It’s increasingly more common in today’s time for people to develop a hunched back or upper back and shoulder pain from their daily work on their computer. We spoke with Dr. Ethan Stine, DC, our doctor who works on a lien basis at HD Physical Medicine in Victorville, Apple Valley, and Barstow, about a simple stretch to help open up your shoulders and straighten your back. Dr. Stine walked us through this great daily exercise in his Quick Tip Video! Watch along here or read on below for more:
For this postural exercise, Dr. Stine explains that you should be sitting up straight with your shoulders back. Keep your upper arms down by your side, but put your forearms out at a 90 degree angle, which places your hands straight out in front of you at the natural level in which they hang. Dr. Stine does a great job showing this in his quick tip video. As he describes it, “Sit up straight with your shoulders back, elbows in, palms up, and thumbs out.”
From here, move your forearms from directly in front of you to out away from each other to each side, keeping your elbows at a 90 degree angle the whole time. Your upper arms should stay by your side throughout the stretch. Do this for several sets until you become comfortable. Dr. Stine says it strengthens your back while also opening up your chest, helping to fight against the daily damage we do to our backs from hunching. Once you are comfortable with this stretch, add a resistance band to get more out of it.
All in all, if you’ve been injured in an accident and you need to see a doctor who works on a lien, or if you are feeling any pain when conducting this stretch, be sure to speak with your doctor who works on a lien basis to ensure you’re receiving the care you need. Ask them if this stretch is right for you. While it may be a great daily exercise, you should never push a stretch if you are feeling pain. Of course, if you’re just looking to open up your chest and strengthen your back against daily hunching and aren’t feeling any pain from it, this stretch is for you.
And remember, if you’ve been injured in an accident, be sure to speak with Dr. Ethan Stine or any of our doctors who work on a lien basis today.
