upper back pain

Understand Your Upper Back Pain

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Do you often experience pain in the back of your neck or the middle area of your spine? Maybe it’s because of the poor posture you hold during the long hours of working or the restless projects you’re working on. Disk problems, injuries, fractures, or arthritis can also cause sharp upper back pain, which lasts longer

You can treat mild to moderate levels of upper back pain at home but can’t take a risk with severe and sharp pain strokes. Before knowing the possible treatments; let’s understand the causes behind your upper back pain, the risk factors, the symptoms associated, and some smart home remedies to get some relief instantly. Let’s dive in…    

What’s Upper Back Pain?

Upper back pain is a sharp ache or discomfort in the thoracic spine area. It can be anywhere from the cervical area of the neck to the lumbar area of your lower back. Your upper back includes shoulder blades and the back of the rib cage. The thoracic spine has 2 small bones called vertebrae. Each of the vertebrae is connected to a pair of ribs that wraps around the lungs to a long flat bone called the sternum.

Upper back pain is considered less common as compared to lower back pain because of the less movement in the thoracic spine.

Upper back pain can either be dull or sharp, remaining for a few hours or a prolonged period. Sometimes, the upper back pain hits only when you’re involved in a physical activity such as lifting heavy bags, dumbbells, or working at your desk with a fixed posture. 

What Causes Upper Back Pain?

The pain in your upper back can be caused by many different reasons or medical conditions you’re dealing with. You may be aware of these medical conditions or just avoid the symptoms for a long time. 

Now, the increasing upper back makes you recognize these medical conditions and the necessity of required treatment. The common causes of upper back pain are as follows-

  • Stain & Sprain
  • Poor Posture
  • Stress
  • Disk Problems
  • Injuries or Fractures
  • Arthritis
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Mood Swings
  • Morning Sickness
  • Headache
  • Neck Pain
  • Shoulder Pain
  • Sleep Disturbance
  • Infection or Inflammation

Signs reflecting Upper Back Pain

Upper back pain is accompanied by many symptoms which depend upon the age, gender, workload, and lifestyle of people dealing with such a painful condition. Other common signs associated with upper back pain are as follows-

  • Burning or sharp pain strokes
  • Swelling in muscles
  • Tingling or numbness
  • Nausea or frequent urge to vomit
  • Chest Pain
  • Difficulty Breathing

In certain cases, upper back pain may be a symptom of any other severe medical condition such as heart attack or bone cancer. Therefore, in case of severe signs, visit or call your doctor immediately. 

What Are the Risk Factors of Upper Back Pain?

Living a sedentary life, especially after the age of 30 is the prime risk factor for adopting upper back pain. The other risk factors include:

  • Anxiety & stress
  • Weak abdominal muscles
  • Congenital or acquired back deformities
  • Family history
  • Obesity
  • Poor posture
  • Smoking

How Can You Treat Your Upper Back Pain?

Mild or moderate-level upper back pain can be treated at home whereas one should consult a physician or physiotherapist. You can treat mild upper back pain by following these practices-

  • Exercise or stretch for at least 20 minutes a day to make your spine more flexible.
  • Maintain a good posture while working at your desk and take some short breaks to violate the uniform posture. 
  • Do not avoid taking rest when you feel the requirement as it will help ease your back pain.
  • Go for a medical massage by consulting your physician.
  • You can take over-the-counter pills such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to ease the pain but do not take them in excess. 
  • Avoid twisting or lifting heavy objects with your back.
  • Avoid lifting heavy backpacks or purses.

When to Visit a Doctor?

If you think the symptoms are not improving even after taking strict measurements, consult your physician to understand the causes and go for the right medical treatment.

Bottom Line

With this article, we can conclude that upper back pain can be a cause of various medical conditions and lifestyle odds. In the most severe cases, we should not ignore the physician’s visit to understand the causes and go for valid treatments. 

Hence, be aware of the causes by observing the signs and treating your upper back pain with the right lifestyle routine. Till then, stay healthy and be wealthy.

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