Upper Back Pain Relief

Upper back pain can be described as the pain in the upper part of the back. Reasons for back pain are poor posture, bending or lifting, back strain, etc. Serious causes for upper back pain could be osteoporosis, car injury or some traumatic accident. It is important to treat upper back pain in time or it could lead to complications later on.

When your back is strained or sprained, the muscles stretch excessively which results in their wear and tear. A ruptured disc can also lead to pain in the upper back. Another reason is arthritis which also wears down the muscles. People may suffer from spasms, spontaneous contractions of muscles, which leads to severe pain in the upper back. Exercise is the best way to experience back pain relief.

Exercise One: Stand erect against a wall, with your back against the wall and hands on your sides. Let your palms face outwards. Slide your arms up and down, against the wall, for about 15 counts. This will not only stretch your back muscles, but will also exercise your arm muscles.

Exercise Two: Sit erect on the floor. Stretch your legs straight in front of you. Hold your thighs with your hands and bend your neck towards your chest. This will relax the upper back muscles. Hold for some time, before coming back to the original position. Repeat 5 times. This is one of the many back exercises which will relieve you from your upper back pain.

Exercise Three: Hold a small rod or a stick in your hand. Sitting straight, on the floor, swing your hands as though you are rowing a boat. This will relieve the stress from your upper back muscles.

Exercise Four: Sit straight on a chair, preferably with no back or a short back. Put your hands behind your head and stretch backwards, to look at the ceiling. Do this gently as you may exert the muscles or worse, fall down. This simple exercise helps you stretch the back muscles nicely.

Exercise Five: Stand erect, with shoulder distance between your legs and hands stretched, parallel to the ground. Turn to your left, gently, from your waist. Come back to the main position and turn to your right. Do this 10 times.

Back pain is common during the pregnancy period. The major reasons for this pain are: to provide space for the baby to grow, weight gain due to pregnancy and the various changes in postures. Here are some tips, which when followed, will provide some relief during pregnancy.

• Avoid sleeping on your back.
• Sit on chairs with a good back support.
• Avoid standing at a stretch for a long time.
• Stretch your back and hips everyday to avoid cramps.
• Ask your doctor to teach you some exercises to relieve your back pain.
• Apply ice packs to your back. However, do not use them for more than 15 minutes.
• Do not take any herbal or other medications unless prescribed by your doctor.

As reasons for back pain are different for different people, there are a number of back pain remedies for all. Just because your spouse or friend benefited from one particular treatment, doesn't mean you will too. It is best to get in touch with a doctor. The doctor will be able to diagnose your pain correctly and will tell you, accordingly, how to relieve upper back pain. Do not start off with medications and exercises on your own. For back pain relief, consult a physiotherapist to guide you through the exercises.