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Upper Back

Today on ask the Chiropractor, what about the discomfort in my upper back?  Do you get that pain between your shoulders?  Does it travel up into your neck?   How does one get this pain?  Can Chiropractic help?  Is there anything I should do at home?

How did I get this?

This is the start of what chiropractors call forward head posture.  When you sit or look down as you work, you naturally roll your shoulders forward.  This is considered normal sitting posture.  However the longer you sit the more you retain this posture.  As a result once you get up and start walking around, your shoulders do not return to standing posture.  Now your shoulders are rolled forward they are now venerable to an injury.  Now when you grab a heavy object and stress yourself, you can start to injure the muscles because of the learned posture.

Can Chiropractic Help?

Yes Chiropractic care does help.  With this stress comes vertebra subluxation.  Two or more bones between your shoulders will become fixated.  As long as they are fixated, healing is a challenge.  Your Chiropractor will x-ray you and preform a chiropractic exam to know which bones need a chiropractic adjustment.  This is the first step in removing this discomfort.  After a few visits the chiropractor will introduce stretches and exercise to help prevent the return of this discomfort.

At Home Stuff

This forward posture must be unlearned to help the upper back.  First start each day with snow angels against a wall or the floor.  Second, is to take a pool noodle and lay on it.  You will lay on your back with the noodle on your spine.  Spread your arms out to mimic Jesus on the cross.  Do this for five minutes every night.  Third, you should stand up every twenty minutes of sitting.  When you stand up squeeze your shoulder blades together while sticking your chest out big.  To conclude, this should help you change your muscle memory.