Upper Back and Neck Pain – Could it be Your Pecs?

Pectoralis minor muscle in red. Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectoralis_minor_muscle

At Inner Outer Health, many of our clients come in for massage and myotherapy seeking treatment for upper back and neck pain. The pain can result in headaches and migraines, and even referral pain or numbness down the arms.

A good percentage of these clients are working in environments that require them to have their arms forward and/or down - sitting at a computer, for example.  This can cause the back to slump and the shoulders to round forward, resulting in tight/shortened pectoral muscles, particularly the pectoralis minor.

This underappreciated muscle is the cause of so much of that pack and neck pain - but luckily, it's easy to stretch, and doing so regularly can help relieve stiffness and soreness everywhere!

Dr Jacob Harden from the USA has posted a fantastic pec stretch on Instagram that is guaranteed to help open up the chest area and alleviate sore shoulders, upper back and neck.

The key to success with this stretch is to make sure you do it every day.  We spend hours in the same position at work every day, so we need to reverse it with multiple stretch sessions throughout the day. Watch the video below!

HOW YOUR LOW BACK COMPENSATES FOR YOUR SHOULDER . Let's talk about "compensation" in movement. It's kind of a □buzz word, but do you really know what it means or why they happen? . Compensation is simply the route your body takes to perform a movement when your desired option isn't available. Stay with me. I'm going to explain. . Let's take your pecs for example. If your pecs are super tight and you can't get great overhead motion, what route will your body take to get there?□ Usually, it's by hyperextending the low back. That probably isn't too big of an issue in your day to day activities, but it could lead to some low back irritation if that pattern carries over to a higher stress situation like say, overhead press, or pitching, or thrusters.□️‍♀️ . Low stress situations allow for a lot of variability, but when you add speed and load to a situation, you need to shift your movement to more optimal patterns and minimize those compensations. That's why it's so important to have both good mobility and control. So that you give yourself options. . So for tonight's pec stretch, (which I'm confident in saying will be the best pec stretch of your life) the priority is fighting that compensation pattern.□ Work on tucking your ribs down and isolating out that pec. You'll get the benefit of better mobility and awareness of your core position. . Tag a friend with tight pecs and share the wealth! . #Prehab101

A post shared by Dr. Jacob Harden (@dr.jacob.harden) on Aug 23, 2017 at 4:33pm PDT

Here’s how to do it:

• Find a broomstick or long pipe.
• Lay down on your back on an elevated surface such as a bed, table, massage table or weight lifting bench.
• Keep the spine in neutral alignment by ensuring that the ribs don’t rise up and the back doesn’t arch too much.
• First take a wide grip on the stick with boths hands, with the palms facing up.
• Whilst keeping your arms straight, slowly move the stick down towards the floor (above your head)
• If this doesn’t give a strong enough stretch bring the hands in closer to each other slightly and try again. Repeat this until you feel a good stretch.
• Once you have found the right position repeat the movement going up and down with your arms making sure you keep your neutral spine position.  
• Approximately 10 - 15 repetitions is recommended.

Watch the video and read the comments on the side of the video for more information.


For more information about pec stiffness and soreness, or if your pain is persistent, book in for a session with our amazing myotherapists today!