Causes of pain in the upper and middle spine
Pain in the upper or middle back can occur anywhere from the base of the neck to the lower part chest. Fig 1.
The rib cage consists of 24 ribs (12 on each side) that are attached to a long, flat bone in the center of the chest, the sternum. The “fastening material” for the ribs is strong and flexible cartilage tissue. The main job of the rib cage is to protect internal organs (such as the heart and lungs) from damage.
As you know, the ribs are attached to a single frame, on the one hand, to the sternum, and on the other, to the spine. If the nerve at the point of “attachment” of the ribs is compressed or finds itself in an area of inflammation, or is injured, then pain may appear along the entire length of this nerve. For example, in the arms, legs, chest or stomach.
The upper and middle back (called the thoracic spine) includes:
- 12 vertebrae (bones that represent the main “attachment mechanism” of the chest and make up the spine)
- Intervertebral discs (capsules from connective tissue, surrounding the soft gelatinous substance of the spinal cord, which provide flexibility to the spine and protect it from damage due to impact loads).
- The muscles and ligaments that hold the spine together.
General picture of the spine. Fig 2.
The spinal column (spine) is made up of 33 bony structures called vertebrae, which are separated from each other by soft, elastic discs of cartilage and supported complex system various ligaments and muscles. The spine is conventionally divided into five sections: cervical region, thoracic region (upper and middle back), lumbar (lower back) region, sacrum ( pelvic area) and coccyx (coccyx). IN medical practice the vertebrae in each segment are numbered from top to bottom. For example, C3 represents the third vertebra in the neck, while T6 is the sixth vertebra in the thoracic region. If you look at a healthy spine “in profile”, the vertebrae are located in it in the form of 3 slightly curved lines. This structural feature allows the spine to soften and compensate for vertical and lateral loads.
Pain in the upper and middle part of the spine does not occur as often as in the lower back or neck. This is explained by the fact that the mobility of the vertebrae in this part of the spine is relatively lower than the mobility in the cervical and lumbar regions. At the same time, these parts of the spine perform the most important function: they support the ribs, ensuring a stable position of the back and protecting vital internal organs, and therefore a lot depends on the condition of their sections.
What causes pain in the upper and middle spine?
The main causes of pain in the upper spine (as well as the middle back) include the following:
- Excessive muscle tension or damage, ligaments and discs that support your spine.
- Poor posture.
- Pressure on the spinal nerves associated, for example, with the formation of a herniated disc.
- Fracture or displacement one of the vertebrae.
- Arthrosis, caused by the breakdown of cartilage located between the vertebrae.
- Myofascial pain caused by inflammatory processes in connective tissue or muscles.
In rare cases, pain in the upper and middle spine can be caused by other problems. For example, gallbladder diseases, cancer processes or infections.
What are the symptoms?
Common symptoms of upper and middle back disorders:
- Pulling, aching or sharp pain in the upper back (cervical region) and middle back (thoracic region).
- Hypertonicity (tightness) in muscles or muscle groups.
More serious symptoms that indicate the need to see a specialist:
- Weakness in the arms or legs.
- Numbness or tingling in the arms, legs, chest, or abdomen.
- Impaired functioning of the intestines or bladder (constipation or, conversely, involuntary bowel movements or urination).
Diagnostic features
During the initial examination, the doctor will first inquire about your health, symptoms of the disease, and also ask a number of questions about your work and usual level of physical activity and stress. This is followed by a physical examination. If necessary, additional tests may be prescribed, both visual (X-ray or MRI) and laboratory (for example, blood tests). This is done in order to accurately determine the cause. pain and find its source - for example, damage to a vertebra or a herniated disc.
How to treat it?
In most cases, people with moderate back pain prefer to receive symptomatic treatment. For example, it is very common to take various over-the-counter drugs such as analgesics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Warm or cold compresses often help, as do massage, physiotherapy or appropriate exercise.
