Whether you unfortunately neglected your back muscles or have poor posture - this article is about how you can relieve middle back pain and build up a resilient back.
However, if you have middle back pain and suspect it to be muscle-related, this is for you.
Content:
- Middle Back Pain Causes
- How To Fix Middle Back Pain
- Massage
- Stretch
- Strengthen
- Middle Back Pain Conclusion
Middle Back Pain Causes
Disclaimer: In this article, we are going to focus on myofascial pain - which we believe to be the most common source of middle back pain. Granted, in rare cases you could have a rib out of place, a disc injury, etc. but I am generalizing and assuming for the sake of simplicity that your case has the most common root of muscle pain (see Rhomboid pain for a specific mid back muscle example).
Myofascial pain is also known as muscle pain, trigger points, knotting, muscle tension, and many more terms. The main point of myofascial pain and its synonyms is the underlying pain source is rigid, tight, angry muscle fibers constantly pulling on joints - causing imbalance and pain.
How To Fix Middle Back Pain:
The steps to fixing muscle-related middle back pain are 1) massage, 2) stretch/mobilize, and 3) strengthen. These steps should be done in sequence because they each build off each other. Once we complete step 1 of mid back massage, our backs will be much more susceptible to stretch and move in step 2 of mobilization.
Mid Back Pain Fix Step 1: Massage
The goal of step 1 is to rid the mid back of all of its angry knots, trigger points, and rigid muscle tissue that hold constant tension. This step can take time - 60 seconds of massage isn't likely enough to iron out years of bad posture and habits - but it is important to push through discomfort and spend a few minutes working out tender spots in the mid back for optimal pain relief.
Mid Back Pain Massage with Ball on Wall
How To: Grab a ball (tennis or lacrosse balls work), foam roller, or another back pain relief product for the job. Focus on the middle and lower trapezius, Rhomboids, and spinal erectors (or just areas that feel tense) thoroughly, and spend extra time on tender spots. Make sure to slow the breath and relax so your physiology can tell your body and muscles that it is safe to release. A sign of a successful massage is that the massage feels less tender at higher pressures on the same spots.
Sets/reps: I recommend 2 rounds of 2-4 minutes on each side of the mid back. This will do 2 things: 1) give you clarity and feedback on which areas, sides, and specific muscles are most tender to focus on in the future, and 2) apply enough pressure and time to adequately work out some or most mid back muscle tension.
Mid Back Pain Fix Step 2: Mobilize/Stretch
Step 2 is here to biomechanically relieve pressure and strain throughout the middle back. The more pliability and range of motion we can build in this area, the more you can move pain free.
How To: These are some of our favorite middle back stretches. Check out our YouTube channel for more - but here are a few quick ones you can implement.
Kneeling Mid Back Twist
Cat Cow Stretch
Buddy Mid Back Opener (Proceed with Caution)
Sets/reps: Pick your favorite mid back mobilization exercise and do it diligently for 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps. There are movements that will bring you better relief than others, so feel free to double down on which exercise(s) feel best.
Mid Back Pain Fix Step 3: Strengthen
By this point, your middle back pain should be mostly gone. Step 3 is the least important but the most fun in my opinion - getting stronger and more resilient so you have more movement capacity and less risk of middle back pain in the future. These exercises range from beginner to advanced.
How To: Work these into your workout or rehab routine 2-3 days per week, allowing a day of rest in between. You can do as many as 20 sets of different exercises per training day (if you are an athlete or advanced trainer), otherwise, 3-5 sets are plenty to see improvement.
Middle Back Strengthening Exercises:
Beginner
- Superman
- Bird Dog
- Face Pulls
- Band Pull Aparts
- Inverted Row
- Inclined Row
Intermediate
- Read Delt Raises
- Bird Dog Row
- Machine Row
- Lat Pull Downs
- 3 Point Dumbbell Row
- Farmer's Carry
Advanced
- Bent Over Row
- Deadlift
- Power Cleans
- Pullups
Middle Back Pain Conclusion
That is my take on fixing middle back pain through corrective exercises. It is worth mentioning that I am an active gym-goer, and I train my back twice per week with a variety of the exercises above - and my middle back rarely hurts anymore. Sometimes I can feel it creeping up after a long day or two of sitting with poor posture, but these 3 steps get me feeling like gold again in no time. Hope you enjoyed the article, read these next:
[1] Donnelly, Joseph M. Travell, Simons & Simons Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: the Trigger Point Manual. 3rd ed., Wolters Kluwer Health, 2019.
[2] Davies, Clair, and Amber Davies. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief. 3rd ed., New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2013.