Upper Back Pain Causes and How To Get Upper Back Pain Relief
Thursday, September 8th, 2011Upper Back Pain Causes and How To Get Upper Back Pain Relief
Upper back pain causes can be trauma or sudden injury or impact. They can also happen from back strain or poor posture. Upper back pain can be caused by working at a computer most of the time. A lot of times, upper back pain occurs with shoulder pain and/or neck pain. Most upper back pain causes are from one or both of:
- Muscle irritation (myofascial pain)
- Joint dysfunction
Upper Back Pain Causes from Muscular Irritation
Upper back pain caused by muscular irritation affects the large upper back muscles, which are attached to the shoulder ‘girdle’ and scapula (shoulder blade). They can develop irritation (myofascial pain), which can be painful and difficult to treat. Like most back pain, upper back pain is due to a lack of conditioning (exercise, stretching, strengthening, strong stomach muscles which support your spine), or overusing the muscles, like repetitive motion (RMI-repetitive motion injury). If you strain a muscle, have an injury including sports, car accident or other trauma or sudden impact, or improper posture all cause or contribute to this.
Upper Back Pain Causes From Joint Dysfunction
Your ribs connect to the vertebrae in the ‘thoracic spine’ by two joints that connect on each side of the spine. Dysfunction of these joints can cause upper back pain. Treatment for this also usually includes manual manipulation as above to help loosen and mobilize the joint and reduce your discomfort. To get long-term relief, you usually have to have a home exercise program to stretch the spine and shoulders, as well as back strengthening exercises. Aerobic conditioning is also very helpful in maintaining long-term upper back pain relief. Back pain medicines can also help this, as above, because joint dysfunction can cause inflammation. Injections like an epidural steroid injection are usually not necessary for this unless they’re local trigger point injections. Some less common upper back pain causes are degenerative disc disease, herniated disc, spinal stenosis, etc.
How to Get Upper Back Pain Relief
Some of the best ways to get upper back pain relief are manual treatments like:
- Back stretching exercises, back strengthening exercises, active and passive physical therapy
- Chiropractic back pain treatment or osteopathic manipulation
- Massage therapy or
- Acupuncture for back pain
Since the upper back pain relates to large muscles in your shoulder area, most rehab programs include a lot of stretching and strengthening exercises. A conservative (non-surgical) back pain specialist like an osteopathic doctor/rehab/physical medicine physician or chiropractor would be good to see for upper back pain treatment. If you have a specific area that is tender, the source might be what’s called an “active trigger point”. Trigger points are usually in a skeletal muscle, and can be worked on by one or more of these treatments:
- Massage therapy
- Acupuncture
- Trigger point injections with a local anesthetic like Lidocaine
Back pain medication can also help, since muscle irritation usually includes some type of inflammation. Anti-inflammatory medicine like Ibuprofen can help reduce the inflammation. *ALWAYS consult with your physician to determine your back pain cause and treatment plan so you don’t cause more damage.
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