However, if the pain becomes severe and begins to interfere with normal daily activities, you should consult a doctor. Most often, stronger prescription drugs are prescribed after this. It must be said that for the upper and middle spine, surgical treatment methods are used quite rarely, so in cases where medications do not help, it would be advisable to contact an osteopathic specialist.
Self-help techniques
Short holiday. If your back begins to “remind you of its existence”, say, during sedentary work, develop the habit of taking short breaks. At the same time, do not allow sudden transitions from a sitting, static posture to physical activity - warm up carefully and slowly.
If necessary, use painkillers and NPS drugs to reduce pain and swelling.
Use a heating pad or ice. Heat can reduce muscle spasms, and a cold compress or ice pack can relieve pain and swelling.
Exercises. Use exercises that help stretch and strengthen the muscles of your back, shoulders and abdomen, and help improve your posture.
Practice good posture. Control yourself while you are standing or sitting. Try not to hunch or slouch.
Learn techniques to help relieve back muscle tension. Learn proper deep breathing techniques, muscle relaxation exercises and meditation.
Pain in the upper back, which is accompanied by damage to the chest, is observed quite often.
This symptom may be the result of diseases of the spine or internal organs located in this area. In any case, if such symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor. If this is not done in time, there is a risk of developing dangerous complications.
Main reasons
Pain in the upper back and chest is often the result of traumatic injury, incorrect posture or increased loads. Often, discomfort at the top of the spine occurs in those people who are used to spending a lot of time at the computer. In this case, pain often appears in the shoulder or neck.
Another common factor leading to these symptoms is muscle tension. The fact is that the shoulder girdle is attached to the shoulder blade and the posterior region of the chest by fairly large muscles. They are capable of straining and causing pain during exercise.
In addition, irritation of muscle tissue and pain from above can occur with injuries that are caused by insufficient strength or increased loads. The upper back often hurts after sports injuries, road accidents, or muscle strains.
However, the most common cause of pain in the upper back is thoracic and cervical osteochondrosis. In this case, discomfort in the spine is complemented by other manifestations. These include headaches, dizziness, neck pain, and blood pressure disorders. The person may also feel discomfort in the shoulder, arms, and fingers.
After performing a magnetic resonance imaging scan, the doctor can identify protrusions or hernias in the cervical spine. Manifestations of spondylosis and spondyloarthrosis may also be observed. Often a person experiences a narrowing of the spinal canal.
Because the thoracic spine has low mobility, it rarely develops hernias, stenosis, or instability. However, if the patient has kyphosis, scoliosis or Scheuermann's disease, the risk of a hernia or protrusion increases significantly. 
Diseases of internal organs
The upper back often hurts due to various pathologies of the internal organs. Also, discomfort often occurs due to damage to the cardiovascular system. These include the following:
To prevent and treat JOINT DISEASES, our regular reader uses the increasingly popular NON-SURGERY treatment method recommended by leading German and Israeli orthopedists. After carefully reviewing it, we decided to offer it to your attention.
- Angina or attack. In this case, the main symptom is chest pain. It manifests itself as severe squeezing or squeezing. Discomfort can also radiate to the arms, back, and shoulders.
- Rupture of the aortic wall. When this large vessel is damaged, sharp pains in the chest and upper back. As a rule, discomfort is of high intensity.
- Pericardial edema. With this disorder, pain appears in the center of the chest.
The upper back often hurts when various lesions lungs. These include the following:
- blood clot formation in the lungs;
- lung collapse;
- pneumonia - in this case there is a sharp pain syndrome in the chest, which increases with deep breaths or coughing;
- swelling of the mucous membrane located around the lungs - an acute pain syndrome appears, which increases significantly with coughing or strong breaths.
Other reasons that provoke discomfort in the upper back include the following:
- panic attack - this condition is characterized by increased breathing;
- inflammatory process in the area where the ribs connect with the bones of the chest;
- shingles, which provokes severe tingling and pain on a certain side - it can stretch from the chest towards the back.
