Price :
QTY :
CART TOTALS :
There are items
in your cart
CART TOTALS :
With this products also buy:
Your shopping bag is empty
Go to the shopUpper Back Pain Taping Guide | Tech-Neck, Rhomboid Strain, Scapular Pain
Kinesiology tape · Upper back
Posture Tape: How to Tape an Upper Back
How to tape an upper back with pre-cut kinesiology tape, for posture, tech neck, rhomboid strain, trapezius tension, thoracic stiffness, scapular dyskinesis and pain between the shoulder blades. Also sold as KT tape, K tape, kinesio tape, posture tape and sports tape.
To tape an upper back you need three strips and a helper. Sit and roll the shoulders forward with the chin down, so the upper back is on stretch. Run two strips diagonally from the mid-back out to the top of each shoulder at 25% stretch, making a V that points down the spine. Lay the third horizontally across the shoulder blades at 50% stretch. Sit up straight, and the tug you feel when you slouch is the posture cue doing its job. Wear it 5 to 7 days.
Is KT tape the same as kinesiology tape?
Yes, in ordinary use. Kinesiology tape is the product category. KT Tape is one American brand of it, and the name stuck as a generic term in the UK, alongside K tape, kinesio tape, sports tape, posture tape and muscle tape. They all describe the same thing: elastic tape worn on the skin to support muscles and joints without restricting movement.
Upper back pain is the fastest-growing musculoskeletal complaint of the last decade. Hours over laptops, tablets and phones hold the rhomboids and mid-traps long and weak while the chest tightens, and the result is a constant ache between the shoulder blades, knots in the upper traps, headaches creeping up the back of the neck, and impingement when you reach overhead. This page covers six of the most common causes, with the taping pattern for each.
3 rolls for £14.97, delivered free
Pre-cut 20 strips with a dispenser box. Beige shown — see all colours & designs. £4.95 delivery on 1 or 2 rolls.
How to apply kinesiology tape to the upper back, step by step
Position: Sit and roll the shoulders forward, chin down, so the upper back is on stretch. You will need a helper.
- Clean and dry the upper back between the shoulder blades.
- Take two I-strips. With the shoulders rolled forward, stick the first end at the mid-back on one side of the spine, no stretch.
- Run it diagonally up and out to the top of the shoulder at 25% stretch. Repeat on the other side so the two strips make a V pointing down the spine.
- Take a third I-strip. Tear the backing in the middle and apply the centre horizontally across the shoulder blades at 50% stretch. Lay the ends down with no stretch.
- Sit up straight and rub for 20 seconds. When you slouch you should feel the tape tug: that tug is the posture reminder doing its job.
- Re-apply every 5 to 7 days while you build the rowing and scapular work below.
Strips3 per application
Stretch25% on the two posture strips, 50% on the cross strip
Wear5 to 7 days
Per roll6 applications
Every strip is a pre-cut 5cm × 25cm I-strip from the dispenser box, 20 to a roll. Need a Y-strip? Cut one in 10 seconds. Anchors always go on with no stretch, and the tape comes off best in the shower, rolled back slowly along the hair. Basics for any area: how to apply kinesiology tape.
How many rolls of tape do I need for my upper back?
One roll a month. The upper back takes three strips rather than two, so a roll of 20 gives you six applications instead of ten, which is about a month at 5 to 7 days each. Posture taping is usually a two or three month job while the rowing work catches up, so three rolls for £14.97 delivered free is the sensible buy. A single roll is £4.99.
Common upper back conditions and their taping approach
The modern epidemic
Postural Dysfunction (Tech-Neck / Desk Hunch)
Dull, persistent ache between the shoulder blades, often worse by mid-afternoon. The head sits forward of the shoulders, the upper traps shorten and the rhomboids stretch and weaken. Strongly linked to headaches, neck pain and shoulder impingement.
Tape pattern: Two Y-strips. Anchor at the base of the neck, split around each shoulder blade with the tails running down the sides of the spine to the mid-back at 25% stretch. Worn with shoulder blades gently squeezed back during application: the tape then cues that posture all day.
