Back Pain Causes: Causes of Lower Back Pain, Upper and Middle Back Pain Causes
Thursday, October 27th, 2011Back Pain Causes for Upper, Lower and Middle Back Pain
I’ve talked about all of these back pain causes in different posts, but am going to combine them in an overview here for easier reference. I’ll briefly review middle back pain causes, lower back pain causes, and upper back pain causes, as well as some basic tips, easy to do treatments and back pain exercises to help reduce your back pain. General back pain is caused by very common things like over-use, abuse, lifting heavy items, awkward angles, poor posture, poor shoes, poor sitting position, desk and computer height, or a fall or trauma. Sometimes it may only take resting it some, ice and/or heat, or mild pain pills to begin healing. But, it can also be chronic back pain (long-term), which can cause much more serious damage, requiring more serious treatment.
Upper Back Pain Causes, Middle Back Pain Causes and Lower Back Pain Causes
Upper Back Pain Causes can be back strain or poor posture sitting at a desk or in a car for long periods, or it could be caused by an injury or trauma. Many times, upper back pain is accompanied by neck and/or shoulder pain. Most cases are caused by one or both muscular irritation (shoulder muscles attached to shoulder blade and back of rib cage) or joint dysfunction. Upper back pain causes can be from a lack of back strength or de-conditioning, as well as over-use, muscle strain, injuries, accidents, etc. The majority of upper back pain can be treated by passive or active exercise, massage therapy, acupuncture, or chiropractic/osteopathic manipulation. Many physical rehabilitation programs include a lot of stretching and back strengthening exercises. If there is a certain area that’s tender, the upper back pain cause may be a ‘trigger point’, which are usually in a skeletal muscle, and can be worked on by massage therapy, acupuncture or trigger point injections. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain medications (NSAIDs) can also be helpful. Muscular irritation is usually a sign of inflammation, so anti-inflammatories like Ibuprophen or COX-2 inhibitors can help reduce inflammation.
Joint dysfunction in the joints that connect the ribs to the vertebrae (thoracic) on either side of the spine can also cause upper back pain. Treatment for this usually includes manual manipulation by a physical therapist, chiropractor, or osteopathic physician to help mobilize and reduce pain. Long-term relief usually requires a home exercise treatment program to stretch and strengthen your back muscles which are supported by your stomach muscles. Aerobic conditioning is important to maintain upper back pain relief. Anti-inflammatories also help this.
Middle Back Pain Causes are usually injury or trauma, but your middle back also compensates for lower back pain, neck pain or pelvic pain. It may feel like a ‘stabbing’ pain, and can radiate to the ribs. Your blood sugar control system can actually cause middle back pain. You might reduce sugar / carbohydrates, as they can ‘overload’ the system, and actually irritate it or cause it to go out of place. There are twelve (12) different pairs of spinal nerves at the middle back, and some even go to the shoulders and arm. Middle back pain usually responds well to chiropractic treatment. The sooner you get treatment, the better, as it can cause joint, spinal, disc or nerve degeneration, as any chronic back pain can.
You might try nutritional supplements for any back condition, as nutrition is KEY in healing, repair and pain reduction. However, talk to your doctor.
Lower Back Pain Causes may include a pinched nerve, possible bulging or disc herniation. It could be Sciatica (nerves) or Spinal Stenosis. Joint disease could be involved. Musculoskeletal pain syndromes like Fibromyalgia or Myofascial Pain Syndrome could be involved. Other skeletal lower back pain causes could be Sacroiliitis, Osteomyelitis, or even tumors.
Back pain is a Symptom, many times originating from other organs (referred back pain). Things like appendicitis, pelvic or bladder infection, ovarian disorders, kidney disease and aneurysms can cause referred back pain. Always go to your doctor to be evaluated, tested and diagnosed.
Other articles around the web related to back pain causes:
Causes of Upper Back Pain
Upper back pain can occur as a result of trauma or sudden injury, or it can occur through strain or poor posture over time…
http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/upper-back-pain/causes-upper-back-pain
Causes of Back Pain
It is important to understand that back pain is a symptom of a medical condition, not a diagnosis itself…
http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/guide/causes-of-back-pain
Back Pain: Causes of Back Pain
Your backbone (vertebral column) is actually a stack of more than 30 bones called vertebrae. Together they create a bony canal that surrounds…
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-pain/DS00536
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