Quite often, the upper back hurts due to various disorders of the digestive system. In this case, the problems lie in the following:
Treatment methods
To cope with pain in the upper back, you need, first of all, to adjust your body position while sitting. To do this, it is recommended to keep your head as straight as possible, pull your shoulders back, and press your back against the back of the chair. In this case, it is recommended to place your nails flat on the floor. You should also move as much as possible.
If these measures do not help, you should consult a doctor. After a thorough diagnosis, the specialist will select adequate therapy. It will be different depending on the causes of the disease.
If pain in the upper back is caused by muscle tension, the doctor will recommend the following treatment methods:
- performing therapeutic exercises;
- acupuncture;
- therapeutic massage;
- physiotherapy means.
Since pain is caused by the condition of muscle tissue, rehabilitation programs are aimed at performing exercises to strengthen it.
Painkillers will help eliminate discomfort. If muscle irritation is observed, an inflammatory process may develop. In such a situation, anti-inflammatory drugs are often prescribed.
If the cause of discomfort is osteochondrosis or intervertebral hernia, a person should also do therapeutic exercises and massage. In such a situation, non-violent traction of the spine is indicated. Thanks to this procedure, it is possible to restore the height and nutrition of the disc, eliminate the inflammatory process, and reduce the volume of the hernia.
In addition, anti-inflammatory and painkillers will help relieve discomfort during the development of this pathology. To eliminate muscle spasms, muscle relaxants are usually used.
In more rare cases, when severe pain occurs, the doctor may prescribe local injections of corticosteroid hormones. However, drug treatments usually do not bring the desired results, which is why it is so important to start complex therapy on time.
In some cases, there is even a need for surgical intervention. The operation is performed in case of severe pain and ineffectiveness of conservative treatment for six months. Progression of neurological disorders may also be an indication.
Pain in the upper back can indicate a variety of disorders. In most cases, this condition is a consequence of traumatic injuries or degenerative processes in the spine. Also, the reason may lie in various diseases of the internal organs. To cope with this problem, you need to consult a doctor in a timely manner. After a detailed diagnosis, the specialist will select adequate therapy.
Pain in the upper back is a common symptom of many diseases that are localized not only in the internal organs, but also in the musculoskeletal system. Often such pain is associated with damage to the chest or cervical region. Therefore, to determine the exact cause of pain, you need to contact a neurologist.
Today, pain in the upper part of the spinal column is not new in everyday life people because sedentary image life and permanent job working at the computer limits muscle mobility and at the same time redistributes the constant load specifically to the upper section. The most common prerequisites are pathologies of the cervical and thoracic spine, constant muscle tension.
In addition to the reasons described above, problems can arise due to the resulting osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic compartment, as well as complications that accompany this pathology: intervertebral hernia, destruction of the intervertebral disc, spondylosis or spondyloarthrosis.
It is worth noting that the thoracic region has certain features compared to the cervical and lumbar regions. They are specialized to provide mobility to the neck and pelvis. And the chest, in contrast, must be strong and stable to ensure the maintenance of posture and the preservation of internal organs, which are limited not only to the chest.
Causes of pain in the upper part of the spinal column
Pain in the upper back can occur due to injury or sudden damage, as well as due to scoliosis, which was not treated in a timely manner, since due to improper weight distribution, this pathology is prone to progression.
Changed lifestyle modern people deprived them of all activity, which in turn contributed to the appearance of frequent or periodic pain among the population. For people who spend most of their time in a sitting position, discomfort can be combined with similar sensations in the back or shoulder.
Muscle strain
The work of the shoulder girdle is supported by mass large muscles, which are mainly attached to the shoulder blade and the back of the chest. Due to excessive overload or heavy work physical exercise the muscles of the upper back can cause pain due to the formation of lactic acid in them.
Muscle irritation can occur due to an injury that occurs as a result of one-time excessive stress on the muscle.
Muscle strain, tendon damage or rupture, and injuries of various etiologies can contribute to the appearance of pain in the upper part of the spinal column.
These kinds of upper back pain and injuries are usually best treated with the following methods:
- physiotherapeutic procedures;
- therapeutic massage;
- performing acupuncture.
