in the upper back is substantially lessened by releasing tension. An upper back massage has the potential to improve healing.
Q5.Is Walking good for upper back pain? Can walking relieve upper back pain?
Upper back discomfort is typically caused by a sprain, strain, or bent spine and can be treated by engaging in regular exercises, such as walking, trekking, running, or yoga.
