Causes And Treatment Of Upper Back Pain

Upper back pain, along with pain in neck and shoulder, has become an increasingly familiar problem in recent years, especially among people who do computer work all day long. But it has long been known, especially as a consequence of sudden trauma or injury. In most cases, upper back pain is the result of either muscular irritation (called myofascial pain) or dysfunction of joints.

Muscular Irritation

The large muscles that attach the shoulder girdle to the shoulder blade, and to the back of thoracic rib cage, can develop painful irritation that is felt as pain in the upper back. Two reasons are responsible for this irritation of the connecting muscles: lack of strength in the muscles and injuries due to repetitive motions (called overuse injuries). Muscular irritation can lead to strained muscles, sports injuries, or some other types of accidents and injuries.

Treatment

Upper back pain resulting from muscular irritation can be treated well by active and passive physical therapy or by exercise. Chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation of muscles is helpful. Massage therapy and acupuncture have also bee used with success in treating muscular irritation. Most of the treatment plans emphasize stretching and strengthening exercises. Sometimes, a specific area in the upper back becomes very tender due to pain caused by trigger points in a skeletal muscle. These points are then treated with massage, acupuncture, and special injections. Pain killers are also prescribed especially the anti-inflammatory medicines for relieving the inflammation associated with muscle irritation.

Dysfunction Of Joints

Joint dysfunction is also a frequent cause of upper back pain. Dysfunction of the two joints that connect the ribs with the vertebrae in the thoracic spine can cause pain in the upper back. To treat this type of pain, the therapist usually conducts manual manipulation for mobilizing the dysfunctional joints. An exercise program is also included in the treatment. To sustain the relief, aerobic conditioning (efficient pumping and oxidation of blood) is considered especially important. Anti inflammatory medicine e.g. ibuprofen is prescribed to provide comfort against the inflammation resulting from joint dysfunction.

Other Causes Of Upper Back Pain

In rare cases, pain in the upper back may be caused by thoracic disc diseases like herniated or degenerated discs. Further, the thoracic vertebrae may get fractured by impact or trauma to the spine. This can cause pain in the upper back. Disc herniations commonly occur in the lumber spine. This condition needs to be diagnosed by using x-rays and/MRI scan before starting treatment.

Upper Back Pain Surgery

The primary purpose of back pain surgery is to correct an anatomical lesion in individuals who fail to show improvement with conservative treatment. All in all this surgery is very successful, and usually relieves the problem completely. Modern spine surgery has made some major advancements over the past couple of years and so it is now better than ever before.

Upper back pain surgery is a great option if you feel helpless and have been dealing with your back pain for a long time. The upper back pain surgery will be performed by an orthopedic surgeon or neurosurgeon, and your family physician will be able to direct you to the right doctor based on your situation and needs. Be aware that there is going to be a recovery time from this surgery, so you are going to need to be able to take the time off work and hopefully get paid for it as well.

Once you have healed from your upper back pain surgery, it is important that you take the necessary steps in terms of keeping your back in good shape and not developing the back pain condition again in the future. Whenever you have to bend to pick something up, make sure that you bend with your knees and do not let your back do all the work. You should also be stretching and exercising on a regular basis, as this will help to keep the muscles in the back loose and limber, and less likely to strain.