Pain guide · Back pain

Upper back pain from sitting: the desk, the screen, posture, breaks and what helps

An ache between or around the shoulder blades after a long day at a desk, a laptop or a screen is common: in many working groups, around 3 in 10 people report upper back pain over a year. It is usually tired upper back and shoulder-blade muscles after long, still spells, often on busy, pressured days, rather than damage, and it tends to ease when you get up and move.

Chest pain, pain spreading to your arm, neck or jaw, or sudden breathlessness is a 999 call or a trip to accident and emergency (A&E), and the National Health Service (NHS) asks you to see a general practitioner (GP) about pain between the shoulders. This guide covers those warning signs, why posture matters less than you've been told, the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) screen, chair and laptop set-up, what breaks and strength training can do, and a three-stage plan with a 3D demo of every move that ends with a full working day at a desk.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 45 sourcesUpdated 23 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999: sudden pain or discomfort in your chest that does not go away (it can feel like squeezing or pressure, burning or indigestion); pain that spreads to your left or right arm, or your neck, jaw, shoulder, stomach or back; or chest pain and you feel sweaty, sick, light-headed or short of breath. It could be a heart attack. Don't drive yourself to A&E.
Call 999 or go to A&E: difficulty breathing that comes on suddenly, pain in your chest or upper back, a very fast heartbeat, or someone has passed out. It could be a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) or another serious condition. Don't drive yourself.
Call 999: sudden chest or back pain that can feel like something being torn inside, with shortness of breath and problems walking, seeing or speaking.
Get help from NHS 111: pain or tightness in your chest, neck, shoulders, jaw or arms that comes and goes, often brought on by exercise, stress, emotion or cold and easing after a few minutes' rest. It can be angina, a sign of a heart problem.
Call 999 or go to A&E: back pain with chest pain, or back pain that started after a serious accident, such as a car crash.
Call 999: sudden, severe pain in the tummy or back, which can come with breathlessness, pale or grey skin, or collapse. It can be a burst abdominal aortic aneurysm, most common in men aged 65 or over and in people who smoke or used to smoke.
Call 999 or go to A&E: pain spreading from the tummy to the back, with vomiting.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): pain in your tummy, often in the middle or just under the ribs on the right, that lasts longer than 30 minutes. It can be gallstones.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): back pain and you feel hot, cold, shivery or generally unwell, or severe pain that starts suddenly or is getting worse quickly.
Same day: you have or have had cancer, and new back pain that is severe and doesn't let up, is getting steadily worse, is worse at night and disturbs your sleep, is worse when you cough, sneeze or strain, or comes with tenderness over the spine. Contact your cancer team or GP urgently. With cancer, new weakness, difficulty walking, numbness or bladder or bowel problems are an emergency.
Call 999: after a fall, you may have hurt your head, neck, back or hip, or you cannot get up.
Call 999 or go to A&E: after a fall or injury, your shoulder looks out of place or has changed shape, or you cannot move your arm. Do not drive yourself, and do not try to put it back in yourself.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): sudden or very bad shoulder pain; you cannot move your arm; the arm or shoulder is badly swollen or has changed shape; pins and needles that do not go away; no feeling in the arm; the arm is hot or cold to the touch; pain that started after an injury such as a fall; or severe pain in both shoulders.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Pain at the top of the back, between the shoulders, rather than in the lower back.
A burning, tingling or painful patch of skin on one side of your back or chest, with or without a rash: get advice from a pharmacist or NHS 111 as soon as possible. Shingles can cause pain a few days before the rash appears, and rarely without one.
Unexplained back pain with muscle spasms, loss of height, or a curved spine or change in posture: a possible osteoporotic spinal fracture, more likely with older age or long-term steroid tablets.
Pins and needles or a cold arm alongside neck pain, or a new loss of strength or feeling in the arm that you cannot explain (a possible nerve problem).
You smoke or used to, and have shoulder pain with a cough that will not go away, breathlessness or weight loss.
Pain that doesn't improve with rest or is worse at night, or pain that is worse when you sneeze, cough or poo.
Unexplained weight loss, or a lump, swelling or change in the shape of your back.
Back pain and stiffness that persists in a teenager or young adult. Ankylosing spondylitis tends to start at that age and can affect the whole spine.
Back pain that hasn't improved after a few weeks of looking after it at home, stops you doing day-to-day activities, or worries you.
Upper back or shoulder-blade ache that comes back every working day despite breaks, changes to your desk and the plan: our suggestion is to see a physiotherapist, who can check you and how you work. Ask your employer for a workstation assessment too.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

