Relieve Upper Back Pain from Trigger Points & Muscle Knots
Upper back pain or thoracic area pain is sometimes caused by trigger points or muscle knots. Trigger points are basically when a specific area on a muscle gets irritated and tightens up into a ball or knot.
This video contains some stretches and exercises that may help relieve trigger points or muscle knots in the upper back.
Stretching the Rhomboid muscles in the upper back is a great way to reduce the pain. These stretches can be done in long sitting or regular sitting. After stretching the rhomboid muscles, they can be strengthened with scapular squeezes (shoulder squeezes).
Next are some stretches for the upper back or thoracic area. Thoracic rotations and thoracic sidebends are a great way to help loosen up the muscles to decrease trigger points.
Finally, if the stretches are too difficult or maybe you are on precautions to not do those movements, a ball can be used to put pressure on the trigger points directly. A little pressure goes a long way, but too much could irritate it more.
Percussive Massage Therapy using a massage gun (aka percussion massager) for back pain relief uses fast, soft pulses over a short amount of time to get deep down into the muscle fibers.
Spinal Stenosis can cause pain, numbness, muscle weakness, and other issues. Here are some seated stretches and exercises that can help relieve the pain caused by Spinal Stenosis.
Stretches & exercises are a great way to help relieve back pain. But with nearly 1,000 videos on the Ask Doctor Jo YouTube Channel, it can be hard to find the best one for you. So for 2025, here are some of my favorite Back Pain Relief Videos that actually work!
Mid back pain (also called middle back pain or thoracic back pain) can make it difficult to perform everyday activities. Here are 3 of my favorite mid back exercises to help relieve pain & tightness.
Lumbar spinal stenosis can press on the spinal cord and the nerves that travel through the spine. Symptoms include pain or cramping in the legs when standing for long periods or when walking.
Lower back pain can often be relieved, and even prevented, by strengthening the core. So here are progression exercises to help strength the core in the front, side, and back.
One of the most effective back pain relief stretches is the prayer stretch, also known as child’s pose. However, this popular stretch can be challenging for those who cannot get down on the floor or put pressure on their knees. Fortunately, there is an excellent alternative: the seated rolldown stretch. This modification provides a comprehensive back and whole body stretch without the need to kneel or lie on the floor.
Getting Back Pain Relief can be a daily challenge, whether the back pain occurs in the morning after waking up or at the end of a long day. This guided, real-time back stretching routine is designed to help relieve back pain, back stiffness, and improve back flexibility, whether you are starting or ending your day (or anywhere in between).
Upper back pain or thoracic area pain is sometimes caused by trigger points or muscle knots. Trigger points are basically when a specific area on a muscle gets irritated and tightens up into a ball or knot.
