I don't know anyone over the age of 35 who doesn't suffer from upper back pain at some point.

If you live in the Puget Sound region of Washington State (U.S.), (Tacoma-Olympia-Seattle area), I can help you with a variety massage techniques. Massage usually has excellent success with relieving upper back pain.

But massage may give only temporary relief if you do not correct the causes of upper and middle back pain.

Following are some self-care ideas that may help correct the primary causes so that you can relieve upper and middle back pain for good.

Do not try any of these ideas if they make you feel worse, or if they conflict with the advice of your doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist.

Posture for Upper Back Pain Relief
Avoid rounded-shoulder, forward head postures. Here are some ideas to help you correct the common, pain-causing problem of forward head posture.

Sleep Position
Avoid sleeping in a side-lying, curled up position. Try to sleep on your back, without a pillow if it feels good.

Stretch the Chest
Surprisingly, most people need to stretch their chest muscles to relieve upper back discomfort. Learn upper back pain stretches for the chest here.

Strengthen Your Upper Back Muscles and Back of Neck Muscles
Strengthening the muscles of your upper and middle back and the back of your neck is usually necessary to provide lasting upper back pain relief. Learn some simple, targeted upper back exercises here.

Heat Therapy
Apply warm heat to your chest at least once a day for 20 minutes or so. This will help to relax the chest muscles, which will most likely be tight if you have a rounded-shoulder, forward-head posture.

More Exercises for Upper Back Relief
For most chronic muscle pain, I highly recommend the book The Core Program, by Peggy Brill, PT. Its short, focused, comprehensive program of exercises can help relieve upper back pain and all kinds of chronic muscle pain better than anything else I've found. Once you learn the exercise routine, it really only takes 15 minutes--a fantastic investment in your well-being both short and long-term. The book is also highly educational about how your muscular system works.

I wish you ease and comfort and full range of motion in your upper back, and I am confident that you will be able to feel better.

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