A dull ache or burning between or around the shoulder blades after long spells at a desk, easing when you move

Usually tired upper back and shoulder-blade muscles. This guide's plan covers it.

Between the shoulder blades, not clearly linked to sitting

Our upper back pain guide. The NHS asks for a GP check for pain between the shoulders.

Read: Upper and mid back pain →The neck and the tops of the shoulders after screens or a phone

Our tech neck guide.

Read: Tech neck →Pain, tingling or numbness down one arm that changes when you move your neck

Possibly a trapped nerve in the neck.

Read: Pinched nerve in the neck →A sharp catch on breathing in, coughing or twisting, with one tender spot on a rib after a cough, fall or knock

A rib injury.

Read: Rib injury →The front of the chest beside the breastbone, sore to press

Possibly costochondritis, once the heart has been considered.

Read: Costochondritis →A teenager's upper back that stays rounded when they stand tall

Possibly Scheuermann's disease.

Read: Scheuermann's disease →Sudden mid or upper back pain after a minor knock, cough or lift from about 50, or height loss or a new curve

A possible osteoporotic spinal fracture: see a GP.

Read: Spinal compression fracture →A shoulder blade that sticks out

Winged scapula.

Read: Winged scapula →Arm aching or tingling with your arms raised or when carrying

Possibly thoracic outlet syndrome.

Read: Thoracic outlet syndrome →Upper back ache on the bike

Our cycling guide covers the riding position.

Read: Upper back pain when cycling →Low back pain from sitting

Our back pain from sitting guide.

Read: Back pain from sitting →

Chest pain, or pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, with sweating, feeling sick or breathlessness

Possibly the heart: call 999.

Sudden breathlessness with pain in the chest or upper back

Possibly a blood clot in the lungs: call 999.

A burning or tingling patch of skin on one side, then a rash

Possibly shingles: see a pharmacist or contact NHS 111.

Upper tummy pain spreading to the back, worse after eating

Possibly gallstones or the pancreas: see the warning signs.

Understand it

Upper back pain at a desk is commonEmerging evidence

Across 33 studies, between 3.5% and 34.8% of people had upper (thoracic) back pain over a year, more often women and young people. In working adults, a review of 52 studies found most occupational groups around 30%, and linked it with other muscle and joint pain, being female, a high workload, problems with the workstation, boring tasks and high mental pressure.

In a survey of 1,185 office workers, 28% had had upper back symptoms over a year, more often women and people under 30. These studies show links, not causes.

Sources 1, 2, 3

Usually tired muscles, and a long, still dayEmerging evidence

The muscles that hold the shoulder blades and upper back, such as the trapezius and rhomboids, work steadily while you sit at a keyboard. In office workers followed over time, low variety in the work, a keyboard too close to the body, low satisfaction with the workplace and feeling tense went with new neck pain; in women with long-lasting trapezius pain from monotonous computer work, strengthening those muscles eased the pain a lot. That fits tired, overworked muscles rather than damage, though the trials are of neck and shoulder pain rather than upper back pain alone.

Sources 4, 5

Posture matters less than you've been toldEmerging evidence

In 686 young people followed from 17 to 22, sitting posture didn't predict neck pain in men, and the women who sat upright had more neck pain, not less. A review of 41 reviews found no agreement that posture or sitting causes low back pain, physiotherapists favour upright sitting "despite a lack of strong evidence that any specific posture is linked to better health outcomes", and specialists have called the advice to sit up straight a belief that needs re-evaluating.