Full Postural Dysfunction Guide →
Between the shoulder blades
Rhomboid Strain
Sharp or burning pain along the inner edge of the shoulder blade, often one-sided. Common after a long drive, heavy carrying, an awkward sleep, or sustained reaching forward. The rhomboids fatigue trying to hold the scapula back against a tight pec minor.
Tape pattern: One I-strip vertically along the inner border of the affected shoulder blade at 50% stretch, plus a horizontal decompression strip across the painful spot at 75% stretch in the middle (zero at the ends).
Top of shoulders / neck base
Trapezius Tension & Knots
Tight, ropey bands across the tops of the shoulders into the base of the neck. Often tender to touch with distinct trigger points. The classic stress-and-screens pattern. Frequently a trigger for tension headaches.
Tape pattern: Y-strip anchored at the base of the skull, tails running out across each upper trap to the point of the shoulder at 15 to 25% stretch, gentle so it doesn’t pull more tension in. Apply with head tilted away from the side being taped.
Neck Pain Guide →
Mid-spine stiffness
Thoracic Spine Stiffness
A locked, immobile feeling through the mid-back, often noticed when twisting to reverse a car or reaching overhead. The thoracic spine is built to rotate and extend, but desk hours fix it in flexion. Often pain-free but limiting, and a driver of shoulder and lower-back compensation.
Tape pattern: Two parallel I-strips either side of the thoracic spine, anchored at T1 and running to T12 at 25% stretch with the patient bent forward over a foam roller during application. Combine with daily thoracic mobility work.
Shoulder blade winging
Scapular Dyskinesis
The shoulder blade slides forward or wings outward when you raise your arm. Often pain-free at rest but produces clicking, weakness on overhead pressing and gradual onset of impingement or rotator-cuff symptoms. Very common in office workers and swimmers.
Tape pattern: Scapular retraction tape, a Y-strip from the lower fibres of the trapezius, tails fanning up around the shoulder blade at 25% stretch. The cue helps the lower trap fire, which keeps the scapula stable.
Deep interscapular ache
Interscapular Pain (Shoulder Blade Pain)
Deep, gnawing ache between the shoulder blades, sometimes radiating to the front of the chest. Common in nursing mothers, hairdressers, dentists, mechanics and anyone working with arms forward all day. Usually a soft-tissue overload, not a spinal problem.
Tape pattern: Cross pattern, a horizontal decompression strip across the painful zone at 75% stretch in the middle, plus a vertical support strip along the inner border of the shoulder blade at 50% stretch.
Which colour tape for the upper back
Beige for the office, because it is invisible under a white shirt and this is tape you will be wearing at a desk. £4.99 a roll, 3 rolls £14.97 delivered free anywhere in the UK, same-day dispatch before 3pm. Mix colours and designs on the order counter.
From £4.99 per pack
Shop 10 Plain ColoursShop Talisman DesignsDoes kinesiology tape improve posture?
It reminds you to hold better posture, it does not hold you in it. The tape is elastic, so it cannot pull the shoulders back the way a brace tries to. What it does is pull gently on the skin every time you slump, which is a cue you feel within a second and correct without thinking about it. That cue is worth having while the lower traps and rhomboids get strong enough to hold the position on their own. Rows, face-pulls and prone Y raises are what make the change permanent.
Can you tape your own upper back?
The trapezius and rhomboid strips yes, the postural V no. You can reach over your own shoulder to lay a strip on the upper trap, and a mirror makes that easier. The two diagonal strips between the shoulder blades are close to impossible alone, because you cannot hold the shoulders rolled forward and reach the mid-back at the same time, and a strip applied with the skin slack does nothing. For the full three-strip posture application, ask someone.
How kinesiology tape helps upper back pain
Two mechanisms dominate. First, proprioceptive cueing: the gentle skin pull reminds you to draw your shoulder blades down and back. After about ten minutes you stop noticing the tape, but your nervous system keeps registering it; you slouch less, even when concentrating on a screen. Second, skin-lift decompression over knots and trigger points. The convolutions the tape creates as you move lift the skin off irritated muscle fascia and may improve local circulation, easing the burning ache between shoulder blades within hours.
