Mobility Exercise for Shoulder and Upper Back Pain

Wall angels, a deceptively simple exercise, can work wonders in restoring mobility to your upper back and shoulders while alleviating pain. By standing with your back against a wall and extending your arms outwards, you engage key muscle groups that are often neglected in our sedentary lifestyles. This exercise helps to counteract the forward hunch that many of us develop from hours spent at desks and screens, ultimately improving posture and reducing discomfort and pain. Regularly incorporating wall angels into your fitness routine can be a game-changer, fostering greater flexibility, lessening pain, and allowing you to move with greater ease and confidence in your daily life.

The articles referenced below highlights the importance of the muscles involved in this exercise. Most of the abnormal biomechanics and overuse injuries that occur in the shoulder girdle can be traced to alterations in the function of the scapular stabilizing muscles. Weakness of the scapulothoracic muscles potentially leads to abnormal positioning of the scapula, disturbances in scapulohumeral rhythm, and generalized shoulder complex dysfunction. This all translates to dysfunction and pain throughout the shoulders and upper back, it can even lead to neck pain.