Most of this evidence is about the neck and low back; no study has tested a sitting posture for upper back pain. NHS inform's advice for back pain is that "your posture doesn't need to be perfect", and to move often so you don't stay in the same position for too long.

Sources 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

The small joints of the upper backEmerging evidence

In a US pain practice, 42% of people with long-lasting upper back pain had pain from the small (facet) joints of the spine, confirmed with two numbing injections; with one injection, more than half of the positive results were false alarms. That was a selected group with long-standing pain, so it doesn't tell you how common joint pain is in desk workers, and no study of the rib joints in desk workers was found.

Source 11

Know the look-alikesStrong evidence

The NHS says call 999 for chest pain that spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or chest pain with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or breathlessness; for difficulty breathing that comes on suddenly, or "pain in your chest or upper back" with a very fast heartbeat (a possible clot in the lungs); and for a sudden chest or back pain that feels like something being torn inside.

Shingles can start as tingling or pain in one area of skin before a one-sided rash appears, and rarely causes pain without a rash. Gallstone pain spreading from the tummy to the back with vomiting is a 999 call. Osteoporosis can cause spinal fractures and a stooped posture, and kyphosis, a rounded upper back, may cause back pain and stiffness.

Sources 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

When a scan or test helpsStrong evidence

Not for an ache at a desk that changes with movement and position. The NHS asks you to see a GP for back pain "coming from the top of your back (between your shoulders)", and the GP decides whether you need tests. Numbing injections into the facet joints are a pain clinic test for a selected few. Chest pain and sudden breathlessness are emergencies, not scan questions.

Sources 21, 11, 12

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) says most muscle and joint problems get better within 6 to 8 weeks. No study has followed desk-related upper back pain on its own, so we can't give a figure; in the strength trials, neck and shoulder pain eased over 10 weeks. No one can promise a date.

Sources 22, 5, 23

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Strength training has the best evidenceEmerging evidence

In 48 women with long-lasting trapezius muscle pain from monotonous, computer-heavy jobs, 10 weeks of specific strength training for the neck and shoulders cut their worst pain by about 79%, while general fitness training on a bike gave only a brief drop. In 198 working adults with frequent neck and shoulder pain, 2 or 12 minutes a day of elastic band training, 5 days a week, eased pain by 1.4 and 1.9 points out of 10 and reduced tenderness at 10 weeks, compared with weekly health information.

In 142 office workers with neck, shoulder and low back pain, 6 months of stretching reduced pain scores against no treatment, and only the exercise group kept improving from month 4 to 6. These trials are of neck and shoulder pain, borrowed here for the upper back.

Sources 5, 23, 24

Breaks: one big trial, and mixed reviewsMixed evidence

In 193 office workers at high risk of neck and back pain in Bangkok, prompts to take an active break or shift position cut new neck pain over 6 months from 44% to 17%, and new low back pain from 33% to under 10%. That trial measured neck and low back pain, not upper back pain, and came from one research group, so the size of the effect needs repeating. A review of 11 trials found low-quality, conflicting evidence for breaks in general, but moderate-quality evidence that active breaks with a change of posture reduce pain and discomfort without harming productivity.

The Cochrane reviews are less encouraging: in healthy workers, extra breaks made little or no difference to pain or discomfort (low-quality evidence), and the evidence that extra breaks help office workers' arms and necks is very low quality. The HSE's advice is short, frequent breaks, such as 5 to 10 minutes every hour, ideally getting up and moving or at least stretching and changing position.

Sources 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

The HSE's set-up: for comfort, untested as a treatmentStrong evidence

The HSE's set-up: "Top of screen level with eyes, about an arm's length away"; "Relax your shoulders"; "Keyboard just below elbow height"; the seat supporting your thighs and lower back, with a gap of 2 to 3 cm behind your knees; the computer and screen directly in front, so you don't twist. A footrest may help, especially for smaller people, and chair arms can stop you getting close enough to the desk. In new computer users, armrests went with fewer neck and shoulder problems.

