How to Resolve Upper Back Pain

The upper-mid back, or thoracic spine is the most stable region of your spinal column, compared to your neck and lower back because each vertebra is stabilized by a set of rib attachments.  Thanks to this, there are far fewer cases of upper-mid back pain compared to neck and low back pain.

But upper-mid back pain does occur in some people.  The most common cause is poor posture and weak back muscles.

Poor posture fatigues the upper-mid back muscles and vertebral joints.  The forward flexed (slouch) position compresses the thoracic discs and over-stretches the facet joint capsules, which can cause pain.  In some people, thoracic hyperkyphosis (“hunch back,” “dowager’s hump”) set in.  Those with this condition usually have neck and/or low back pain as well because it alters alignment and balance in the spine, effectively weakening its ability to provide structural support to the body.

Herniated thoracic discs, while rare, are still possible.   This can be caused by impact trauma or lifting something heavy.  Undetected fractures and bone pathology can be a source of upper back pain.  Make sure to rule these out first with your doctor.

This video course demonstrates self-treatment techniques to alleviate or resolve common cases of upper to mid back pain.

 

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