Tension and pain are often a signal that something is out of balance.
Outside of trauma, discomfort in our back region is often the end result of an unbalanced posture.
Fortunately the human body is very forgiving and adaptable... and unbalanced posture is a situation that does lend itself to rebalancing......follow along.
It appears that the human body's musculoskeletal system is programed to 'dance and adapt' with our constant 'dance partner', gravity.
When our body is off balance in terms of how our 'stack of bones' is relating with our 'dance partner' (gravity), our muscles often come into play working overtime in order to return our body back to balance to continue the dance steps smoothly.This working overtime can continue in the background of our physical lives for a very long time often creating a constant 'behind the scenes' tension.
The 'tipping point" arrives when the body's ability to compensate is overwhelmed...resulting in noticeable tension and pain.
Gravity does appear to be a constant companion.
Imagine; if you were to only wear one shoe as you walk, you would quickly start to feel this process...not recommended.
Pain and tension may be your body 'signaling' that something is out of balance. This can often be addressed simply by...
Are you familiar with your "sit bones" (the ischial tuberosities)?
When you are tilting 'off-balance in a forward direction in yoursitting position,you might feel pressure in your hamstring region (B).
When you are slouching too far backward, you might feel pressure in your gluteal region (A).
When you are in a balanced posture and resting on your "sit bones", you should feel the pressure in the region near your "sit bones" (C).
In this position, the weight of your upper body is balanced on your skeletal structure and the surrounding muscles can relax.
When slouching and sitting on "A" or "B", the muscles in your upper back will often respond to this imbalance (leaning tower of bones) by tensing up unconsciously to maintain your gravitational balance.
Pay attention....start recognizing that tension in your mid-back is a signal from your "internal monitoring system" that your posture may be off balance.
Imagine standing at your sink or counter, doing any number of things... washing dishes, cooking, brushing your teeth, etc.
You have some postural choices in these situations.
Try to avoid leaning forward into the "Hunch Back of Notre Dame" position, instead, you might widen your stance.
This would enable you to accomplish your task in a more balanced posture with your torso lowered instead of hunching over.(again the leaning tower of bones)