Oh, my aching shoulders!  My upper back aches!  My ‘traps’ are killing me!

In a nutshell, poor posture is usually to blame for upper back pain.  Here’s why:

When your heavy head hangs in front of your body and your shoulders are rolled forward it strains the muscles in your upper back.  It might not matter for a few minutes but it matters when you do it for hours on end.  🙁

Correcting your posture is the best to avoid upper back pain but heat can help in the meantime.

Here’s how to use heat to help your upper back muscles feel better:  Use it on your WHOLE upper body.

If you apply heat packs or a heating pad only to the strained part it will weaken it further.  It may feel good temporarily but then you will notice it still hurts or even feels a little worse.

But if you direct the hot water on your whole upper body–front, sides and back–it will help relax the muscles in the front of your body, too.

And the muscles in the front of your body NEED to be relaxed!  They are a big part of the problem.

You see, the muscles in the front of your body tend to get short and tight just from everyday activities.  They pull us forward and that strains back muscles.

When you use heat packs on your upper chest and arms as well as your back it will help those tight muscles relax.  Then your muscles will be more balanced and you will have less strain and pain in your upper back muscles.  🙂

You can learn more about the causes and natural cures for miserable upper back pain at Knots In Your Back Gone!