Mobilise the Upper Back
Hi everyone,
I made this video for anyone with upper back pain. It shows you how to place a rolled up towel just below the shoulder blades to relax your mid, upper back. Relax on the roll between the 5-8 minutes. After a week or two you can really begin to feel more freedom in the upper back and more space between neck and shoulder blades. Just do this for yourself, you’ll be surprised!!
Esther
What Next?
When your back feels good again, and only when it feels good again (!) it’s time to start strengthening the back again. Do this Yoga Routine for Upper and Mid Back Strength
If you like this and you want to do the same for your lower back click the see Yoga Exercise for Stiff Lower back
As well I made a video with a sequence dealing with lower back pain Lower Back Pain Yoga Routine
18 Comments
thank you esther for all of the instruction you have been providing! i have been visiting your youtube videos and incorporating them into my daily practice and seeing some nice progress. despite regular practice, i am still having difficulty opening up my hips, hamstrings, adductors and other deep leg muscles. in postures such as sitting forward bend, and other sitting poses, i feel a lot of strain down the backs of my legs and behind my knees and can not get very far. can you recommend any modifications or other postures that may help open them up? I am a massage therapist and regularly have my legs worked on, so i am not sure what else to do to release tension and increase flexibility in these muscles. i am keeping my patience but i would really like to be able to do splits and advanced yoga techniques, and appreciate any advice you can offer to help me target these focus areas.
Comment by heath Sep 03, 08, 1:50 pmwith gratitude,
heath
Hi heath,
These can be very difficult area’s to work with, and it takes a lot of patience.
Are you familiar with reclining big toe pose? You lie on your back, put a belt / strap over the sole of the right foot and extend your right leg towards the ceiling, bring it as close as possible so you feel a stretch, but don’t push it too hard, your body will only lock up on you. Your other leg you keep straight on the floor foot flexed as if you’re standing (if thats too intense, bend knee and place foot on the floor). Breath into that stretch for about 10-15 breaths, than let your leg go out to the right, you work a different part of your hamstrings, and also over the other leg to the left.
repeat on the other side.
do this religiously every day for at least 3 weeks. this way you cannot strain your back working intensely on these muscles. Don’t force it too much though, your body is more likely to let go if it trusts you that you won’t hurt it but encourage it to open. Its a very fine line.
We all have area’s in our body that take time and patience, this is yours… be were you are is my best advice.
let me know in three weeks if you feel a change, than I know more too, than I know more too.
Comment by Esther Sep 03, 08, 7:55 pmwith love,
Yogatic!
Esther
Dear Esther, I have watched several of your performances by now. They are very good, but may be you could nevertheless improve them by speaking somewhat slower. Like many young people, your speach is very rapid, sometimes almost like a machinegun: syllables are fired instead of spoken. Anyway: if ever you decide to make a DVD with your demonstrations, then, with or without machinegun, I will surely buy it.
Yours sincerely,
Ben Schreurs
Comment by Ben Schreurs Sep 05, 08, 4:48 pmHey im 18 years old, i am extremely athletic but i have a slight curvature in my spine which causes me alot mid to upper back pain because my back muscles are always tense and trying to compensate. i have been taking physio for al ong time but it is not helping…hopefully your yoga will!
cheers,
Jackson
Comment by Jackson F Dec 07, 08, 3:57 amHi Ester, I heard you quite clearly. I did try that some years ago using the top part of a staircase, really. Your method looks much safer, and I’m happy to see it’s a mainstream exercise, and will do it your method, with towel.
Regards, Patrick
Comment by Patrick Apr 05, 09, 3:40 amHi Ester, I enjoy your videos immensely. I work on my feet standing for 8 to 14 hours a day can you recommend some poses for people that stand at work. Our legs cramp up and feel very heavy
Thank you, Paul
Comment by Paul Easton Jul 08, 09, 1:20 pmhi Paul,
Comment by Esther Aug 06, 09, 9:23 amThe best thing you can do for yourself if you stand all day at work is shoulderstand at the end of the day, working your way up to holding it for 25 breaths. If shoulderstand isn’t right for you somehow you can do legs up against the wall. Just lying on you back with you bum against the wall and legs up for 10 min or more. This will let the blood flow back out of the legs and will prevent veins and that kind of problems!
Check out this video for instructions http://www.yogatic.com/yoga-video/shoulderstand-2/
alo there is a description of the pose on the website with a picture if you look under poses.
hope this helps!
Be well,
Esther
So My upper back has been hurting for a few days and this worked wonders thank you! i just found you yesterday on youtube and will continue to watch your videos, you give great intruction.
Comment by Alexis Foley Sep 03, 09, 2:18 pmEsther
Comment by Jennifer Sep 05, 09, 1:41 pmDo you have some recommendations for foot pain? I wear heels at work and have been having some problems. Thanks!
Hi Jennifer,
Comment by Esther Sep 07, 09, 9:07 amWearing heels really is bad for your feet and back, I’m afraid! However if you must wear them, wear them as little as possible and buy yourself some yogatoes. They are great and especially helpful for painful feet as a result of wearing heels.
Let me know if the toes are working for you in a little while! Obviously to be safe you should check with your doctor!
Be well,
Esther
Hi Esther,
Comment by Irina Sep 17, 09, 7:24 pmI’m young, still in school, but this goes well for me. I’m only wondering, when I’m holding my hands up for a little longer, it feels like the blood is going back, and it tires them. Is it normal, or am I supposed to do this another way?
Thanks, Irina.
Hi Esther
How often do you recommend doing this exercise ?
thanks Celia
Comment by Celia Sep 20, 09, 11:03 amHi Celia,
Comment by Esther Sep 22, 09, 3:07 pmYou could do it three times a week up to every other day, if you have stiff upper back. Observe what feels ok to your body!
Hi Esther!
My back feels great, and I’ve only done this once…I can’t wait to see what a whole week will do for me! Thanks for a great website. I haven’t found a site where the person tells and shows you everything you should do AND shouldn’t do to have perfect results the way you do. It’s like finding a good dentist, someone who will tell you exactly what you are going to feel and when, haha.
Thanks so much!
Comment by maura Jan 06, 10, 9:40 pmMaura
Hello Esther,
Comment by Holly Jun 03, 10, 9:28 pmI am an 22 yr old college student and tennis player who suffers form upper back pain and tightness in my shoulders due to stress. I have been looking for remedy’s for year to ease the back pain and relieve some stress. These easy to do and follow guide to upper back pain and shoulders stretch help tremendously! Thank you very much
Holly
This is great excersise it is helping no end, I try to do it as often as possible.
Thanks Esther.
Hannaxxx
Comment by Hanna Jun 04, 10, 12:27 pmhi as a feedback to the website, the ‘what next’ option is a great help. sometimes i get stuck in a pose for a week becouase i dont know what to do. i thank you. love
Comment by shalot Aug 21, 10, 10:55 pmshalot
This exercise is really great!
Comment by Inga Aug 22, 10, 1:50 pm