Stretching the mid-back?

[hikingfish]

Hi!
I need your help once again! I've had lower-back problems for a while now. After seeing a physio, a chiro and another physio, things are somewhat looking up. I'm able to bend down forward and reach for my toes and somewhat sleep at night. I'm trying hard to do all my physio exercices and they're helping a lot (but they're SOOO boring). I even started training at the gym (very light training, but it's a start).

My lower back has been fairing very good lately, however it would seem that my mid-back is pretty tense right below the shoulder blades, smack in the middle of my back. I was wondering if anyone knew of any good stretching exercices that I could incorporate to my routine that could help?

Cheers!

 

[TrishandAlex]

I'm a big Pilates fan. I use the stretching exercises whenever I have a back/leg issue, they work wonders. Ease into it, do a few gently every day.

You don't need to spend any money or buy any equipment.

Here's a link to some explanation of good stretches:

http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesexercises/u/Exercises.htm#s1

 

[Neil]

Try the plow yoga position. Go easy and progressively.

An amazing device is the health bridge, which stretches the mid back in the opposite direction.

 

[peakn]

Back in the day, when I was into martial arts and had occasional back tightness, the two stretches that seemed to help the most were-
a backwards stretch as per Neil's Health Bridge (although I just stretched backwards on the floor without a device). The Health Bridge looks like it would be less stressful to the quads and knees; and
simply hanging from a high bar letting the back stretch out gently (not letting your full weight hang at first) but gradually over days increasing the weight and stretch by using less and less foot support on the ground.

Agree totally with Neil- very easy and progressive, and with Trish- you don't need alot of equipment. Very simple but it really always worked for me in a matter of days. You may have a very different situation.

 

[Remix]

My back seems to be getting more and more prone to problems these days.

It seems there is one perfect pain-free position, and the slightest deviation causes some nagging pain.

While hiking I have been extra careful to stretch regularly, and after a work out at home I drop 50-75 coins on the floor and pick them up, alternating left and right hands.

This has actually led to some relief.

 

[Maria]

Make sure to stretch the back both directions (gently) ie not just forward bends but slight backbends. A low stress way to do it is to roll up a blanket like a bedroll and put it right below the shoulder blades. Lie on the floor and stretch over it with your back. We spend so much of our days bending forward, on the computer, etc, our back loses it's flexibility.

For lower back stuff (and this comes from experience) make sure you stretch your hamstrings - pilates is good for that - but also doublecheck your hips. I was having some really annoying lower back issues at one point and it turned out it was less my back or hamstrings, but tight, inflexible hips which then put pressure on my back. All that is so interconnected. Once I started doing hip opening stretches regularly it just disappeared. A good yoga class will teach you those.

 

[The Hikers]

Very often people with lower back problems will overstretch the thoracic back in an effort to carry on the usual activities. Soon enough this part of the back is aching, and neck stiffness usually follows.
There are exercises that will get rid of back pain and increase flexibility, and even allow herniated disks to improve.
I recommend a relatively unkown method by Pete Egoscue (check it out in SEARCH) This might save you from increased areas of back pain WITHOUT surgery.