Often, when treating pathologies of the upper back, the entire treatment is aimed at restoring muscle mobility and strength. In case of severe, unremitting pain, it would be reasonable to prescribe an injection of a painkiller into the damaged area or take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Osteochondrosis localized in the thoracic and cervical spine
Pain in the upper spine can occur due to the formation of osteochondrosis in the cervical region. As a rule, if it is the upper back, then the disease may soon be reinforced by systematic dizziness, problems that include a constant increase in blood pressure, pain in the shoulders, and numbness in the fingers. My patients use a proven remedy, thanks to which they can get rid of pain in 2 weeks without much effort.
When performing magnetic resonance imaging for this pathology of the upper back, the image may reveal a protrusion or hernia of the cervical spinal column.
If the upper back hurts, then one can also assume the occurrence of diseases of the thoracic region, but due to the fact that this area is quite stable, various pathologies of the intervertebral areas occur in no more than 1% of all possible cases.
In a situation where the upper back hurts, the overwhelming majority of pathologies can be attributed to the cervical spine. The only exception to the rule is the development of advanced scoliosis or kyphosis in a patient, since these pathologies carry with them a lot of concomitant diseases in the anamnesis that can provoke or explain the reasons why the back hurts from above.
Treatment of such pathologies of the upper back can be carried out using all the methods described above; in addition, non-violent traction of the spine can be added, which further helps restore the trophism of the damaged section, the height of the intervertebral disc, eliminate pain and inflammatory reactions, and reduce intervertebral hernia.
Spinal joint dysfunction
The ribs, together with the spine, form a kind of frame that serves to protect the internal organs. The ribs in the thoracic region are connected to the spine through two joints that are located on either side. A disruption in the articulation of these bone formations can be the cause that provokes pain in the upper back. The prerequisites for the occurrence of these disorders may vary, but they often arise due to previous trauma.
Treatment of these pathologies consists of physiotherapeutic procedures and therapeutic exercises, which contribute to the development and elimination of pain. To achieve the desired effect after visiting a neurologist and traumatologist, you must strictly adhere to the prescribed treatment program.
Elimination of pain in the upper back with these disorders is often achieved through the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Video on the topic
Pain in the upper back can indicate both problems with the muscles or spine (cervical and thoracic regions), and diseases of the internal organs (heart, lungs, even stomach). These diseases should be distinguished, because in case of problems with internal organs, the patient usually requires urgent hospitalization with further examination and treatment. This article will help you figure out exactly why your upper back hurts.
Muscle strain
Description
Muscles are involved in all processes associated with movement. They are the ones that move the bones and the rest of the body. And sometimes the muscles get too tired after hard work involving the load on the shoulder girdle.
The result is pain in the upper back.
Ask your question to a neurologist for free
Irina Martynova. Graduated from Voronezh State Medical University named after. N.N. Burdenko. Clinical resident and neurologist of the BUZ VO \"Moscow Polyclinic\".
Nature of pain
Painful sensations from overwork cover the upper body: , neck, chest, . Under particularly intense stress, unpleasant sensations can be transferred to the spine. Pain – mild or moderate, aching. With severe stretching or microdamage, the pain can be burning.
Additional symptoms
General fatigue.
Who diagnoses and how?
Therapist, traumatologist, sports doctor, massage therapist.
Methods: patient interview, palpation.
Treatment
Rest, massage, warm or hot bath (to taste).
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic or cervical spine
Description
Osteochondrosis – degenerative disorders of the vertebrae– rarely occurs in the upper part of the spine; the main percentage of diseases occurs in the lower parts.
Nature of pain
The pain in the upper back is aching at rest and subacute when moving. Located near the vertebra that was affected.
Additional symptoms
Painful sensations may radiate.
Possible symptoms of cerebrovascular accident.
Who diagnoses and how?
Neurologist, surgeon. Methods: MRI.
Treatment
The pain is aching.
