♪ Bob and Brad ♪
♪ The two most famous ♪
♪ Physical therapists on the internet ♪
- Hi folks, I'm Bob Schrupp, physical therapist,
- Brad Heineck, physical therapists.
- Together, we're the most famous
physical therapists on the internet.
- In our opinion, of course, Bob.
- Today we're gonna show you
how to instantly relieve back pain
between the shoulder blades.
We've got three easy options plus a bonus.
- That's right, Bob.
Bob, this is a great thing to do.
I've shown this to patients,
but these are my favorite three, I personally do.
And I'll tell you when I actually have used these
in the past with great success.
- And so have I. - So excellent.
- By the way, if you're new to our channel,
please take a second just to subscribe to us.
We provide videos, how to stay healthy and fit pain-free
and we upload every day.
Also go to bobandbrad.com
go to the giveaway section- - That's right.
- We're always giving something away every week,
but today is the one day hiatus.
- Yes. - Tomorrow, we'll start again.
I think we're giving away a mattress tomorrow.
- Oh, really so it'd be on a Sunday.
- Yeah, on Sunday. - You'll find that out, yep.
- So, you can go to bobandbrad.com like I said,
or you could go to Facebook,
it'll be pinned to the top of page,
to contest, go Twitter, Instagram
or TikTok if you want a 60-second versions of our program.
- And now we have I, or not iPad we... (chuckles)
- Podcasts! - Podcasts.
I knew some kind of pod was in there, anyways-
- We'll talk about the iPod.
- Yeah, anyways, the podcasts are wonderful,
we got some really good interviews,
professionals, experts, the whole works.
So anyways, there are, between the shoulder blades,
we're talking about the thoracic spine.
- Yes.
- And let's just show specifically where we're at there Bob.
- So here the shoulder blades,
here's one, here's the other,
right this area right here,
very common to get pain in this area,
especially with what Brad?
- When you have poor posture over.
- Show for the side, Brad. - Yep.
- There we go.
Especially, you got a laptop and you're leaning down
and looking at that screen or your desktop
and the screen is not high enough.
- Right, so you get your head down.
- Or either bifocals.
You know, there's just a lot of things that can
result out of that.
- Sometimes I had a vehicle once,
I was driving my brother's truck,
and it's a terrible seat. - Yes!
- And I can't get good posture
because it sucks me right down in there.
- I have seen new vehicles like that,
the headrest was so damn weird,
that was so weird, I'm sorry.
- It's a family show Bob, it's a family show.
- Yeah, it's a family show, sorry about that.
- So, the pole point is
typically these pains are from posture,
prolonged poor posture,
and I've done this first one.
I've got out of bed and I had this pain right there
and it kind of almost hurt when you take a deep breath.
- Hmm. - You could feel it.
So this is what I did, I went downstairs
because that's where I have my 6-inch roller
and put it down on the floor like this,
and this started the whole thing,
I've been doing this for years
but I've got some better options,
we're going to show you, at least better for me.
- Easier options, I assume. - Yep.
- And we roll like this, and almost always,
I'll get a little cavitation or a crack
and you have to learn how to relax while you do this,
and right now I'm going to arch a little bit more
and right...
Ooh, there we go!
Ah, yes!
So take your time with this, if you've never done it before,
don't, you know...
You might keep your butt on the ground
and work gently over this,
and as you feel more comfortable with it,
then you can get your butt up and learn how to relax,
and arch over it.
- You know what's some of the big guys
do (indistinct) brad? - What's that?
- They actually put a kettlebell on top of them
and put additional on-
- Oh sure, if they want more weight.
- Right, right. - Yep!
Yeah, if you feel like you don't have enough,
go ahead and add some weight.
You can also turn it this way..
- You want to be careful, oh yeah.
- Yeah, and this is a nice...
It's not as aggressive,
you can just lay here and let your shoulders relax,
get your head down and just relax for a few minutes.
And something, you know, is gonna absolutely
endorse good posture, you know, promote it,
and help that pain.
I usually just do the roller one,
this one, I was done.
- If you're older, and you have typical all the...
or if you don't have a roller like this.
They do have the half rollers, Brad that
OPTP sells this,
it's by Sara Meeks
and it's actually soft. - Yep.
- So you can lie on it really easy
if you're more (indistinct).
- Yeah, more tolerable for that.
- Yeah, more tolerable.
- All right. Number two, number two, Bob,
you can use a tennis ball. If you don't have a foam roller,
you don't have to buy when there's option,
we're gonna use this red ball,
but you know, a tennis ball, typically,
is a good one to start, - Right it is.
- And, you can do this two ways;
you can start here on the wall,
I'm gonna put it between the shoulder blades
on the muscle part, not on my spine
and I'm gonna lean back into it,
and I like to actually roll up and down,
and you can work it,
I'm gonna work my right side of the spine,
go to the left side of the spine.
To be honest with you,
when I have that pain,
this isn't aggressive enough for me.
- Sure. - It's okay,
it's a good way to start.
- You can also put it in a sock
to help control where it's at. - Right.
- Now, I was gonna get a sock example then well-
- You forgot. - Yeah, but that's okay,
because I think for a lot of people, especially-
- This is the one that's gonna work better.
- Yeah, and you go on a carpeted floor,
and not that on your bed, it won't work,
and you put it on there and you can just simply lie on it,
put your body weight into it and work.
