Aching in the upper back. Pain in left upper back
Pain in the upper back can indicate both problems with the muscles or spine (cervical and thoracic regions), and diseases of the internal organs (heart, lungs, even stomach). These diseases should be distinguished, because in case of problems with internal organs, the patient usually requires urgent hospitalization with further examination and treatment. This article will help you figure out exactly why your upper back hurts.
Muscle strain
Description
Muscles are involved in all processes associated with movement. They are the ones that move the bones and the rest of the body. And sometimes the muscles get too tired after hard work involving the load on the shoulder girdle.
The result is pain in the upper back.
Ask your question to a neurologist for free
Irina Martynova. Graduated from Voronezh State Medical University named after. N.N. Burdenko. Clinical resident and neurologist of the BUZ VO \"Moscow Polyclinic\".
Nature of pain
Painful sensations from overwork cover the upper body: , neck, chest, . Under particularly intense stress, unpleasant sensations can be transferred to the spine. Pain – mild or moderate, aching. With severe stretching or microdamage, the pain can be burning.
Additional symptoms
General fatigue.
Who diagnoses and how?
Therapist, traumatologist, sports doctor, massage therapist.
Methods: patient interview, palpation.
Treatment
Rest, massage, warm or hot bath (to taste).
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic or cervical spine
Description
Osteochondrosis – degenerative disorders of the vertebrae– rarely occurs in the upper part of the spine; the main percentage of diseases occurs in the lower parts.
Nature of pain
The pain in the upper back is aching at rest and subacute when moving. Located near the vertebra that was affected.
Additional symptoms
Painful sensations may radiate.
Possible symptoms of cerebrovascular accident.
Who diagnoses and how?
Neurologist, surgeon. Methods: MRI.
Treatment
The pain is aching.
They are located in the middle of the thoracic spine and extend higher.
Additional symptoms
Limited movement of the chest.
Who diagnoses and how?
Rheumatologist. Methods: anamnesis, CT, MRI.
Treatment
Physical therapy, painkillers.
Angina pectoris
Description
Angina pectoris (also known as ischemic heart disease) caused by insufficient blood circulation in the heart muscle. The condition can occur due to viral diseases, but most often the cause is atherosclerosis. The narrow lumen of the artery leads to the fact that the heart does not receive the oxygen it needs in sufficient quantities.
An attack of angina usually occurs after physical or emotional stress and goes away with rest or taking nitroglycerin.
Nature of pain
The back hurts at the top, behind the sternum. The sensations are strong and burning. They can spread to the neck, radiate to the right side or arm.
Additional symptoms
Panic fear (cardiophobia), pale skin, profuse sweating.
Who diagnoses and how?
Cardiologist. Methods: ECG, Echo-CG.
Treatment
Lifestyle changes, symptomatic therapy (short-acting nitrates, beta-blockers).
Aortic wall rupture
Description
When plaque grows in the aorta (the largest artery) blood begins to flow inside the walls, aggravating the situation. When all 3 walls are torn, the patient experiences extensive blood loss, leading to rapid deterioration and death.
Nature of pain
A sharp, pressing pain quickly develops in the upper back on the right or in the center.
Additional symptoms
Weakness, symptoms of massive blood loss, feeling of pressure in the chest.
Who diagnoses and how?
Any doctor (rupture of the aortic wall is an emergency).
Methods: examination, ultrasound.
Treatment
Surgical intervention - suturing or prosthetics of the aorta.
Even with timely assistance, the mortality rate from aortic rupture is 40%. Therefore, if you experience sharp pain in the sternum or back, you should urgently call an ambulance.
Pericardial edema
Description
Pericarditis is a condition in which Fluid accumulates around the heart. It puts pressure on the heart itself and the organs surrounding it. The most common cause is infectious diseases. The disease can be complicated by two consequences: compression of organs and rupture of the pericardium (the membrane around the heart in which fluid accumulates).
Nature of pain
The back hurts from above, a little to the right of the spine. Painful sensations – weak aching, itching, pressing. Felt inside the body.
Intensifies with movement.
Additional symptoms
Who diagnoses and how?
Therapist, cardiologist. Methods: Ultrasound of the heart.
Treatment
Depends on the cause of the swelling.
Mainly diuretics and antibiotics.
