Upper back pain can be very painful. It is often associated with a specific injury, or sometimes may show up without a specific cause. Symptoms may include pain, stiffness, and tenderness. It can be accompanied with range of motion limitations, muscle spasms/trigger points, and can affect your sleep and your everyday activities.
Common causes and risk factors:
- Poor posture
- Tech neck
- Excess weight
- Excessive sitting
- Weak core, muscle deconditioning and lack of exercise
- Muscle overuse, strain, or myofascial pain (chronic muscular pain disorder)
- Improper lifting
- Wearing or using too heavy a backpack
- A car accident or collision
- Herniated discs, pinched nerves
- Compression fractures associated with osteoporosis
- Spinal arthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Structural deformity like scoliosis (sideways curvature of spine) or kyphosis (forward rounding of upper back)
Treatments and remedies:
- Stretches and exercises
- Ice and moist heat
- Medical treatment such as medications, physical therapy, chiropractic care, and injections
Preventing Upper Back Pain
- Take regular breaks when sitting
- Stretch and exercise regularly
- Work on maintaining good posture while sitting and standing
- Lose weight
- Stop smoking
- Avoid wearing heavy back packs or purses
Potential serious signs associated with upper back pain that require a consultation with your healthcare provider
- Pain, tingling, numbness or weakness of your arms and legs
- Unexplained weight loss
- Slowed reaction time, clumsiness of your arms and legs, or changes in your gait
- Shortness of breath or chest pain
- Fever
- Chronic, unrelenting, or severe pain that lingers four to six weeks
David BenEliyahu, DC, FICC
Administrative Director, Back & Neck Pain Center at Mather Hospital