With a laptop, use a separate keyboard and mouse so the screen can go up on a riser. On the lap, a laptop tipped the head down 6 degrees and bent the wrists back 8 degrees more than at a desk, and people were most comfortable at the desk. Employers must assess the workstations of people who use screens daily, at home too. This is regulator guidance for comfort and prevention; it hasn't been tested as a treatment for upper back pain.

Sources 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36

Sit-stand desks: less sitting, untested for the upper backEmerging evidence

A sit-stand programme for 146 NHS office workers cut sitting by 83 minutes a working day at a year, and across 8 studies, sit-stand desks slightly reduced low back discomfort (by about 0.3 to 0.5 points out of 10). Neither measured upper back pain as the main outcome, and a sit-stand desk didn't reduce arm pain in the Cochrane review. Use one to change position through the day rather than to stand all day; the Royal Osteoporosis Society also suggests a standing desk to vary your position.

Sources 37, 38, 28, 39

Chairs, braces and posture correctorsEmerging evidence

No trial has tested a chair, a lumbar support or a posture corrector for upper back pain. In office workers, adjusting the workstation didn't reduce arm pain in the one trial that tested it. For low back pain, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says don't offer belts or corsets; we found nothing to suggest braces do better higher up, so the plan puts the effort into breaks and strength.

Sources 28, 40

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

The back pain rule, and judge sitting by timeEmerging evidence

For the exercises, this guide uses the back hub's rule. Some discomfort during exercise is fine, and it does not mean you are doing damage. Aim for pain you would call mild to moderate, no more than about 5 out of 10. It should settle within an hour or so, and your back should be no worse the next morning. If it is worse, do less next time (fewer reps, a smaller range, a lighter load), not nothing.

Arm symptoms are the exception: stop or shrink any movement that sends pain, pins and needles or numbness down your arm.

If pain climbs day after day, or you notice any warning sign, stop and get it checked. NHS inform's back exercise advice uses the same limit: 0 to 3 out of 10 is minimal, 4 to 5 acceptable and 6 or more too much, and your pain should be no worse the morning after. In trials of long-lasting muscle and joint pain, exercise that allowed some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise.

For sitting (our suggestion, built on the HSE's advice on breaks): judge sitting by time, not by pain. Find how long you can sit before the ache starts to build, and stand up and move a little before that point, every time. When that spell has passed the next-morning check for 3 or 4 days, add a few minutes. While you're building back, get up at least once an hour. Chest pain, breathlessness or pain spreading to your arm, neck or jaw isn't a pain-rule question: call 999.

Sources 41, 42, 29, 21

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Settle: break up the sitting and move the upper back

About the first 2 weeks: get up before the ache builds, set up the desk (the written steps below), move the upper back every hour, and walk every day. With arm symptoms, our pinched nerve in the neck guide comes first; with osteoporosis or a possible spinal fracture, leave out the foam roller in stage 2 and use our spinal compression fracture guide.

Thoracic rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoThoracic rotationBeginner · No equipment

6 rotations per side, moving with the breath, as an hourly break · The move page's dose. It can be done sitting

Easier: Side-lying open book · Harder: World's greatest stretch

Standing trunk twist demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding trunk twistBeginner · No equipment

Hold each turn about 5 s, 5 times each side · The move page's dose (the NHS's seated upper-body twist), as our back pain from sitting guide uses it

Harder: Cobra pose (Bhujangasana)

Shoulder rolls demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoShoulder rollsBeginner · No equipment

10 to 15 slow circles each way, once or twice through · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point

Harder: Shoulder CARs (controlled articular rotations)

Side-lying open book demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSide-lying open bookBeginner · No equipment

8 to 10 slow openings each side, pausing 2 s at the end · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point

Harder: Thoracic rotation

Doorway chest opener demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDoorway chest openerBeginner · A wall

2 holds of 30 s · As in our tech neck guide

Easier: Elbows back · Harder: Fish pose (Matsyasana)

Treadmill walking demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machine

10 to 20 min a day, plus a few minutes every hour you sit · As in our upper back pain guide (10 to 20 min); the hourly break is the HSE's 5 to 10 minutes every hour

Harder: Treadmill jogging

Move on when: You can sit for an hour, with one short break, before the ache builds, and you're no worse the next morning (our suggestion).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Build: the 2-minute band routine and shoulder-blade strength

About weeks 2 to 6: our tech neck guide's daily band routine with our upper back pain guide's shoulder-blade work, 2 or 3 days a week, while sitting spells lengthen by the pain rule.

