Best Mid Back Stretches for Mobility

Pain in your mid back can restrict your daily movements and breathing flow. Make these simple stretches part of your routine to live a healthier life.

Have you ever felt pain in your mid back while sitting in front of a laptop? Do you have difficulty turning to either side because of stiffness?

If you are experiencing such issues then it’s because working for long hours has put too much pressure on your spine. This reduces mobility or flexibility to move freely. Your spine helps you navigate your arms and also opens up the rib cage to breathe comfortably. Regular mobility exercises, or posture correction, are necessary to do before the problem becomes severe. If not treated immediately, it will make daily movement tough before retirement.

In this article, you will read about why medical experts think taking care of your mid back is essential. You will also find simple static mobility exercises that can be done while sitting on a chair, using a wall, or lying down on a bed.

POST CONTENTS
Importance of Mid-Back
Assessment of Spine Mobility
Mid Back Stretches
Benefits of Mid-Back Stretches

Disclaimer: All contents in this post are for general health information only. Please consult a specialist physician or a coach before trying any new exercise, diet or health advice. There are no affiliate links attached to this post.

Importance of Mid-Back

Various lifestyle factors, injuries, or medical conditions can lead to mid-back pain. The strength of the middle back or thoracic spine is important to maintain a good posture and the ability to carry heavy loads. Since the mid back connects all the way through the neck to the lower back, it’s actually the reason humans can walk straight. Let’s understand the spine better.

Back pain starting from the base of the neck to the bottom of the rib cage is considered middle back pain. It’s specifically called the thoracic spine.

“It is made up of five main segments. The reason there are 5 segments, is because each segment of the spine has a different function and role.”

“The thoracic spine (mid back) is made up of twelve vertebrates that play an important role in protecting your lungs and heart by attaching to the ribcage.”

A lack of mobility in the thoracic spine also causes the shoulders to droop and constant neck pain. The stress slowly spreads throughout the spine, making it difficult to even sleep properly. All it needs is simple stretches only for a few minutes to maintain good spine health.

You may also like to read: Sit-To-Stand Exercise For Lazy People

Assessment of Spine Mobility

Here are a few ways you can assess the mobility of your thoracic spine.

Assessing Extension

Part 1: Stand flat against a wall, with the glutes, low back, upper back, and head flat against the wall. Because many of us spend hours a day slouched over laptops and cell phones in excessive flexion—hunched forward with a rounded back—simply standing flat against the wall can be difficult.

Part 2: If you can get your glutes, lower back, upper back, and head flat against the wall, raise your arms straight out in front of you, palms down, and bring them overhead until the back of the hands touches the wall. If you cannot get your hands to the wall without the lower back, mid back, or head coming off the wall, your thoracic mobility is limited. The thoracic spine has to move for the arms to move overhead.

Assessing Rotation

The Mirror Test: Stand tall with your back to a mirror and your shoulders square. While keeping your hips square, rotate one shoulder toward the mirror. You should be able to see your opposite shoulder in the mirror.

When you have mid back pain, it’s better to first treat it in natural ways like using hot compression, oil massage, pain relief sprays, and medication. Consulting an expert physiotherapist or a chiropractor is highly recommended to understand the severity of your pain.

However, if your pain is mild then you should try the exercises mentioned below to maintain a strong middle back.

You may also like to read: How To Use A Foam Roller For Complete Recovery

Static Mid Back Stretches

These thoracic spine stretches are so easy that you can do any one of them anywhere like while sitting in your car, stuck in traffic, or on the bed before sleeping. Since these are static stretches, you need to hold each pose for 20 seconds while breathing calmly, and change from one side to another slowly (without any jerk).

Seated Static Stretches

Seated Twist
Chest Opener
Thoracic Extension

Supine Static Stretches

Cobra Pose
Child’s Pose
Thread the Needle
Cat Cow Pose
Bridge
Open Book Thoracic Rotation
Locust Post

Wall Support Static Stretches

Pec Stretch
Puppy Stretch
Wall Downward Dog

Benefits of Mid Back Stretches

Needless to say, the benefits of mid-back stretches are various to keep the overall physical movement without any restrictions. After doing these spine stretches you will have the following:

• Correct posture with no slumped shoulder or drooping neck.
• Your shoulders will also become strong with no difficulty in lifting things from the ground or reaching for a jar kept in the overhead kitchen counter.
• Your complete spine will remain healthier without any movement restrictions.
• In addition to all this, your lung volume will improve because the thoracic spine also supports your ribcage.

References

7 Great Stretches for Your Mid-Back, By Karen Asp, MA, CPT, VLCE Updated on December 6, 2022. Fact checked by Emily Peterson.

https://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/stretching-yoga/mid-back-stretches

Importance of Thoracic (Upper Back) Mobility (Top 3 Stretches Inside!), by westcoastsci, Aug 2, 2018, Exercises, Health and Wellness, Injuries, Physiotherapy.

https://westcoastsci.com/blog/importance-of-thoracic-upper-back-mobility/

Is Lower Back Pain Hurting Your Golf Game? Try These Mobility Moves, By Lindsay Berra | May 24, 2022.

https://www.tonal.com/blog/lower-back-pain-thoracic-mobility-golf/