Upper Back Pain Overview
Upper back pain, also called thoracic pain, refers to the stinginess felt between the neck and lower back. Some of the glaring causes of upper back pain include muscle weakness, incorrect body posture, twisting and turning, bending and extending, coughing or sneezing with force, carrying heavy weight over the shoulders, or sitting in the same pose for a long time.
Upper Back Pain Causes
The entire upper back area is stable and strong as compared to the lower back; therefore it is less likely to develop severe spinal disorders like herniated disc, spinal stenosis, degenerated disc or spinal disability. The most common cause of upper back pain includes muscular strains, soft tissues problem, low energy level, poor posture, injury, or a trauma.
Rhomboid muscle strain
Rhomboid muscles are present in the upper back and attach with vertebral spine and shoulder blades. These muscles facilitate the movement in the shoulders. Sometimes, muscle strain and spasm in that area causes upper back pain between the shoulder blades, causing discomfort among the patients.
Aging:
As a person ages, body tissues (Ligaments) become thicker, causing pressure on the spinal nerves and resulting in several spinal disorders. Aging process causes upper back pain by making the body numb and weak.
Daily Life Activities
The daily life practices are an obvious cause of a hurting upper back. If you’ve carried heavy weight on your back, worked on computer for hours, or engaged in any chore involving excessive physical work – you must know where the back ache came from.
Depression and upper back pain
Stress and anxiety are major contributors towards a painful upper back. When a person is stressed out or feeling gloomy, the muscles in upper back become stiff and rigid, causing discomfort in the back.
Injuries and fractures:
Injuries or fractures caused by trauma (car accident or sports injury etc) can also cause severe upper back pain. Similarly, people with osteoporosis are more sensitive to bone fractures and may face the same issue due to this disease.
Obesity
Over weight individuals usually feel soreness in their upper back section because so much body fat exerts pressure on not only the upper back, but also the lower back area.
Upper Back Pain Symptoms
Although feeling pain in the back is its own symptom. However, the following symptoms tell you to consult a pain physician immediately:
Hurting in shoulder blades and the trapezius (the big triangular-shaped muscles of the upper back)
You feel upper back pain that spreads out to the front of your chest, below your rib cage or abdomen.
You don’t know the reason why your upper back hurts
Bowel problem.
You have a family history of cardiovascular disease
Arm or leg weakness or numbness
You feel irritation during movement or with hard coughing and sneezing