Justin G. Walls, Certified Personal Athletic Trainer

Think about the following issues: Can you raise your arms above your head? Can you raise your arms above your head without arching your back? Can you raise your arms above your head without arching your back AND do not hear any popping, clicking, or feel a rubbing against your shoulder? Without getting too technical, it suffices to say that all of our muscles are connected together via Fascia . If one muscle is too tight or too weak, then another muscle elsewhere in the body may be tugged, stretched, or restricted in movement. Due to modern posture issues, such as constant computer and desk work, our bodies tend to roll the shoulders forward, tilt the head forward, and contract the abdomen. Constant tension in these postions creates tightness in those muscles while hyperextending many back and neck muscles. One possible solution help strengthen the back and improve posture is to hold a proper plank. Once you master holding a plank, you may also want to add some Serrratus Pu...

Let's start with a few simple questions: Where is the pain... generally? Upper back, lower back, hips. What position are you in when you feel the pain? Leaning foward, arching backward, tilt sideways? How painful is it? Now the tough questions: Is the pain localized in one spot? Two spots? Does it happen only at certain times of the day? Is it getting worse or getting better? Corrective Exercise Techniques  can assess just how widespread your problem may be. It's important to understand that the most common source of back pain is actually muscle tightness, especially if the pain is not chronic. According to corrective exercise specialist Justin Price , MA: "A successful corrective-exercise program includes self-myofascial-release ( SMR ) exercises at the beginning and throughout the program as needed." Muscle tissue is all connected through fascia, a collegen-based connective tissue that holds all of the muscles together. Fascia has a tendancy to resist too m...