Best Exercise for
Mid Back Pain
Dr. Bryan Stephens
All too often, I see patients coming in with neck and back pain and with 39% of adults experiencing back pain in 2019, it’s no surprise that I get a lot of questions on why it happens. This has become increasingly so since more people have been working from home for the past few years. Most of this back pain comes from inactivity and sedentary lifestyle. It also stems from the fact that we are spending too much time bending forward and looking down, whether it is at a computer, on a phone, driving, reading, etc. instead of stretching and strengthening our neck and back muscles. When this happens, we curl forward and increase the swelling and stiffness in our bodies. One of the ways I have found to combat this by opening a book.
Or at least the name of the exercise is called “open books”.
This exercise focuses on overall mobility through the spine and shoulder by rotating the upper back around while keeping the hips turned in one direction. While kneeling or laying on your side, pull the arm up and over your head in an arc along the wall or floor and then return to the same position by bringing your arm back across. Your body acts like the book. It is also incredibly helpful to take the arm through it’s full range of motion as this will help the shoulder meet the requirement of full movement with resistance everyday (Hilton’s Law!). As you take your joints through full range of motion, you decrease the inflammation your body builds up and therefore decrease the pain.
Movement is only one key point of us remaining healthy and out of pain. When you exercise more, eat better, and manage your stress, you are giving your body the essentials it requires to function optimally and be healthy. So not only are open books great tools for expanding knowledge and imagination, but they are also a great example of how to keep motion in your body.
Reference
Lucas JW, Connor EM, Bose J. Back, lower limb, and upper limb pain among U.S. adults, 2019. NCHS Data Brief, no 415. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2021
Our Message
When you are looking for a Chiropractor near you that you can trust, choose one who will not only get rid of your back pain, neck pain, or headaches but who will also guide you to living a healthier lifestyle to keep you out of pain. Our Chiropractors located in Dallas, near the corner of Eldorado Pkwy. and Ridge Rd., will teach you what the research says about how and why we should eat a better diet, move more and have more positive thoughts. By improving these areas of our lives we can become healthier, stay out of pain and reduce risk of diabetes and other diseases!