The exercises are intended only as suggestions. Be sure to talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise or stretching program to make sure there are no restrictions in the type of exercise you should do. If you have any back, neck, bone, or joint problems, consult your doctor before beginning a stretching program.
1. Lie down on your bed, face up, positioned diagonally, so that your head and upper back are at a corner. Let your arms drop to either side and hold for one minute (fig.1).
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| fig.1 Click to see larger image. |
2. Lie in the same diagonal position but turn over so that you’re on your stomach. Let your arms fall to the sides and then raise them so that they are straight and parallel with your shoulders. Hold for five to 10 seconds (fig.2). Repeat, this time bringing your arms straight in front of you (fig.3). Do this set of exercises (arms to the side, arms to the front) for a total of 10 reps.
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| fig.2 Click to see larger image. |
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| fig.3 Click to see larger image. |
3. Downward-Facing Dog (under “Wrists”) will relax the upper back (fig.4).
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| fig.4 Click to see larger image. |
Egoscue, Pete. Pain Free: A revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain. New York, NY. Bantam Book, 1998.
Weisberg, Joseph & Shink, Heidi. 3 Minutes to a Pain-free Life. New York, NY: Atria Books, 2005.
Carey, Anthony B. The Pain-Free Program: A Proven Method to Relieve Back, Neck, Shoulder, and Joint Pain. Hoboken, NJ. John Wiley & Sons, 2005
This page was first published on May, 15th, 2008 and last updated on May, 15th, 2008