If you’ve ever felt that stubborn tightness or ache right between your shoulder blades that just won’t go away — you’re not alone. Mid back pain (often called thoracic spine pain) is one of the most common complaints we see at Highland Spine and Sport in Roanoke, Virginia.
Even if you’ve tried stretching, foam rolling, or getting an occasional adjustment, the relief might only last a day or two. So why does that mid back discomfort keep coming back?
Here are three common reasons — and what you can do about them.
Whether you work at a desk, drive across town, or spend a lot of time on your phone, your mid back tends to round forward for long periods. This position causes the muscles between your shoulder blades to become overstretched and weak, while your chest muscles tighten and pull your shoulders forward.
Over time, this imbalance leads to stiffness, restricted motion, and that familiar ache through the upper and mid back.
What to do:
Try breaking up your day with quick “movement snacks” every 30–45 minutes. Stand up, stretch your chest, roll your shoulders back, and do a few shoulder blade squeezes. Even small breaks can make a big difference in how your spine feels at the end of the day.
Another big reason mid back pain keeps coming back is a lack of strength and endurance in the muscles that stabilize your shoulder blades and spine.
When these muscles fatigue quickly, your posture collapses and the mid back muscles are forced to overwork just to hold you upright. This often leads to recurring tightness, trigger points, and pain between the shoulder blades.
Try these simple strengthening moves:
These movements don’t require much equipment but go a long way toward building lasting support for your spine.
If you’ve noticed that twisting, rotating, or arching your mid back feels tight, you may have limited thoracic spine mobility. When the mid back can’t move well, other areas like your lower back or neck are forced to pick up the slack — often leading to more pain or compensation.
Try these simple mobility drills at home:
These exercises help keep your thoracic spine moving well — but if stiffness keeps returning, there’s likely an underlying restriction or muscle imbalance that needs to be addressed directly.
At Highland Spine and Sport, we don’t just chase pain — we find the root cause. Our approach combines:
Our goal is simple: help you feel better, move better, and live better — so pain doesn’t hold you back from the things you love doing here in Roanoke.
👉 Invest in your health. Feel better. Move better. Perform better.