Band lateral raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand lateral raiseBeginner · A band

2 minutes a day, 5 days a week, using a stronger band as it gets easy · The trial's dose: 2 minutes a day of elastic band training eased neck and shoulder pain in 198 working adults. The exercise choice is our tech neck guide's

Harder: Dumbbell lateral raise

3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 sets of 10 to 15, stopping 2 to 3 reps short of failure, with 60 to 90 s rest · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

Band pull-apart demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand pull-apartIntermediate · A band

2 sets of 15 · As in our tech neck guide

Easier: Prone Y-T-W raises · Harder: Tuck back lever

Prone Y-T-W raises demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoProne Y-T-W raisesBeginner · No equipment

2 sets of 6 to 8 of each letter · As in our upper back pain guide

Easier: Wall angel · Harder: Bent-over reverse fly

Wall angel demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWall angelBeginner · A wall

2 sets of 8 to 10 · As in our upper back pain guide

Easier: Table slide (seated forward reach) · Harder: Prone Y-T-W raises

Foam roller thoracic extension demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFoam roller thoracic extensionBeginner · A foam roller

5 to 8 slow breaths at each of 3 or 4 spots along the upper back · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point. Leave it out with osteoporosis, as the move page and our upper back pain guide say

Harder: Fish pose (Matsyasana)

Move on when: The band work stays within the pain rule, and you can sit for 90 minutes, with two short breaks, without the ache building (our suggestion).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Strengthen, and a full working day at a desk

From about week 6, 2 or 3 days a week and ongoing: heavier rows, shrugs and carries, as our tech neck guide's trapezius-trial stage and our upper back pain guide's last stage do, while a full working day comes back by the written steps below.

Dumbbell shrug demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell shrugBeginner · A dumbbell

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point. Our tech neck guide uses it in its trapezius-trial stage

Harder: Snatch shrug

Chest-supported dumbbell row demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoChest-supported dumbbell rowBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

3 sets of 8 to 12 · As in our upper back pain guide

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

3D demoFace pullIntermediate · A band

3 sets of 12 to 15 · As in our upper back pain guide

Easier: Prone Y-T-W raises · Harder: Tuck back lever

Farmer's carry demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFarmer's carryIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell

3 walks of 20 to 30 m · As in our upper back pain guide

Harder: Suitcase carry

Seated upper-back lift (sit tall, shoulders back) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSeated upper-back lift (sit tall, shoulders back)Beginner · A bench or box

3 to 5 repetitions, each held 3 to 5 s, at least twice a week · The move page's dose (a UK osteoporosis consensus). It can be done at your desk

Easier: Elbows back · Harder: Prone Y-T-W raises

Move on when: Our suggestion: a full working day at your desk, with breaks, leaves your upper back no worse the next morning. Keep the strength work going twice a week, and if a long week brings it back, drop back a stage for a few days rather than stopping.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Set up the desk (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show these changes. They come from the HSE; where a step is our suggestion, it says so. They are for comfort and haven't been tested as a treatment.

1. The top of the screen level with your eyes, about an arm's length away, straight in front of you so you don't twist (the HSE).
2. The keyboard just below elbow height and your shoulders relaxed: sit high enough that you don't need to shrug (the HSE).
3. The chair supporting your thighs and lower back, with a gap of 2 to 3 cm between the front of the seat and the back of your knees; a cushion can help (the HSE).
4. A footrest if your feet don't reach the floor flat (the HSE).
5. Armrests if they let your shoulders relax and don't stop you getting close to the desk (the HSE); armrests went with fewer neck and shoulder problems in new computer users.
6. With a laptop, a separate keyboard and mouse, with the screen raised on a riser, or a separate screen (the HSE). Working with a laptop on your lap bent the head and wrists more than at a desk.
7. At home, the same set-up: the HSE says you may not need office furniture to get comfortable, and your employer should check.

