Cross one arm across your chest and use the other hand to gently pull it closer
Hug yourself and reach the hand of the tight side toward the opposite shoulder blade
Place the tight-side hand on a wall and slowly turn your body away from that arm
Thread one arm under the other in a child’s pose variation to stretch the upper back
Reach both arms forward and round your upper back to spread the shoulder blades apart
Bring both elbows up and gently pull them backward to open the chest
Use a doorway stretch with forearms on the frame and step forward slightly
Roll a tennis ball or massage ball against the wall over the knot area
Lie on your back with a foam roller under the upper back and slowly extend over it
Perform slow neck tilts and shoulder rolls to reduce surrounding tension
Hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds
Repeat each stretch 2 to 4 times
Breathe slowly and avoid forcing the stretch