Tape is not a substitute for posture work: it is the cue that makes posture work easier to remember. Most desk workers report a meaningful drop in end-of-day upper back fatigue from day one of taping plus a daily five-minute mobility routine.
Recovery beyond taping
- Chin tucks: 10 reps, hourly. Pull the chin straight back (not down) to retrain head-over-shoulders alignment.
- Scapular squeezes: 15 reps, 3 sets daily. Pinch the shoulder blades back and down, hold 3 seconds.
- Thoracic extensions over a foam roller: 2 minutes morning and evening. Lay the roller across the mid-back and gently arch over it.
- Doorway pec stretch: 3 × 30 seconds per side. Forearm on the door frame, step through. Tight pecs are the silent partner of upper back pain.
- Set up your desk properly: monitor top at eye level, elbows at 90°, feet flat. Laptops at desk-level wreck posture; use a stand and external keyboard.
- Micro-breaks every 30 minutes: stand, roll the shoulders, look at the horizon. A 30-second reset prevents the slow creep of bad posture.
- Strengthen the lower trap and rhomboids: rows, face-pulls, prone Y/T/Ws. Posture is a strength problem more than a stretch problem.
When to see a GP or physio: sudden severe upper back pain (especially with chest discomfort, breathlessness or sweating, which is a medical emergency, call 999), unexplained weight loss with back pain, pain at night that wakes you, numbness or tingling spreading into the arms, weakness in the hands, or pain that doesn’t improve after 4 to 6 weeks of self-care. Pain that wraps around the chest with a rash may be shingles, so see a GP.
Can you shower with kinesiology tape on your back?
Yes. The tape is water resistant, so a shower will not lift it. Pat it dry with a towel rather than rubbing. It is not waterproof, so repeated swimming will shorten the wear. You can sleep and train in it too.
How long does kinesiology tape last on the upper back?
5 to 7 days, and the upper back is one of the best areas for it. The strips sit flat, a shirt protects every edge, and nothing folds them the way an elbow or a wrist does. The tape is 0.5mm thick so it goes under a work shirt unnoticed, and beige is invisible under a white one. Rub it for 20 seconds after applying and round the corners of every strip with scissors.
Frequently asked questions about upper back taping
Will tape help my tension headaches?
Often yes, if the headaches start at the base of the skull and trace forward. Tight upper traps and a forward head posture refer pain into the head. Taping the upper traps and cueing better posture relieves the source.
Tape or massage for upper back knots?
Both, in that order. A massage releases the knot today; tape keeps the muscle from re-knotting tomorrow by cueing better posture. Many clients find massage relief lasts twice as long when followed up with kinesiology tape.
Can tape fix my hunched posture permanently?
No. Only strengthening, mobility and habit change can do that. Tape is the daily reminder that makes those habits easier to stick to. Think of it as a posture coach you wear.
Is upper back pain ever serious?
Most upper back pain is mechanical and benign. But sudden severe pain with chest tightness, breathlessness, jaw or arm pain may signal a cardiac event, so call 999. Night pain, unexplained weight loss, or fever with back pain warrant a GP appointment.
Browse all 19 taping guides
From neck pain to ankle sprains, step-by-step guides for every common condition.
All Pain Guides →Taping guides for every body area
- Neck
- Shoulder
- Upper back
- Lower back
- Upper arm
- Elbow
- Forearm
- Hand & wrist
- Abdominal & core
- Pregnancy
- Thigh
- Knee
- Shin & calf
- Ankle
- Foot
- Face
Sixteen body-area guides, one tape. All pain and injury guides · Which kinesiology tape to buy in the UK · Build your order
Tape for this area
Pre-cut 20 strips with a dispenser box. 3 rolls for £14.97, delivered free — 6 for £22.99 delivered. Free UK delivery on 3 rolls or more, £4.95 on 1 or 2.
See all 26 colours and designs →
Not sure which to buy? Read the UK buyer’s guide · Mix colours and designs on the counter