Located in the middle thoracic spine, extending higher.
Additional symptoms
Limited chest movement.
Who diagnoses and how?
Rheumatologist. Methods: anamnesis, CT, MRI.
Treatment
Physical therapy, painkillers.
Angina pectoris
Description
Angina pectoris (also known as ischemic heart disease) caused by insufficient blood circulation in the heart muscle. The condition can occur due to viral diseases, but most often the cause is atherosclerosis. The narrow lumen of the artery leads to the fact that the heart does not receive the oxygen it needs in sufficient quantities.
An attack of angina usually occurs after physical or emotional stress and goes away with rest or taking nitroglycerin.
Nature of pain
The back hurts at the top, behind the sternum. The sensations are strong and burning. They can spread to the neck, radiate to the right side or arm.
Additional symptoms
Panic fear (cardiophobia), pale skin, profuse sweat.
Who diagnoses and how?
Cardiologist. Methods: ECG, Echo-CG.
Treatment
Lifestyle changes, symptomatic therapy (short-acting nitrates, beta-blockers).
Aortic wall rupture
Description
When plaque grows in the aorta (the largest artery) blood begins to flow inside the walls, aggravating the situation. When all 3 walls are torn, the patient experiences extensive blood loss, leading to rapid deterioration and death.
Nature of pain
A sharp, pressing pain quickly develops in the upper back on the right or in the center.
Additional symptoms
Weakness, symptoms of massive blood loss, feeling of pressure in the chest.
Who diagnoses and how?
Any doctor (aortic wall rupture is an emergency).
Methods: examination, ultrasound.
Treatment
Surgical intervention - suturing or prosthetics of the aorta.
Even with timely assistance, the mortality rate from aortic rupture is 40%. Therefore, if you experience sharp pain in the sternum or back, you should urgently call an ambulance.
Pericardial edema
Description
Pericarditis is a condition in which Fluid accumulates around the heart. It puts pressure on the heart itself and the organs surrounding it. The most common cause is infectious diseases. The disease can be complicated by two consequences: compression of organs and rupture of the pericardium (the membrane around the heart in which fluid accumulates).
Nature of pain
The back hurts from above, a little to the right of the spine. Painful sensations – weak aching, itching, pressing. Felt inside the body.
Intensifies with movement.
Additional symptoms
Who diagnoses and how?
Therapist, cardiologist. Methods: Ultrasound of the heart.
Treatment
Depends on the cause of the swelling.
Mainly diuretics and antibiotics.
Blood clot formation in the lungs
Description
Pulmonary embolism (PE) – a pathology in which a blood clot blocks an artery or its branches. If the branches are affected, the disease may be asymptomatic; with stenosis of the central artery, symptoms of oxygen deficiency develop.
Nature of pain
With arterial thrombosis, pain in the upper part of the spine is acute and develops quickly. The symptoms are similar to a ruptured aortic wall.
With thrombosis of small arteries, pain symptoms develop slowly, often noticeable only during exercise.
Additional symptoms
Hypoxia.
Who diagnoses and how?
Therapist, emergency doctor. Methods: medical history, tests (provided there is time), ultrasound, ECG, X-ray, angiography.
Treatment
Anticoagulants, reperfusion therapy.
If the condition is life-threatening, remove the blood clot.
Pneumonia
Description
Pneumonia is inflammation of the lung tissue. It can have both infectious and non-infectious causes, spread to part of the lung or the entire lung, to one lobe or both. Typically, pneumonia is caused either by direct entry of pathogenic organisms into the lung, or by inhalation of small foreign objects that provoke inflammation with the addition of pathogens to the process.
Nature of pain
Pain slowly develops in the upper back, which then spreads to the chest. Pain sensations are weak.
Sometimes during recovery, the lung, which previously hurt, begins to itch.
Additional symptoms
High temperature, symptoms of general intoxication, shallow breathing.
Who diagnoses and how?
Therapist. Methods: fluorography, sputum examination.
Brushing your teeth at home and at the dentist reduces your risk of developing pneumonia by half.
