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Upper Back Pain Relief

Sep 9, 2024   •   
Upper Back Pain Relief

Upper Back Pain in Mums

Back pain and Mums is a very common issue. As you well know, when you became a mum everything changes. Physically, emotionally and mentally. Postural changes are often overlooked but a major contributing factor to aches, pains and injuries in the early motherhood years. Today we will look at some simple exercises to offer relief and restoration.

During pregnancy your centre of gravity shifts. Once your baby is born the simple acts of feeding and holding a newborn puts your body into repetitive forward shoulder-rolled positions. This can evolve into a more permanent postural condition known as kyphosis. This position can create stiffness in the thoracic spine (Upper back). This in turn, can lead to upper back, neck and shoulder pain as well as making you more at risk of potential injuries over time. Feeding, changing, putting bub in and out of a cot or car all encourage the body to become more kyphotic.

These motherhood movements are daily facts of life. We cannot ‘stop’ doing them. But there are some simple exercises that can help you to reduce thoracic stiffness and improve both thoracic extension and rotation.

Exercises for Upper Back Pain Relief part 1

  • Seated dowel rotations

Position yourself on a stool or gym bench so that you can squeeze your knees into the bench. Hold a dowel behind your back looped by your elbow. While squeezing your knees on to the bench, rotate slowly to your left (this is pure thoracic rotation). Repeat x10 per side.

  • Cat/Cow

Position yourself on all fours on the ground. Make a tabletop with your body: Stack your hips directly above your knees and position your elbows, shoulders, and wrists in a straight line perpendicular to the ground.

Inhale deeply while curving your lower back, dropping your belly button towards the floor and bringing your head up, like a ‘cow’. Exhale deeply and bring your abdomen in, arching your spine and bringing your head and pelvis down like a ‘cat’. Repeat x15 – 20 times.

Exercises for Upper Back Pain Relief part 2

  • Thread the needle Stretch

Position yourself on all fours on the ground. Make a tabletop with your body: Stack your hips directly above your knees and position your elbows, shoulders, and wrists in a straight line perpendicular to the ground.

Lift your right hand up, maintain gaze on hand throughout exercise and then follow your right hand down as you thread it beneath your left arm. Sink into the stretch by keeping your hips high while allowing your chest to rest on or come close to the ground. Hold the position for a few seconds up to a minute— then switch sides.

To come out, press your left palm and slowly unthread your right arm reaching back up towards the sky, let your gaze follow. Return your right hand down to the ground back in tabletop. Repeat on the left side. Repeat x5 times each side.

  • Back extensions/ Sphinx pose

Position yourself by lying face-down on the floor with your legs extending behind you, hip-width apart. Bring your arms up and rest your elbows under your shoulders with your forearms on the floor, parallel to each other. Press your forearms into the floor and lift your head and chest off the floor. Repeat x5-10 times.

  • Side lying rotations – with breath

Position yourself lying on your side with your head supported and your knees bent, feet aligned with bum. Have both hands in front of you. Inhale as you float your top arm up towards the ceiling. Exhale as you continue to float the arm behind you.
Inhale to bring your arm back to pointing up towards the ceiling.
Exhale to return the hand back to the other.
Repeat 6- 10 times each side.

Check out our other articles on mobility for Mums!

Kate Turtiainen runs Bay Active PT in Batemans Bay, New South Wales . Learn more about Kate and Book your Trial today.

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