Upper Back Pain
Pain in the upper back (thoracic spine) can often be the due to postural strain, overuse and weakness of the muscles and ligaments of the neck, shoulders and lower back.
The upper back is composed of 12 thoracic vertebrae each with a pair of ribs the attach at the front at the sternum which forms a fairly rigid cage in which the heart and lungs are protected. Many muscles from the lower back, neck and shoulders attach to the upper back and can be a source of pain. However due to the relative inflexibility of the area, disc injuries are fairly uncommon.
Another source of pain in the upper back includes a ‘twisted rib’ which is most likely irritation of the joints that attach the ribs to the vertebrae. This can occur when there is a lot of muscle tightness and a person twists to sneeze or cough.
Chronic breathing problems like asthma can also lead to a lot of tightness and inflexibility through the muscles of upper back and neck. This is due to accessory respiration muscle being overused on a daily basis.
For more information, call our clinic for an appointment or fill out our contact form to receive an email response from one of our practitioners.