Panic attack
Description
During a panic attack a person feels inexplicably anxious about yourself and your environment. The causes of panic almost always lie in psychology, but the disease has many somatic (bodily) manifestations. One of them is pain in the upper back.
Nature of pain
The pain is caused by muscle strain in the upper spine.
Tense, constricting, weak or medium strength.
Additional symptoms
Nausea, chills, rapid heartbeat, insomnia, numbness of the limbs.
Who diagnoses and how?
Psychiatrist, psychotherapist, psychologist. Methods: medical history, exclusion of other pathologies.
Treatment
Psychotherapy, antidepressants, sedatives. Pain in the upper spine is not specifically treated and goes away along with the underlying disease.
Narrowing, spasm of the esophagus
Description
Esophagus problems associated with stomach diseases.
The esophagus can narrow on its own due to gastritis, ulcers, or other causes in the same area.
Nature of pain
Pain begins in the central part of the spine and spreads upward. Strong, sharp, burning. Located behind the spine.
Additional symptoms
Stomach diseases, discomfort along the esophagus, heartburn.
Who diagnoses and how?
Gastroenterologist.
Methods: tests, x-ray, probe.
Burning pain in the upper back can extend to the neck.
Additional symptoms
Weakness, irritability, heartburn, belching.
Who diagnoses and how?
Gastroenterologist. Methods: medical history, tests, probe if necessary.
Treatment
Special diet.
Be sure to watch the video with a set of exercises that may help
When should you go to the doctor?
When the pain seems suspicious, is too strong or lasts more than a few days.
Remember that pain doesn’t just happen—behind the symptom is a disease that requires treatment.
First aid for pain
If the pain is not severe and not recurring, but right now you need to remove it, then they can help. But this is a last resort method. It is better to give your body a rest, since the most common cause is overwork. It helps quite well, but it should only be performed by a competent massage therapist, since unprofessional intervention can aggravate the course of an incipient pathology (for example).
Pain that is located in the upper back is a sign of a disease of the muscles, spine or internal organs. In none of these cases should you self-medicate, since the latter will either lead to nothing or will worsen the course of the disease.
The attending physician must diagnose the disease and prescribe treatment.
Upper back pain is common, regardless of a person's age. Symptoms can be completely different. Pain syndrome does not always indicate problems with the spine. Often unpleasant sensations radiate to the upper back from the internal organs: heart, lungs, esophagus. If you have such a symptom, you should not delay visiting a doctor, as irresponsibility contributes to the development of complications.
If a person has such a symptom in the upper back, then the cause of its occurrence should be determined. To do this, it is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner. All causes of such pain can be divided into 2 groups: damage to the spine itself and damage to the internal organs of the thoracic region.
Table 1. Causes of pain in the upper back
| Group | Reasons |
| Spinal diseases |
Often these pathologies affect not only bone and cartilage, but also surrounding soft tissue, blood vessels, and nerve endings |
| Lesions of internal organs |
|
| Psychosomatics | Physical activity also provokes pain. Unpleasant sensations can occur even after squats. The upper back often hurts due to psychological problems in humans. As you know, the body reacts not only to a physical change in state, but also to nervous overstrain and an emotional outburst. No pills needed here. Unless a person is prescribed mild sedatives. Therapy requires consultation with a psychologist or psychotherapist |
Taking upper back pain seriously can help you avoid serious complications and disability.
Features of the manifestation of pathology
In addition to pain in the upper back, the patient also has other symptoms:
- Poor health, decreased ability to work.
- General weakness.
- In some cases, an increase in temperature appears.
- Muscle aches, cough.
- Rapid weight loss.
- Increased muscle tone.
- Limitation of range of motion.
If such symptoms are present, you should urgently consult a doctor and undergo diagnostics. It is impossible to clearly name the cause of the development of pain affecting the upper back based on its symptoms.
The mechanism of pain development is very simple. It occurs due to damage to nerve receptors in the shoulder girdle and in the area of the shoulder blades. Irradiation of unpleasant sensations is also possible. The pain can be constant or intermittent.