Sources 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36

Breaks and the working day (written steps)

These come from the HSE, a trial and a review; where a step is our suggestion, it says so.

1. Short, frequent breaks: 5 to 10 minutes every hour, ideally getting up and moving, or at least stretching and changing position (the HSE).
2. Get up before the ache builds, not after (the pain rule).
3. Prompts to take an active break or shift position cut new neck pain in one trial: a reminder on your phone or computer can help (our suggestion).
4. Stand for phone calls, walk to a colleague and refill your water (our suggestion).
5. If you have a sit-stand desk, alternate rather than stand all day: a sit-stand programme cut sitting by 83 minutes a day.
6. Long, unbroken tasks, deadlines and pressure go with upper back pain at work: talk to your manager about the workload, and ask for a workstation assessment (the HSE).
7. Phones and tablets: hold them higher and take breaks; our tech neck guide covers them.

Sources 29, 25, 37, 39, 2, 35

A full working day comes back (written steps)

No trial has tested how to bring back a full day of sitting with upper back pain. These steps are our suggestion, built on the HSE's advice and the strength trials.

1. Judge sitting by time: find how long you can sit before the ache builds, get up before then, and add a few minutes when that spell has passed the next-morning check for 3 or 4 days.
2. Keep breaks that move you, at least once an hour.
3. Keep the band routine on most days and the strength work twice a week once full days are comfortable.
4. If it comes back every working day despite breaks, changes to your desk and the plan, see a physiotherapist, and ask your employer for a workstation assessment.

Sources 29, 23

Heat, painkillers and hands-on treatment

The NHS suggests a heat pack wrapped in a tea towel for stiffness or muscle spasm, and an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen if it suits you. No source we opened tested manipulation or massage for upper back pain from sitting; for low back pain, NICE allows manual therapy only alongside exercise. Facet joint injections are a pain clinic option for a selected few with long-lasting pain.

Sources 21, 40, 11

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Sitting for hours without getting up	Active breaks had the best trial, and the HSE suggests 5 to 10 minutes every hour.	Get up before the ache builds, and move for a few minutes every hour; a few thoracic rotations make a good break.Try: Thoracic rotation
Holding yourself bolt upright all day	Upright sitting wasn't protective in a cohort study, no posture has been shown to be the right one, and NHS inform says your posture doesn't need to be perfect.	Change position often, let the chair back support you, and use the standing trunk twist as a break.Try: Standing trunk twist
A laptop on your lap, the sofa or the bed for long spells	Working with a laptop on the lap bent the head and wrists more than at a desk.	A desk, the laptop raised, and a separate keyboard and mouse.
A screen that's too low, off to one side or too far away	The HSE says the top of the screen should be level with your eyes, about an arm's length away and directly in front, so you don't twist.	Raise and centre the screen.
Shrugging because the desk is too high or the chair too low	The HSE says relax your shoulders and sit high enough that you don't need to shrug, with the keyboard just below elbow height.	Raise the chair, add a footrest if your feet don't reach, and roll your shoulders through the day.Try: Shoulder rolls
Chair arms that stop you getting close to the desk	The HSE says chair arms can stop you getting close enough, so you lean forward to the keyboard.	Lower or remove them, or pull the chair in under the desk.
Relying on stretching, massage or a massage gun alone	Specific strength training eased trapezius pain far more than general fitness training on a bike, and band training eased neck and shoulder pain.	Add the 2-minute band routine.Try: Band lateral raise
Wearing a posture corrector all day	No trial has tested one for upper back pain, and for low back pain NICE says don't offer belts or corsets.	Breaks and strength work, such as band rows.Try: Band row
The foam roller on the upper back, with osteoporosis	The move page says check it's suitable first if you have osteoporosis.	The seated upper-back lift.Try: Seated upper-back lift (sit tall, shoulders back)
Heavy dumbbell shrugs in the first weeks	The load builds by stage; our tech neck guide brings shrugs into its last stage.	Band rows and the band lateral raise first.Try: Band row

Routines to follow

3-minute desk movement break

A 3-minute standing break to repeat every 30 to 60 minutes at your desk: sit-to-stands, calf raises, marching, an upper-back turn and chin tucks.