- If too aggressive for you to start,
you might put a towel over the top of it.
- Yeah, exactly. - It'll blunt it a little bit.
- And you can roll back and forth
and you'll typically feel the spot.
There'll be one area that needs it,
and it's going to hurt a little bit more,
but it should be one of those hurts so good,
the longer you're on it, the better it feels.
If it gets worse, then you're gonna go around it,
and just work up one side and the other.
Oh, thank you, Bob, yeah so-
- Now if you find this works for you
and you wanna upgrade,
you might try the Backpod.
We've had Steve on,
he's the one that invented this thing,
it really works really well for costochondritis.
- Steven who?
Steve Erne, I thought it was August.
- It is Steve August. - Oh okay.
- I said we've had Steve on.
- Oh, you mean on our program.
I get it. (both chuckles)
I'm just a little slow.
- So, it's a little pricey, but I'll tell you,
Brad and I love this thing.
I'll tell you in Brad's head costal.
- Yeah, this has taken care of my costochondritis,
which is chest pain from your ribs.
- Also know, you know,
also variant of that as Tietze syndrome.
- Yep. - So.
- But I do use this on,
I even took it on vacation. - I use this all the time,
my wife uses it all the time.
I've given it to about 10 friends so far.
- But yeah, I would not go out and just buy one.
- No, I wouldn't.
Try the ball first. - Right.
- Maybe that'll do it for you.
But if you're serious about your posture
or serious about your costal, this is the way to go.
- And here's actually, you can use it on your sacrum,
and there's other parts that-
- He's got a really great booklet
that he sends along with it.
The book might be worth the price of the device alone.
It's really well done.
- We should do some more videos
on some of the options with that.
- Yeah, we should. - And we will.
And finally, this is also one of my go-to exercises,
when I get pain here, as well as my shoulders.
This is a good maintenance exercise thing
that I do on a regular basis,
is simply hanging, go to a pull-up bar
or anything solid, you can grip and hang safely on,
that will hold your weight.
These are designed specifically for this,
up against the wall, puts her back in really good posture.
And we're just going to slowly...
This is a critical part, Bob, don't you agree?
You have to slowly when you start,
go down slowly, particularly if you're a little older.
- Yes.
- If you're 20 years old- - You can jump.
- You might get away with more.
And slide down slowly,
and you know, I'll oftentimes do this
and I'll feel crack, crack, burble.
- Sure.
- And things are feeling better.
And I'll hang for up to 30 seconds.
How about you? - Well, if-
- You do it, like when you're in the middle of work,
just to take a break. - Yes, I do.
Yeah, I spread it all and my back always cracks or cavities,
which tells me that I had been compressing it for awhile
and this helps extend it out.
But it's funny if you live in the cities,
there's always construction going on,
so you just walk by some scaffolding,
hold the scaffolding and hang on to scaffolding.
- Yeah, hang on to scaffolding.
- Hang on the bars- - Till they kick you out.
- And you know, if you're in the city,
most of the people are weird there anyways sometimes,
so yeah...
- You'll fit right in. - You fit right in.
- I do want to mention Bob,
I was reading one of the comments or a couple of comments
some people were doing hanging on another line for,
I can't remember what it was for,
but they said, "Oh, I've got rotator cuff problems.
"I can't hang, it'll hurt too much."
But if you look up some videos
we have on rotator cuff injuries and hanging,
there is a surgeon, a shoulder surgeon,
who wrote a book on hanging.
His name is Dr- - Dr. Kirsch.
- Dr. Kirsch, and actually you can
use a specific treatment for shoulder problems.
- Yes!
- And particularly impingement problem.
- In fact, that's what the book.
- Right.
- He mention back, but it really it's mostly about shoulder.
And he's got testimonials that you would wouldn't believe.
- Sure.
- I mean, there's people that are like saying
they were headed for rotator cuff surgery
and they actually ended up not having the surgery,
and he got full motion and strength and-
- I know we're getting on a tangent here,
but I just want to mention,
'cause we can't say enough about hanging as a treatment.
- Yep, break aiding. - Break aiding there you go.
We do want to give the bonus
'cause we did mention a bonus. - Oh yeah, that's right.
- Yes, this is one you can easily do at work or at home.
You need a chair that's got a backrest
and maybe you're at work and you're slouched,
and you start feel that between-the-shoulder-blade pain
and you wanna continue to work,
so you're just going to take a mini break,
take a ball that soft and squishy,
not as a hard, you know, like a basketball,
that would be way too hard, something squishy.
Put it in between the shoulder blades,
and you're simply gonna arch your back over it
- Offering your arms up. - Yep!
Bob's favorite. - Hallelujah!
- Hallelujah, the back is feeling better already!
And even if your shoulders,
if you don't have that pain there,
it's a really good maintenance stretch to do.
So, everyone at their workstation,
if she worked at a computer all day long,
should have your back ball.
- Well, all you have to do Brad is,
go play a game of dodge ball with kids.
- Yep!
- And right you're about ready to throw it,
you just run out the door and keep it.
- Well, they'll get other ones from someone.
- Yeah, that's right.
- You know, you can buy one for Christmas,
but at least you got one until then.
- They might cry a little bit,
but, you know, it builds character.
- It's a family show! - It builds character!
(both chuckle)
- We're just having fun now,
so good luck with that pain
between the back and the shoulder blades.
One of these will be helpful for sure.
- All right, peace. (upbeat music)