Diagnosis of pain
Naturally, if you have the above symptoms, you should definitely consult a doctor. He will conduct a physiological and neurological examination, palpate the affected area, determine the functionality of the reflexes and the sensitivity of the area of the back being tested. The doctor will also prescribe a set of studies, including:
- Laboratory tests of blood and urine.
- Collecting the patient's medical history. He should note at what time the pain most often begins, where it is localized, and what pathologies are present. Information about the patient’s working and living conditions is also important.
- Analysis of sputum and pleural fluid (taken with a special needle).
- X-ray of the lungs and thoracic spine. This research method is necessary for a preliminary diagnosis.
Photo of MRI procedure
- Ultrasound of the kidneys and spinal column.
- Gastroscopy (if the cause of back pain is a gastrointestinal disease).
- Electrocardiography.
- MRI or CT. These studies allow you to obtain the maximum amount of accurate information not only about the spine, but also about the surrounding tissues and organs.
Diagnosis must be differential, since the symptoms are not specific. Therapy is carried out under the supervision of a vertebrologist and neurologist. If the cause of pain in the upper back is a disease of an internal organ, then an appropriate specialist is involved in the treatment.
Treatment rules
Pain in the upper back requires increased attention not only from doctors, but also from the patient himself. You cannot turn a blind eye to it, so as not to develop complications. Treatment is carried out in several directions: eliminating the main cause of discomfort, combating symptoms, preventing the recurrence of pain.
Therapy tactics include the use medications, physiotherapeutic procedures, massage techniques, physical therapy. Proper nutrition is also important.
In case of severe injury or pain that cannot be tolerated, the person is prescribed analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs. To increase their effectiveness, the patient is prescribed physiotherapeutic procedures. They help strengthen the muscle corset, restore the functionality of the spinal column, and stabilize it.
Exercise therapy is useful. Exercises with pain should be careful. Movement should not cause discomfort. In the first days, the load should be minimal: first, a simple warm-up in a lying position, and then performing the exercises prescribed by the doctor.
In the video below we will show a set of exercises to strengthen the muscles of the upper back:
Massage is no less effective. It is performed not only when your shoulders hurt. Massage is allowed only after completing a physiotherapy course. If there is acute or severe pain, any manipulation is contraindicated.
Non-traditional methods of therapy are also used. They are useful when pain appears after sleep, moves to the upper abdomen, or during pregnancy. However, even these methods need to be agreed with your doctor:
- Manual therapy. The main goal of therapy is to influence biologically active points with your hands. The procedure allows you to restore and stabilize the spine, replace intervertebral discs, eliminate pain, and release pinched nerve endings.
- Acupuncture. It helps to get rid of upper back pain in a short period of time.
- Vacuum therapy. Here the main instrument of influence is banks. The vacuum they create allows the blood to be properly distributed in the tissues. Gradually, metabolic processes in the affected areas are restored, and the pain syndrome goes away.
Before use unconventional methods you need to consult a doctor. Perhaps in an individual case there are some contraindications to them.
You should not be sure that if your upper back no longer hurts, then the problem has gone away. To prevent a relapse, positive result treatment needs to be consolidated.
Prevention of pathology
To avoid the appearance of pain in the middle or upper back, it is necessary to follow certain preventive measures:
- Learn to monitor your posture not only in childhood, but also in adulthood.
- If a person has a sedentary job, then every hour you should do a warm-up to restore normal blood circulation and metabolism.
- You shouldn't wear high heels all the time.
- If there is a need to carry a heavy load, then it should be evenly distributed on both hands.
- It is important to ensure that body weight is within normal limits.
- To avoid aching pain after sleep, it is better to choose an orthopedic bed and mattress. These products allow a person to take a natural pose.
- It's better not to make sudden movements.
Back pain that affects the top may be a symptom of some kind of pathology. However, to really find out the cause of this pathology, you need to be thoroughly examined.