Blood clot formation in the lungs
Description
Pulmonary embolism (PE) – a pathology in which a blood clot blocks an artery or its branches. If the branches are affected, the disease may be asymptomatic; with stenosis of the central artery, symptoms of oxygen deficiency develop.
Nature of pain
With arterial thrombosis, pain in the upper part of the spine is acute and develops quickly. The symptoms are similar to a ruptured aortic wall.
With thrombosis of small arteries, pain symptoms develop slowly, often noticeable only during exercise.
Additional symptoms
Hypoxia.
Who diagnoses and how?
Therapist, emergency doctor. Methods: medical history, tests (provided there is time), ultrasound, ECG, X-ray, angiography.
Treatment
Anticoagulants, reperfusion therapy.
If the condition is life-threatening, remove the blood clot.
Pneumonia
Description
Pneumonia is inflammation of the lung tissue. It can have both infectious and non-infectious causes, spread to part of the lung or the entire lung, to one lobe or both. Typically, pneumonia is caused either by direct entry of pathogenic organisms into the lung, or by inhalation of small foreign objects that provoke inflammation with the addition of pathogens to the process.
Nature of pain
Pain slowly develops in the upper back, which then spreads to the chest. Pain sensations are weak.
Sometimes during recovery, the lung, which previously hurt, begins to itch.
Additional symptoms
High temperature, symptoms of general intoxication, shallow breathing.
Who diagnoses and how?
Therapist. Methods: fluorography, sputum examination.
Brushing your teeth at home and at the dentist reduces your risk of developing pneumonia by half.
Panic attack
Description
During a panic attack a person feels inexplicably anxious about yourself and your environment. The causes of panic almost always lie in psychology, but the disease has many somatic (physical) manifestations. One of them is pain in the upper back.
Nature of pain
The pain is caused by muscle strain in the upper spine.
Tense, constricting, weak or medium strength.
Additional symptoms
Nausea, chills, rapid heartbeat, insomnia, numbness of the limbs.
Who diagnoses and how?
Psychiatrist, psychotherapist, psychologist. Methods: medical history, exclusion of other pathologies.
Treatment
Psychotherapy, antidepressants, sedatives. Pain in the upper spine is not specifically treated and goes away along with the underlying disease.
Narrowing, spasm of the esophagus
Description
Esophagus problems associated with stomach diseases.
The esophagus can narrow on its own due to gastritis, ulcers, or other causes in the same area.
Nature of pain
Pain begins in the central part of the spine and spreads upward. Strong, sharp, burning. Located behind the spine.
Additional symptoms
Stomach diseases, discomfort along the esophagus, heartburn.
Who diagnoses and how?
Gastroenterologist.
Methods: tests, x-ray, probe.
Burning pain in the upper back can reach to the neck.
Additional symptoms
Weakness, irritability, heartburn, belching.
Who diagnoses and how?
Gastroenterologist. Methods: medical history, tests, probe if necessary.
Treatment
Special diet.
Be sure to watch the video with a set of exercises that may help
When should you go to the doctor?
When the pain seems suspicious, is too strong or lasts more than a few days.
Remember that pain doesn’t just happen—behind the symptom is a disease that requires treatment.
First aid for pain
If the pain is not severe and not recurring, but right now you need to remove it, then they can help. But this is a last resort method. It is better to give your body a rest, since the most common cause is overwork. It helps quite well, but it should only be performed by a competent massage therapist, since unprofessional intervention can aggravate the course of an incipient pathology (for example).
Pain that is located in the upper back is a sign of a disease of the muscles, spine or internal organs. In none of these cases should you self-medicate, since the latter will either lead to nothing or will worsen the course of the disease.
The attending physician must diagnose the disease and prescribe treatment.
Pain in the upper back is a sign of diseases of the spine and organs located in the chest area. Often, discomfort of varying severity occurs against the background of acute kidney pathologies.
What to do if your upper back hurts? Which doctor should I contact? How to distinguish pain in the spine and muscles from the symptoms of a heart attack? What signs indicate lung damage? The answers are in the article.
Probable causes and symptoms for various pathologies
Many external and internal factors cause pain in the chest area, in the upper and middle spine. Observations of practicing doctors show that only in half of the cases are diseases of the supporting column confirmed. Often patients are unaware of pathologies of internal organs, the progression of which causes projection pain in the back and spine.