3 minBeginner5 movesA bench or box, A wall

5-minute desk stretches

A quick stretch break you can do beside your desk: neck, back, chest, wrists, hips and quads.

5 minBeginner7 movesA wall

Upper back mobility routine

A 12-minute routine for a stiff upper back and rounded shoulders: chin tucks, wall angels, Y-T-W raises and open books.

12 minBeginner8 movesA foam roller, A wall

Neck and shoulder stretches

Eight gentle neck and shoulder stretches for desk stiffness, done standing or seated in ten minutes.

10 minBeginner8 movesA wall

Neck and shoulder strength routine

Deep neck holds and shoulder-blade strength in under 20 minutes: one of the best-supported kinds of exercise for a stiff, sore neck.

18 minBeginner11 movesA band, An anchor point

Resistance band workout

A full-body resistance band workout: squats, rows, push-ups, presses, pull-aparts, band walks, good mornings and flyes.

30 minBeginner9 movesA band, An anchor point

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why does my upper back hurt when I sit?

Usually tired upper back and shoulder-blade muscles after long, still spells, often on busy, pressured days, rather than damage. It tends to ease when you get up and move. Pain that doesn't change with movement, wakes you, or comes with chest pain or breathlessness needs checking.

Can sitting at a desk cause upper back pain?

Upper back pain is common in desk workers: 28% of office workers in one survey had it over a year. Long spells without breaks, a keyboard too close to the body, little variety in the work and feeling tense go with neck and upper back pain at work.

Is my upper back pain caused by bad posture?

Less than people think. Young women who sat upright had more neck pain later, not less, and posture wasn't a risk factor in office worker studies. Moving often matters more than holding any one posture.

Why does my upper back hurt when I sit up straight?

Holding any position, upright included, tires the muscles that hold it, and upright sitting hasn't been shown to protect against pain. Let the chair back support you, change position often and get up before the ache builds.

What's the best desk set-up for upper back pain?

The HSE's: the top of the screen level with your eyes, about an arm's length away and straight in front; the keyboard just below elbow height; shoulders relaxed; and the chair supporting your lower back. With a laptop, use a separate keyboard and mouse and raise the screen.

How often should I get up from my desk?

The HSE suggests 5 to 10 minutes every hour, moving if you can. In one trial in office workers, prompts to take active breaks or change position cut new neck pain from 44% to 17% over 6 months, though that needs repeating by other researchers. Get up before the ache builds, not after.

What exercises help upper back pain from sitting?

Strengthening the shoulder blades and upper back has the best evidence: 10 weeks of specific strength training cut trapezius pain by about 79% in women with computer-heavy jobs, and 2 minutes a day of band exercise eased neck and shoulder pain. Add movement breaks and upper back rotations, as in the plan on this page.

Do posture correctors help upper back pain?

We found no trial of a posture corrector for upper back pain. Breaks and strength training have trials behind them, so put your effort there.

Is a standing desk better for upper back pain?

Sit-stand desks cut sitting by 83 minutes a working day in one trial and slightly eased low back discomfort, but they haven't been tested for upper back pain. Use one to change position through the day rather than to stand all day.

When is pain between the shoulder blades serious?

The NHS asks you to see a GP for pain between the shoulders. Call 999 for chest pain, pain spreading to your arm, neck or jaw, sudden breathlessness with chest or upper back pain, or a tearing pain. A burning or painful patch of skin on one side, with or without a rash, can be shingles: see a pharmacist or contact NHS 111.

Is a laptop worse for upper back pain?

Working with a laptop on your lap tipped the head down and bent the wrists back more than at a desk, and people were most comfortable at the desk. Use a separate keyboard and mouse, and raise the screen.

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.