The middle back is considered to be the area from the base of your neck to the bottom of the ribs. This part of the back isn’t injured as often as the lower back and the neck, but that doesn’t mean muscles in this area can’t be injured. If you’ve pulled a middle back muscle in Swansboro, North Carolina, physical therapists can show you therapeutic stretching exercises that can help. Here are two exercises your therapist might show you:
- Seated twist
One exercise a physical therapist might recommend to help stretch a pulled middle back muscle is the seated twist. This exercise is beneficial because it allows you to test how much the strain has limited your muscle movement, and it also helps you stretch the middle back muscles at the same time.
The seated twist can be done by sitting in a chair or on the floor, and you can also cross your legs or have them straight out in front of you while doing this stretch. Also, you’ll want to sit up tall and pull your shoulders back slightly before starting this exercise. Once your body is positioned properly, slowly twist your upper body to the left until you feel a stretch in the back muscles. You can place your left arm across your back and your right hand on your left knee to help support yourself during the stretch. Your goal should be to hold the twist for 20 to 30 seconds before centering your torso. After you’ve returned to this position, repeat these steps to stretch the other side of your back and continue to repeat the steps until you’ve stretched both sides of the back four times.
- Child’s Pose
Child’s Pose is a yoga move that can also help stretch pulled or sore muscles in your middle back. This stretch is particularly good for stretching the latissimus dorsi, which runs from the middle back to your upper arm bone.
To get into position for Child’s Pose, kneel down on the floor and then sit back so that your buttocks are resting on your ankles. Next, slide your knees apart slightly, and you’re ready to begin. From this starting position, slowly bend your upper body forward like you’re trying to touch your chest to your knees. As you bend forward, you should keep your arms straight out in front of you with your hands touching the floor. Your goal should be to try to touch your forehead to the floor since this will provide the best stretch. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds and then use your hands to push your body back up to the starting position.
Peak Performance offers personalized therapy for pulled middle back muscles in Swansboro, NC
Getting started with your physical therapy for a pulled middle back muscle doesn’t have to be hard. At Peak Performance’s Swansboro clinic, we offer free screenings to make it easy for you to begin your therapy. Our team build therapy plans that are personalized to each patient, and we typically use multiple therapy techniques in our plans, which may include:
- Therapeutic exercises
- Manual therapy
- Sport-specific therapy
- Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
Take the next step to get our help with your injured muscles. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
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