The main causes of discomfort due to pathologies of the supporting column and muscle tissue:
- or ;
- (less than 1% of cases: the thoracic region is inactive);
- displacement, rupture of ligaments, damage to discs after accidents, due to overload in the gym, when playing traumatic sports, falls;
- dysfunction and inflammation of the joints in the area where the ribs attach to the spine;
- and bones;
- osteoarthritis;
- discogenic pathologies of the supporting column;
Referred pain is disturbing against the background of pathologies of internal organs:
- dry pleurisy. The patient complains of acute discomfort on one side of the chest. Unpleasant sensations appear when inhaling and exhaling;
- oncopathology of the bronchi or lungs. The larger the affected area, the more active the pain syndrome. Brachial plexopathy appears as a result of a pathological process in the upper part of the lung; involvement of the intercostal nerve provokes girdle pain. Pleural growth causes pain on the problematic side. Often painful sensations spread to the area of the shoulder blades, shoulders, and arms;
- heart attack, myocardial infarction. The pain is throbbing, periodic, sharp. Other characteristic signs appear: blood pressure increases or decreases sharply, heart rate increases, dizziness, spots appear before the eyes, numbness, tingling in the left hand. Unlike pain due to intercostal neuralgia and lesions of the thoracic spine, a heart attack is relieved by Nitroglycerin tablets or other drugs with a similar effect. In case of vertebrogenic pathologies, cardiac medications do not reduce the severity of pain;
- pneumonia. In severe pneumonia, moderate to severe pain appears on the affected side and in the area of the shoulder blades. With deep inhalation/exhalation, the pain intensifies. Additional signs: wheezing in the lungs, hysterical, deep cough;
- acute cholecystitis. Damage to the gallbladder with an active inflammatory process in the wall of the organ provokes referred pain on the right side, in the shoulder, chest, shoulder girdle, scapula, and heart area. Additional signs: change in skin color (yellowness), nausea, fever, vomiting, palpation of the right hypochondrium provokes pain, the abdominal muscles are constrained by spasm;
- damage to the peripheral parts of the nervous system and spinal cord. Projection shooting pain occurs in areas for which the affected nerve or nerve root is responsible for the innervation; doctors often note the distal nature of the spread of unpleasant sensations;
- acute lesions of natural filters: renal artery thrombosis, renal colic. The pain is pulsating, pronounced, the general condition worsens, problems with urination appear, and urine analysis is changed. The listed pathologies provoke pain from the affected kidney, closer to the lumbar region; often the unpleasant sensations radiate to the middle back and higher.
Note! The risk of damage to the upper back and spine increases in the presence of provoking factors: excess weight, deformation of the support column, flat feet, physical inactivity (especially when working at a computer) or too intense training, heavy physical labor. The condition of bone structures and cartilage is negatively affected by poor nutrition, smoking, alcoholism, a “bouquet” of chronic diseases, impaired mineral metabolism, and genetic predisposition.
Diagnostics
Pain syndrome in the chest area has many provoking factors; it is difficult for a non-specialist to understand the causes of the problem. Often, patients independently make a diagnosis and engage in “treatment,” often not for the organ that provokes the appearance of referred pain. The result is advanced cases of disease, heart attack, increased pain in renal colic, progression of lung cancer pathologies, and spread of infection.
A visit to the doctor is required if the following signs appear:
- soreness in the back muscles:
- poor posture;
- sudden, periodic tension in the neck, back, arms, legs;
- disruption of the digestive tract;
- in the morning the patient feels stiffness in the upper back;
- turning and tilting the head, body, sneezing, taking a deep breath, coughing increases discomfort;
- a sharp decrease in body weight combined with general weakness, pain in the chest area (or without pronounced discomfort). It is important not to miss the first signs of oncological pathologies: advanced cases are often inoperable, the patient experiences excruciating pain;
- muscle tension, painful spasms when staying in one position for a long time, often after waking up;
- fever, fever;
- pain of varying strength in the arms, shoulders, chest;
- unpleasant sensations when raising your arms, using your shoulder blades, upper limbs, and hands when moving;
- tingling in the back and numbness between the shoulder blades periodically appear.
Who should I contact? The best option is to visit a therapist, get tested, and voice complaints. After identifying the clinical picture, the doctor will refer you to a specialized specialist for an in-depth examination.
Learn about the lumbar spine and treatment options for the injury.
