Yoga for Upper Back Pain

Source: https://myyogateacher.com/articles/yoga-for-upper-back-pain

Upper Back Pain: Causes, Symptoms, and How Yoga Helps

Your upper back pain isn’t just stemming from nowhere. Here’s what’s causing it:

Forward Head Posture (Tech Neck): This occurs when the posture of your head tilts forward while using a screen, putting stress on your neck, shoulder, and upper back muscles.
Rounded Shoulders: Hours of typing with a slouched posture or driving can tighten the chest and weaken the upper back, pulling your posture forward.
Weak Rhomboids & Middle Trapezius muscles: When we sit all day, these crucial postural muscles get neglected, ultimately weakening them. This leads to a poor posture and overstraining of the supporting muscles.
Poor Ergonomics: A 2023 study reported that remote job workers are at a higher risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders due to the lack of ergonomically adequate workstations. So, that dining chair you call an office setup? It may be doing more harm than good.
Stress: When under stress, the body releases hormones that can cause muscles to tighten and become inflamed, leading to discomfort and pain in the upper back.

Yoga offers a holistic solution to relieve upper back pain. Here’s how it helps:

Corrects posture: Yoga supports good posture by strengthening the back and stretching the chest, reversing forward slump and hunching.
Relieves stress: Mindful breathing exercises and meditation in yoga help reduce stress, a common contributor to upper back pain.
Restores mobility: Gentle flows improve shoulder blade movement and spine flexibility, helping increase range of motion to prevent and manage pain.
Builds body awareness: Yoga helps build more awareness, teaching you how to notice and adjust poor posture habits, even outside your mat.