We frequently see cases of mid-back pain in our San Luis Obispo County office. Mid-back pain is generally linked to desk jobs and sitting for long periods of time.

What Causes Mid-Back Pain

When we sit for a time at a desk with our backs slouched and shoulders rolled forward, we are neurologically turning off the muscles between our shoulder blades. When these muscles are turned off, they become weak and sore. This often feels like a tightness or a pinching between the shoulder blades and is usually worse after a long day sitting at a computer or looking down at a desk.

We describe some exercises below that you can do. If you try these exercises and you’re still in pain, please make an appointment to see us in our San Luis Obispo County office for an adjustment. DNFT Chiropractic can help decrease the inflammation and align the bones so that your body can function at its optimum potential. If we find your condition requires attention outside of our scope, we’ll refer you to appropriate care. You may also want to add natural anti-inflammatory supplements such as omega 3 fish oil and turmeric to reduce pain in a sustainable way.

Stretches and Tips for Mid-Back Pain

Here are our tips/exercises to help counteract the slouching tendency at a desk that likely causes mid-back pain and turn these muscles back on. If your mid-back pain remains after trying these tips, we highly recommend calling our office as there are commonly structural misalignments involved with this condition.

• Stand up and stretch! I recommend that patients who work at a desk or are sitting for long periods at a time get up for at least 5 minutes per hour and stretch or walk around (this is a good time to get some water).
• Open up your chest. After a long day of sitting, reverse the position you were sitting in for at least 10 minutes. Rolling our shoulders forward and slouching at a computer leads to tight pectoralis muscles. A good way to decompress from the work day and to stretch the pecs is to lie on your back with a small pillow under your mid-back and let your arms stretch outwards and hang.
• Bent over rows. This exercise is a great way to turn back on these back muscles that are weak and sore as well as a great way to build lower back stability. To perform this exercise, take a barbell or dumbbells in your hands in front of you and hinge forward at the hips. It is important to let the buttock fall behind in order to keep the low back neutral (do not let the low back curl forward!). Keeping your knees bent and your elbows tucked close to your body, pull the barbell up to your belly button. Focus on squeezing the shoulder blades close together at the top.

Done consistently, these tips should greatly help decrease mid-back pain.

Remember, if the exercises are too painful to perform then give our San Luis Obispo County office a call at (805) 434-2077. We’ll answer any questions you have and help you determine if you should come in for an analysis and adjustment.

Visit our page on what to expect for more information on what we do here at Back In Place Chiropractic.