A page is written about the characteristic symptoms and effective methods of treating inflammation of the sciatic nerve at home.
Read here about the causes of back pain in the lumbar region and the treatment of possible diseases.
Depending on the causes of the pathological process, treatment involves:
- gastroenterologist;
- therapist;
- surgeon;
- cardiologist;
- chiropractor;
- pulmonologist or phthisiatrician;
- infectious disease specialist;
- nephrologist;
- surgeon.
Effective treatments
If pain occurs in the chest and spine, qualified medical assistance is needed. The treatment regimen depends on the type of pathology, form and symptoms.
If the back and spine are affected, complex treatment is prescribed:
- drugs. , local and systemic remedies;
- therapeutic exercises;
- physiotherapy: radon and pulse currents, UHF heating, electrophoresis and;
- optimal arrangement of the workplace, purchasing a comfortable seat cushion or footrest;
- refusal to spend a long time at the computer in an incorrect position (hunched over, head tilted forward or slightly back if the screen is above eye level due to the monitor stand);
- selection of low pillows and;
- correction of the diet, refusal of all types of alcohol, pickles, marinades, smoked foods, foods with purines, fatty and peppery foods, excessive consumption of coffee;
- giving up bad habits: smoking destroys cartilage, disrupts the diffusion process, reduces the level of nutrition of elastic tissues against the background of poor supply and transfer of oxygen and nutrients through the blood;
- reducing the load on the support column and back muscles. Visit to an orthopedist to select corrective products. Wearing a support belt, an orthopedic corset, a back reclinator or a bandage for pregnant women, special insoles to eliminate flat feet and reduce the force of spinal curvature.
You should not use homemade ointments, warm compresses, tinctures and rubs before visiting a specialist: In some diseases, incorrect actions and the influence of heat can lead to dangerous consequences. It is important to remember: severe pain in the upper back often appears against the background of cardiac pathologies and severe damage to the respiratory system, including infectious diseases and cancer. Warming up accelerates the pathological process.
If you have pain in the back and spine (upper section), it is important to get examined to find out the cause of the negative sensations. Pain of a vertebrogenic and non-vertebrogenic nature indicates the development of a pathological process. You cannot self-medicate in order to exclude severe lesions due to improper therapy.
Video - a set of therapeutic exercises to relieve pain in the upper back:
Pain in the upper back is quite common in both older and younger people. This occurs in the form of colic, ordinary goosebumps, aches and other symptoms. Such sensations arise either as a result of pathologies, or the cause is associated diseases. We will go into more detail in the article.
Causes of pain in the upper back
Main reasons the occurrence of aches in the upper back are problems with the spine, namely its thoracic region. As soon as problems begin in this department, a person receives pain signals in the back, more so in its upper part.Major diseases of the thoracic spine:
- osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine;
- intervertebral hernia;
- spondylosis;
- spondyloarthrosis;
- displacement of intervertebral discs;
- osteoporosis;
- joint dysfunction.
For example, children from school age deprive themselves of beautiful posture, sitting incorrectly in class (crookedly). Women love to do housework in one position for a long time.
As a result, the patient receives osteochondrosis as a result of frequent aches and pains in the upper back.
Let's consider the main diseases that act as provocateurs of painful conditions:
Symptoms
The main symptoms of back pain are the following:- poor posture;
- weakness and poor health;
- back pain when coughing;
- pain in the muscles of the arms and legs;
- pain in the chest area;
- pain under the shoulder blades;
- increase in temperature;
- sudden weight loss;
- a sudden tone that occurs in the muscles of the body (see also -);
- body aches after sleep;
- restriction of movements of various parts of the body;
- restriction of movements when walking.
The presence of such indicators requires immediate contact with a specialist.
If you wake up in the morning and immediately notice a feeling of compression not only on your back, but also in the neck area, then this is most likely cervicobrachial syndrome. The phenomenon is characterized by the fact that the nerve roots are pinched by the intervertebral discs.
The patient complains of severe and acute pain in the neck-shoulder joint and compression and numbness of muscles and bones.
Cervicobrachial syndrome not only an independent disease, but also a symptom of degenerative changes in the spine. If the spine receives accidental injuries, the body's defenses are triggered so that the nerve roots begin to grow, touching the spine, and thereby causing its deformation.
