There are many different causes of upper back pain, and while not as common as pain in the lower back, it can often times be a much more painful, often chronic condition. The good news is... There ARE medications and pain management treatments that can be very effective.
Some of the causes are myofascial pain (irritated muscles), dysfunction of or degenerative joints, and even an injury or herniation to one of the discs in the upper spine, called Thoracic Herniation. You may even have a genetic disease or disposition to having these problems. Other scary sounding problems could include osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, sciatic nerve impingement, compressed vertebrae and others.
In other words... before you start on any course of self treatment, check with your doctor to be certain your pain relief effort doesn't require surgery.
Causes...
Though more common in lower back pain, pain in the upper back can also result - over time - from poor posture.
If you are sitting at a desk all day, hunched over doing work, this puts a strain on your upper back. The upper back vertebra are not designed to be constantly bent over like this. It is a more rigid part of the spine, designed to support the weight of the person, and protect the internal organs. If it is not held in an upright position, the muscles surrounding the spine itself can become strained.
Upper back pain can be extremely discomforting. Usually, in addition to having upper (cervical) back discomfort, you may also experience shoulder and neck pain, as well as pain in the lower back and spine. To find upper back pain relief, you will want to really dig in and find ALL the causes. It could be a combination of several acting together - not just one.
Luckily, if you happen to have upper back pain, there are a number of ways to alleviate it. Surgery, medication, back strengthening and stretching exercises, massage and even acupuncture to name a few. Prevention...
But, when discussing your health, it prevention should be your first - top - line of defense.
Since it is so important that you prevent the problem in the first place, here are a few things you can do:
1. The first is get enough sleep at night, with a bed that is supportive of the spine. Sleep is important, not just to rest the back muscles, but to repair nerve and muscle damage.
2. If you are someone who does sit in front of a desk for long periods of time, or in front of the television, that's all right, but it is important that you get up at least once every half an hour.
Move around, stand up straight as much as possible, and walk around a little bit. This way your back and spine don't strain by sitting in one position for so long a period of time.
3. There are a number of back stretching and strengthening exercises you can find that can help... try taking a class in Yoga. Building up weakened muscle tissue in the back helps!
4. Changes in diet can also help to prevent upper back pain. Reducing the amount of caffeine in your diet, eating foods that have anti-inflammatory properties.
Sometimes, upper back pain is unavoidable. It may even happen from doing something you aren't even aware of, and all of a sudden you have these pains.
Frequently, when you get sudden pain from nothing more than twisting or turning at just the right angle, this is caused by a herniated or bulging disc. Since there is no pain unless it actually touches a nerve (we are talking millimeters), it is estimated that 60% of all of us have disc problems - but we aren't aware!
We are all going to have a certain amount of upper back pain occasionally, and here are just some of the many ways to get severe back pain relief.
Upper Back Pain Relief... Cures
One way to find upper back pain relief is to soak in a tub of water with Epsom salt. Adding a bag or two to water that is hot enough to just stand it can be a great relief, not just for you upper back, but other areas of the body as well. If you want, you can even add some essential oils for aromatherapy.
Upper back massage is another great way to relieve pain, and you can do this even if you are by yourself. Take a couple of tennis balls, lay them on the floor, and lay down on them.
Gently move your body back and forth, allowing the balls to massage the muscles. Every thirty seconds to a minute, change the positioning of the balls. If you find an area that is particularly painful, you don't have to stay there, move the balls in another location.
Getting upper back pain relief is something YOU can do... there is no need to suffer!
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