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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Your back is comprised of over 30 muscles, many ligaments, joints, discs and 33 vertebrae.  So , you can see how easy it is to cause back pain.  I’ve talked about many back pain causes, but will give a brief overview of the most common back pain causes, then will review some other issues that back pain can cause.  Some of the most common back pain causes include:

• Muscular strain, lumbar muscle strain or muscle spasm caused by a sudden or awkward movement, fall or other impact, over-straining your back, lifting bulky or heavy items, awkward angles, pushing, pulling, lifting, twisting, or trauma.  This causes inflammation or injury including possible tearing.  Ligament sprains are common when the back is stretched beyond its capacity.  These commonly occur with muscle strains.

• Herniated discs are caused by compression of the spinal nerves.  They result from repetitive motion like machine operators or truck drivers, or unaccustomed heavy loading on the back.  Proper lifting is Very Important.  Sciatica is a common form of a herniated disc or “radicular” back pain, along the nerve(s).

• Osteoporosis is a common cause of back pain, particularly in women and when you’re older.  It affects the spinal joints. It’s referred to as a “degenerative joint disease”.  It can get worse the longer it goes when bearing weight or walking.  Surgery is sometimes needed for this.

• Spinal Stenosis is another back pain cause, also more common in people over 50.  It’s a narrowing of the spinal canal and includes thickening of ligaments, bone spurs, and enlarged joints (cartilate) from arthritis-type changes.  It also gets worse with longer periods of bearing weight or walking, and may need surgery.

• Fibromyalgia is another common cause of chronic back pain and chronic lower back pain.  It’s rheumatic which includes soft tissue pain, sleep interruptions, and widespread, evenly-distributed tenderness.

• Other common causes of back pain are: #1 Poor Posture, standing, sitting or hunching, bending too long, constipation, gas, stress, kidney stones or infections, dehydration, smoking or even eating the wrong foods (sugar, processed foods).  Eat more raw, organic types of foods.

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There’s a wide variety of lower back pain causes which I won’t go into in this post, because I’ve talked about it a lot.  I’m going to focus on some lower back pain treatment options so you get lower back pain relief.  There’s a wide range of options available to you, depending on your back pain causes and how long it lasts.  Most times you’ll find that your lower back pain will improve within a few weeks, and with some knowledge and self care, there’s a good chance that the pain will go away fairly quickly.

Some of the main things you need to keep in mind when considering a lower back pain treatment are:

1. If you’ve developed low back pain, stay active and consider taking some over the counter back pain medicines like Acetaminophen (i.e., Tylenol) or NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like Ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) and Naproxen (Naprosyn or Aleve).  Most of us stiffen up and keep our backs rigid in a position to avoid pain, but if you rest too much, it’s actually worse for you, can make your pain worse, and cause other problems like muscle weakness and stiff joints.
2. Research shows that those who understand their low back pain know better how to treat it, and are more satisfied with the results.  If you have questions, ask your doctor or physical therapist your back pain symptoms, how to manage your lower back pain, and things you can or should not do.
3. If your back pain’s lasted more than three months, you may need to look at more indepth treatment.   There are programs that combine back stretching exercises and back strengthening exercises with activities and learning more about it.  This can help you manage your lower back pain causes better, helps manage your pain and increase function.  This is the most effective way to get long lasting lower back pain relief.
4. As I’ve said before, surgery’s rarely need for lower back pain, including herniated discs or nerve damage.
5. Once you’ve had low back pain, it’s likely that it will come back.  To avoid more problems, you need to keep your back and stomach muscles strong, keep good posture, learn how to manage stress, and the safest ways to lift heavy, bulky or awkward items.

Back Pain Relief Products for Lower Back Pain Relief

As there are a lot of lower back pain causes and low back pain treatments, there are a lot of back pain relief products to choose from for lower back pain relief:

• Temporary back pain relief products like topical pain relief sprays, creams, etc., which can also be good for sciatica pain relief.
• Back braces for posture and core strengthening supports to help hold your stomach in and support your spine (i.e., posture corrective braces and orthopedic seat cushions)
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulators (TENS units)
• Body detoxification (body cleansing) that helps removes waste and toxins which cause back pain and pressure
• Back pain relief books, educational materials to help you learn what causes back pain and how to eliminate or reduce it
• Orthotics and orthopedics shoes and pads
• Back support bras and undergarments
• Back pain relief chairs, ergonomic chairs, massage chairs and back support chairs like the kneel-sit chairs, ergonomic kneel chairs
• Back inversion tables which help straighten and stretch your spine
• Back exercise equipment and home fitness exercise equipment that helps stabilize and strengthen your muscles and spine
• Back pain assistive devices like portable shower grips, car and travel devices, etc.
• Magnetic pain relief and magnetic therapy products
• Orthopedic back support products like lumbar support pillows, adjustable beds and memory foam mattresses
• Natural back pain relief products like nutritional supplements, vitamins and herbs
• Chiropractic and alternative back pain treatments

You need to know your lower back pain causes to find the best low back pain treatment
 or back pain relief products so you can get the lower back pain relief you need.  Back stretching exercises and back strengthening exercises are Very Important in helping you strengthen your back and stomach muscles to avoid future problems or additional problems.  If you’ve had chronic lower back pain for more than three months, you should see your doctor.

Other articles around the web related to low back pain treatment:

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