Pain in the upper back and between the shoulder blades at the same time it can be an independent symptom of back pain. Moreover, most of the population is familiar with such sensations. But he doesn’t go to the doctors, chalking it up to a temporary illness that will soon go away.
These are the symptoms that indicate the patient is developing vertebrogenic thoracalgia. The disease appears as a consequence of osteochondrosis, scoliosis and other diseases of the spinal column, as well as with serious spinal injuries. The disease is diagnosed based on prolonged pain between the shoulder blades.
You will not be able to cope with such an illness on your own. Therefore, hurry to contact specialists.
Expectant mothers also sometimes experience back pain, in particular in the upper part. Most often this happens in the second half of pregnancy due to the fact that the woman moves little. Excess weight can also cause back pain.
The danger is that all the processes occurring in the pregnant woman’s body during this wonderful period can aggravate the situation. To adapt to the changes, the woman tries to bend her back more, to which the body reacts with the appearance of aches in the back.
When the genitourinary system of pregnant women becomes inflamed or there is a threat of miscarriage, pain also occurs in the spinal region. Therefore, you should not get used to this condition; at the first symptoms, it is better to consult a gynecologist.
We must not forget that expectant mothers may also develop a disease that will provoke back pain.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of back diseases is not always necessary. It happens that you just sat or stood wrong. Perhaps they caught a cold. But if the pain does not go away for several days, we go to specialists. You will have to seek the help of a traumatologist, surgeon, therapist, neurologist and cardiologist.Upper back diseases are diagnosed based on the pain you experience:
1. History taking. This is a specific survey on the basis of which the first assumptions about a possible disease are made:
- where exactly is the pain;
- since when did the pain begin;
- data on concomitant diseases;
- the presence of exacerbations and attacks;
- the patient's living conditions;
- bad habits, etc.
2. Physiological examination. Here the patient’s gait and body symmetry are taken into account:
- muscle tone is checked;
- tapping with a hammer for reaction and reflexes;
- tingling sensation.
If, when deciphering an x-ray, problems of a different nature are revealed, associated, for example, with blood vessels or nerve endings, then another examination may be prescribed.
Treatment
Back pain is classified as joint pain unless another concomitant disease is detected. Therefore, medications are used if the pain cannot be tolerated. For example, if the patient receives a serious injury with tissue ruptures. Narcotic analgesics are prescribed to relieve pain. In other cases, traditional and non-traditional methods of treatment are used.
Traditional methods of treating back pain:
- Physiotherapeutic procedures. Carried out first. The main goal is to strengthen the back muscles, normalize the spine, restore its functions and stabilize its functioning.
- Massage. The procedure is also aimed at strengthening muscles and restoring the spine. But it can only be done after physiotherapy. The main thing is that the patient stops experiencing sharp pain.
- Therapeutic exercise. Exercise therapy is prescribed to all patients with back problems. A set of exercises will help restore posture, muscles and the body as a whole. Exercise therapy begins with light loads and gradually increases as the patient recovers.
Exercises for the upper back (video)
In this short video you will clearly see how to properly start doing physical therapy. Sequence of exercises, starting with warm-up.
Non-traditional treatments back pain is becoming more and more every year. The latest effective methods are being introduced:
- Acupuncture came to us from the East. Reflex points are impacted using special needles. The pain disappears in a short time.
- Manual therapy. Unlike acupuncture, the specialist acts on reflex points with his hands. During the procedure, not only the spine and joints are restored, but also the intervertebral discs are put in place, nerves are released and pain is eliminated.
- Vacuum therapy. The technique is similar to what was done previously, when cups were placed on the back for a cold. Under the influence of the “cupping” method, a certain vacuum is created under the skin, allowing blood to be distributed evenly. As a result, metabolic processes are gradually restored in the “painful” areas. The pain goes away.
Prevention
There are some simple tips to avoid back pain:- First of all, learn to monitor your posture and teach this to your children.
- If you sit in a chair all day, get into the habit of getting up every hour and doing a stretch.
- Wear comfortable shoes and wear heels as little as possible.
- Do not lift objects that are too heavy or distribute the load on both hands.
- Watch your weight.
- It is better to sleep on an orthopedic mattress and low pillows.
- Try not to make sudden movements.
Video about back pain: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
An experienced specialist will tell you in a short video what types of back pain there are and how to recognize them. Possible types and causes of back pain, origin and symptoms.
