Sorry, couldn't resist.
There are a number of stretches you can do to relieve shoulder/back pain, along with a few products.
(from
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/conserv/overview/exercise/ex02.html)If one already has low back pain or neck pain, it is best to check with a physician or physical therapist to discuss whether the following exercises should be done.
Practical Point
Just 5 to 10 minutes of stretching in the morning and at night can provide significant back pain relief over time. Neck and shoulder stretches
A stiff back is sometimes accompanied by a stiff neck. The following exercises can be done to stretch the neck and shoulder area.
Flexion Stretch—Chin to Chest
While standing or sitting, gently bend the head forward while bringing the chin toward the chest until a stretch is felt in the back of neck.
Lateral Flexion—Ear to Shoulder
This exercise stretches the neck area below the ears as well as the top of the shoulder. To begin, gently bend the neck to one side as if to touch the ear to the shoulder until a stretch is felt in the side of the neck. Switch to stretch the other side.
(from
http://ezinearticles.com/?Neck-And-Shoulder-Pain---A-Punishment-For-Neglecting-Office-Workplace-Ergonomics-And-Desk-Exercises?&id=190845)Most neck and shoulder pain is caused by poor posture and poor movement habits formed by faulty learning, usually beginning in childhood. When the movement in our back, neck and shoulders is disorganized, some of the forces generated by our muscles create friction that, over time, destroys body tissue and leads to injury and pain. Even when neck and shoulder pain is the result of accidents or illness, unfortunately, when we try to protect ourselves from the pain, we create new bad movement habits that cause us even more pain and could lead to chronic pain. No matter the cause of the pain, the speed at which pain can be resolved goes right back to movement habits learned in childhood and adulthood, and to our ability to learn new patterns of movement, of thinking, and of awareness.
Rather than insisting on moving the already strained and painful muscles, we need to look for ways to bypass the injured area. This way we can achieve what we set out to do and allow the injured part of our body to reorganize itself and heal.
Since it is the brain that organizes movement, effective techniques for shoulder and neck exercises should be developed to provide your brain with the information and experiences it needs in order to form new, pain-free patterns and solutions. Rather than create friction where it hurts, we need to look for Methods that guide us through safe, gentle and easy ways to by-pass those painful areas. With new information from the body, mind, and the new awareness, the neck and shoulder pain should subside - often in only a few short sessions.
There are various methods that attempt to approach pain and strain in such a way - some more widely known than others. There is Yoga, Pilatis and the Feldenkrais Method. The first two are extremely well known. The last one and least known of the three, solves targeted complaints using scientifically proven bypasses that are of particular interest and efficacy for shoulder and neck pain.
Daniel was a first-chair violin player in one of the world's great orchestras. When he came to see Ms. Anat Baniel (a former student and assistant of Dr. Feldenkrais), he was unable to play for nine months because of severe neck, shoulder and wrist pain. None of the traditional therapies helped. He was terrified that his career as a musician was over. Like most people, he had no idea what he was doing wrong and how the ways he was moving were causing him to injure himself. Ms Baniel observed that various parts of Daniel's body: his lower back, his upper spine and the powerful muscles in his pelvis were not moving at all when Daniel was using his neck, shoulders, arms and hands to play. Ms. Baniel began by guiding Daniel through very gentle movements in those dormant areas that were new to him and felt easy and safe to do. These movements were waking up his brain to new possibilities. Daniel quickly learned to move in better ways that gave him complete relief from neck and shoulder pain, as well as wrist pain. Two months after Daniel began training he was back to playing.
This cutting edge approach is based in the understanding of how the brain forms patterns of posture and movement – good ones and bad ones. It looks at all aspects of the person: body, mind, emotion and spirit and their relationship to pain. It addresses an “invisible” element that is of the utmost importance in our ability to recover from neck and shoulder pain and prevent future pain: the QUALITY with which we move.
Thousands of computer users suffer from neck and shoulder pain as a result of poor office workplace ergonomics and repetitive strain injury. To assist those that need neck and shoulder pain relief at their work-stations Desk-Trainer (www.desk-trainer.com) offers preset series of 5 minute Anat Baniel Method based on the work of Dr. Feldenkrais desk exercises. The site also offers subscribers training series for fitness, desk exercises and office stretches for protection against repetitive strain injury as well as office workplace ergonomic guidance for organizing the work station.
So we've done stretching.
There's this crazy device, which looks interesting. It's mostly for mid and lower back spinal alignment, but comments have said it helps with upper back pain:
http://www.amazon.com/Spineworx-SW10-Spine-Worx-Realignment-Device/dp/B000F8UBG0And there's neck and back massagers, like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Therapist-Select-Kneading-Shiatsu-Massager/dp/B000FGUWUW/ref=sr_1_15/103-9048648-3141416?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1181441542&sr=1-15