There are many types of back pain. Upper back and neck pain is just one of many. As many of us know, this can happen to anyone at anytime. Neck and upper back pain is just as painful and as troublesome as lower back pain.
Many times an injury or strain is the most common reason for back problems that start in the upper parts of our backs. Sometimes you can also get a pinched nerve that causes pain in the upper back and another problem occurs is headaches. Concentration, enthusiasm, and mood is affected by this type of pinched nerve.
Though not as common as lower back pain, upper back problems still affects a lot of people. Let's talk a minute on how the upper back is made up. The upper back is made up of the thoracic spine. There are 12 vertebrae in the thoracic spine. These vertebrae are connected with 9 of the 12 rib bones. The breast bone is perpendicular to the thoracic spine. Rib bones also connect to the breast bone. The thoracic cage consists of the breastbone, ribs and the thoracic spine. Thoracic means "chest". All of the upper organs are protected by the chest cage.
Although rare, upper back pain does happen. What you are going to learn are the causes, symptoms and treatment that will help you understand and relieve the pain.
Now the thoracic spine exists to help stabilize the body and protect the organs. It is stronger than the lumbar spine (lower back) and the cervical spine (neck). What helps the body move and flex are the cervical and lumbar spines, while the thoracic spine is there for stability and strength. This is a reason why most of the injuries are in the cervical and the lumbar spinal regions.
Two of the main causes for neck and upper back pain or thoracic spine pain are myofascial pain and joint dysfunctional pain Myofascial pain is a muscular irritation. This happens from muscle strains, strains from sports activities, over and underuse of a muscle, sudden movements and being thrown forward as in a car accident. This usually affects the large muscles that support the shoulder blades.
Joint Dysfunction is the malfunctioning of the pair of joints that connect each rib with the thoracic spine. The ribs are connected to the spine on either side by joints. Any kind of injury to one or even both joints can result in a loss of function and lots of pain.
Myofacial pain can be treated by deep tissue massage, chiropractic manipulation of the spine (chiropractic back pain case studies), physical therapy for the upper back pain and acupuncture or acupressure for the upper back pain. One should definitely exercise, stretching and strengthening the shoulder muscles. This helps in developing strength in the upper back.
Chiropractic manipulation (chiropractic back pain case studies cure) can treat dysfunction of the joints, exercise (aerobic), medication to help relieve the pain and steroid injections to the target sites of pain.
Medical professionals can help you assess and also treat the cause of upper back and neck pain as well as pain management. Other professionals such as physical therapist, orthopedic surgeons and chiropractic professional can also be of assistance.