Upper back pain is common, regardless of a person's age. Symptoms can be completely different. Pain syndrome does not always indicate problems with the spine. Often unpleasant sensations radiate to the upper back from the internal organs: heart, lungs, esophagus. If you have such a symptom, you should not delay visiting a doctor, as irresponsibility contributes to the development of complications.
If a person has such a symptom in the upper back, then the cause of its occurrence should be determined. To do this, it is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner. All causes of such pain can be divided into 2 groups: damage to the spine itself and damage to the internal organs of the thoracic region.
Table 1. Causes of pain in the upper back
| Group | Reasons |
| Spinal diseases |
Often these pathologies affect not only bone and cartilage, but also surrounding soft tissue, blood vessels, and nerve endings |
| Lesions of internal organs |
|
| Psychosomatics | Physical activity also provokes pain. Unpleasant sensations can occur even after squats. The upper back often hurts due to psychological problems in a person. As you know, the body reacts not only to a physical change in state, but also to nervous overstrain and an emotional outburst. No pills needed here. Unless a person is prescribed mild sedatives. Therapy requires consultation with a psychologist or psychotherapist |
Taking upper back pain seriously will help you avoid serious complications and disability.
Features of the manifestation of pathology
In addition to pain in the upper back, the patient also has other symptoms:
- Poor health, decreased ability to work.
- General weakness.
- In some cases, an increase in temperature appears.
- Muscle aches, cough.
- Rapid weight loss.
- Increased muscle tone.
- Limitation of range of motion.
If such symptoms are present, you should urgently consult a doctor and undergo diagnostics. It is impossible to clearly name the cause of the development of pain affecting the upper back based on its symptoms.
The mechanism of pain development is very simple. It occurs due to damage to nerve receptors in the shoulder girdle and in the area of the shoulder blades. Irradiation of unpleasant sensations is also possible. The pain can be constant or intermittent.
Diagnosis of pain
Naturally, if you have the above symptoms, you should definitely consult a doctor. He will conduct a physiological and neurological examination, palpate the affected area, determine the functionality of the reflexes and the sensitivity of the area of the back being tested. The doctor will also prescribe a set of studies, including:
- Laboratory tests of blood and urine.
- Collecting the patient's medical history. He should note at what time the pain most often begins, where it is localized, and what pathologies are present. Information about the patient’s working and living conditions is also important.
- Analysis of sputum and pleural fluid (taken with a special needle).
- X-ray of the lungs and thoracic spine. This research method is necessary for a preliminary diagnosis.
Photo of MRI procedure
- Ultrasound of the kidneys and spinal column.
- Gastroscopy (if the cause of back pain is a gastrointestinal disease).
- Electrocardiography.
- MRI or CT. These studies allow you to obtain the maximum amount of accurate information not only about the spine, but also about the surrounding tissues and organs.
Diagnosis must be differential, since the symptoms are not specific. Therapy is carried out under the supervision of a vertebrologist and neurologist. If the cause of pain in the upper back is a disease of an internal organ, then an appropriate specialist is involved in the treatment.
Treatment rules
Pain in the upper back requires increased attention not only from doctors, but also from the patient himself. You cannot turn a blind eye to it, so as not to develop complications. Treatment is carried out in several directions: eliminating the main cause of discomfort, combating symptoms, preventing the recurrence of pain.
Therapy tactics include the use of medications, physiotherapeutic procedures, massage techniques, and physical therapy. Proper nutrition is also important.
In case of severe injury or pain that cannot be tolerated, the person is prescribed analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs. To increase their effectiveness, the patient is prescribed physiotherapeutic procedures. They help strengthen the muscle corset, restore the functionality of the spinal column, and stabilize it.
Exercise therapy is useful. Exercises with pain should be careful. Movement should not cause discomfort. In the first days, the load should be minimal: first, a simple warm-up in a lying position, and then performing the exercises prescribed by the doctor.
In the video below we will show a set of exercises to strengthen the muscles of the upper back:
Massage is no less effective. It is performed not only when your shoulders hurt. Massage is allowed only after completing a physiotherapy course. If there is acute or severe pain, any manipulation is contraindicated.
