3 Exercises to Treat Back Pain

By Matt Fitzgerald, Experience Life

Shortly after Jon Boyle, 23, competed in his first triathlon in 2005, he developed pain in his lower back and right shoulder. It bothered him most when he ran, but also while riding his bike and sitting at his desk, where he worked 10 to 12 hours a day as an Internet consultant. Guessing that postural imbalances were to blame, Boyle, who now lives in Boca Raton, Fla., sought help from Eric Cressey, CSCS, owner of Cressey Performance Training Center in Hudson, Mass.

“Right away I saw that Jon lacked mobility in his thoracic [middle] spine and stability in his lumbar [lower] spine,” says Cressey, who specializes in balancing athletes’ bodies. He designed a strength-training program to correct these problems. “The pain went away completely within two months, and I’ve been pain-free for two and a half years now,” says Boyle.

While most people will seldom feel pain directly along their thoracic spine, Cressey and other experts understand that its relative immobility can cause pain both above and below it in the back’s kinetic chain.

Reclaiming Flexibility
Considering how dramatically an inflexible thoracic spine can affect your body, it’s surprising how few people even know where it is. Located in the mid-back, the thoracic spine consists of the 12 vertebrae sandwiched between the five vertebrae of the lumbar spine and the seven vertebrae of the cervical (upper) spine. “The curvature of the spine naturally forms three main segments,” explains Cressey.

These segments each have a primary function. “The lumbar spine and cervical spine are designed to provide stability, while the thoracic spine is designed to provide mobility,” says Michael Boyle, CSCS (no relation to Jon), a Massachusetts-based strength-and-conditioning coach and editor of www.strengthcoach.com. Specifically, the thoracic spine allows you to bend your trunk forward and backward (flexion and extension) and side to side, and to twist your trunk each way (rotation).

For many of us, the thoracic spine does not extend and rotate as well as it should. “Sitting is the main culprit,” says coach Boyle. “When you’re seated, your thoracic spine is locked in a flexed position. Over time, people who spend most of the day sitting lose some of their range of motion.”

Next: 3 Exercises to Correct Back Pain

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Carole R.

8:14PM PDT on Apr 24, 2012

Great information. Thanks for sharing.

send a green star

Shin T.

2:05AM PDT on Apr 19, 2012

Thanks for valuable article and its very useful,especially for chronic suffers.Cheers

Lika S.

12:09AM PDT on Apr 16, 2012

Well, I do home care, so I'm not exactly what you'd call sedentary. My thoracic part of my back is sore, and no, I'm not weak... My muscles there are just as strong as a strong man's. Yet it's always hurting, constantly. and is stiff, and no, it doesn't seem to matter what I try. I am so stiff and sore that no, I can't get on the floor, it's difficult, and then impossible to get back up w/o help. If my spine in the area is cracked wrong, I get pneumonia. How do you exercise when you can't move?

Anastasia J.

8:21PM PDT on Apr 13, 2012

I've dealt with back pain issues for years and have found yoga to be the best preventative and remedy, provided you listen to your body, know its limits, and do what's appropriate for your skill level and current condition.

Rebecca D.

3:45AM PDT on Apr 12, 2012

Last night I went to a yoga class designed to help backpain. I dont really get backpain but my body feels great after.

Norma V.

3:41AM PDT on Apr 9, 2012

Appreciate the article.

Lin M.

10:35PM PDT on Mar 29, 2012

Thanks but afraid my disc might not want this.

Debbie L.

4:30PM PDT on Mar 28, 2012

Thank you!

Susan A.

1:22AM PDT on Mar 28, 2012

Very interesting article, and appreciate the specific exercise suggestions. I've used the tennis balls without duct taping them together, but putting them in a long gym sock and knotting it different places depending what area of your back you need the muscle tension released...works great!

Tammy K.

5:57PM PDT on Mar 27, 2012

Thank you! Good information!