Non-traditional methods of therapy are also used. They are useful when pain appears after sleep, moves to the upper abdomen, or during pregnancy. However, even these methods need to be agreed with your doctor:
- Manual therapy. The main goal of therapy is to influence biologically active points with your hands. The procedure allows you to restore and stabilize the spine, replace intervertebral discs, eliminate pain, and release pinched nerve endings.
- Acupuncture. It helps to get rid of upper back pain in a short period of time.
- Vacuum therapy. Here the main instrument of influence is banks. The vacuum they create allows the blood to be properly distributed in the tissues. Gradually, metabolic processes in the affected areas are restored, and the pain syndrome goes away.
Before using unconventional methods, you should consult your doctor. Perhaps in an individual case there are some contraindications to them.
You should not be sure that if your upper back no longer hurts, then the problem has gone away. To prevent relapse, the positive result of treatment must be consolidated.
Prevention of pathology
To avoid the appearance of pain in the middle or upper back, it is necessary to follow certain preventive measures:
- Learn to monitor your posture not only in childhood, but also in adulthood.
- If a person has a sedentary job, then every hour you should do a warm-up to restore normal blood circulation and metabolism.
- You shouldn't wear high heels all the time.
- If there is a need to carry a heavy load, then it should be evenly distributed on both hands.
- It is important to ensure that your body weight is within normal limits.
- To avoid aching pain after sleep, it is better to choose an orthopedic bed and mattress. These products allow a person to take a natural pose.
- It's better not to make sudden movements.
Back pain that affects the top may be a symptom of some pathology. However, to really find out the cause of this pathology, you need to be thoroughly examined.
Pain in the upper back is a common symptom of many diseases of the musculoskeletal system and internal organs.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine may be accompanied by aching pain, aggravated by prolonged sitting. This process itself is painless.
However, a decrease in the height of the intervertebral discs during their degenerative changes entails compression of the spinal nerves. It is noteworthy that osteochondrosis in the thoracic region, fixed by the ribs and sternum, is observed relatively rarely.
However, the frequency of this disease has recently increased due to the systematic violation of posture by schoolchildren, as well as mental workers, and computer users.
Osteochondrosis is quite often associated with another pathology - spinal curvature, scoliosis? increased kyphosis in the thoracic region.
Not only poor posture, but also other pathological conditions lead to curvature of the spine. These are congenital anomalies of the structure of the vertebrae, consequences of injuries to the back muscles, thoracic spine, ankylosing spondylitis (Bechterew's disease).
Tumor and tuberculosis injuries of the vertebrae are also accompanied by curvature of the spine. In some cases, pain in the upper back is caused by inflammation of the corresponding muscles due to hypothermia or colds.
A characteristic feature of diseases of the musculoskeletal system is their intensification under mechanical axial load.
Lung diseases
Pneumonia and its complication, pleurisy, is accompanied by pain radiating from the top down, aggravated by coughing and at the height of inspiration. The cough is accompanied by the release of purulent sputum.
The pain is accompanied by signs of intoxication - severe weakness, fever, nausea, vomiting. It can occur with bronchitis. Thick sputum released during coughing irritates the bronchial mucosa, pain from the bronchi radiates to the upper back.
Heart diseases
Myocardial infarction, localized in the posterior diaphragmatic regions, often has an atypical course. There may not be classic chest pain radiating to the left arm, shoulder, or scapula.
All the patient feels is an unpleasant sensation, which can be dull, aching, burning or stabbing in nature. Its intensity does not depend on breathing, movements, or physical activity.
Diseases of the abdominal organs
Cholecystopancreatitis, gastroduodenitis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum - often with all these diseases of the digestive system, the phrenic nerve is irritated.
Pain along the nerve branches may spread to the upper back. In this case, it is associated with food intake and is accompanied by other signs of indigestion - nausea, vomiting, heartburn, belching, and a feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
Diagnosis and treatment
It is impossible to make a diagnosis based on the nature of the sensation alone; one can only assume one reason or another. Instrumental studies are required to make an accurate diagnosis.
First of all, this is an x-ray of the spine. In addition to radiography, an ECG is recorded, an ultrasound of the abdominal organs, and fibrogastroduodenoscopy (FGDS) are performed.
Treatment of spinal diseases is carried out by a neurologist or orthopedic traumatologist. Anti-inflammatory and restorative drugs, physiotherapeutic procedures, massage, manual therapy are prescribed.
