As humans, most of us take movement for granted.
The vast majority of us have been moving almost thoughtlessly for as long as we can remember. For some of us, we may only have become cognizant of that after we broke a bone while at the playground. Suddenly, some of our movement was restricted or even impossible.
But, for the most part, we go through life moving.
We walk, sit, stand, perhaps run, bend over, reach for things, and so on. Until something goes wrong with a muscle, a tendon, or – often worse – a disc in our back.
Middle Back Pain and Its Crippling Impact on Your Body
For some, neck, shoulder, and upper back pain is common. Largely due to stress and, often, as a result of pinched nerves in the cervical region of the spine, this type of back pain can be more than annoying.
For many others, it is lower back pain that puts them on the “disabled list” in life. Periodic spasms across the lumbar region and even suffering from having “thrown out” their back leaves millions of Americans bedridden for days at a time.
But perhaps the most painful and, oftentimes, most debilitating type of back pain is the pain that occurs in the middle back, or thoracic region.
What is middle back pain?
An article at Healthline.com puts it quite plainly,
“Middle back pain occurs below the neck and above the bottom of the rib cage, in an area called the thoracic spine. There are 12 back bones — the T1 to T12 vertebrae — located in this area. Disks reside between them.
The spinal column protects the spinal cord. The spinal cord is a long bundle of nerves that allows the brain to communicate with the rest of the body.
There are a number of ways the bones, muscles, ligaments, and disks in the spine can irritate or injure the nerves, causing back pain.”
Common middle back pain symptoms include:
- Muscle aches
- Dull pain
- A burning sensation
- Sharp or stabbing pain
- Muscle tightness or stiffness
But it is the actual cause of your middle back pain that can be elusive and, as a result, quite difficult to resolve and to allow the pain to be relieved.
Middle Back Pain Causes and Issues
Aside from falls, fractures, and aging, there are a few common causes of middle back pain such as:
- Poor posture
- Obesity
- Muscle Strain or sprain
- Herniated discs (also called slipped discs or ruptured discs)
Benjamin Franklin has been credited for the sophism, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” And, while it may not be possible to prevent a slipped disc, for example, you can take steps to reduce your risk of suffering from a slipped disc, one of the most painful causes of middle back pain.
These steps include:
- Use safe lifting techniques such as bending and lifting from your knees, not your waist.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Do not remain seated for long periods; get up and stretch periodically.
- Do exercises to strengthen the muscles in your back, legs, and abdomen.
The first two causes can be addressed without medical treatment or therapy techniques. However, physiological causes can be treated with a variety of approaches, depending on the actual cause of your middle back pain.
For example, according to the website of University of Michigan Health,
“In most cases, people with mild to moderate back pain can manage their symptoms with:
- Over-the-counter pain medicines , such as acetaminophen (for example, Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (for example, Advil, Aleve, aspirin, and Motrin).
- Heat or ice.
- Exercise.
- Manual therapy, such as massage, mobilization, or spinal manipulation.
But if your pain gets worse and you’re having a hard time doing your daily activities, you may need to take a prescription pain medicine. Surgery is seldom used to treat upper and middle back pain.”
Fortunately, there are manual therapies such as Active Release Techniques®, or ART® , that can be combined with exercise, rest, ice and heat, to relieve the pain. If needed, they can also be used in addition to OTC medications.
ART® is a clinical manual therapy specifically designed to relieve musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction by treating muscles, tendons, ligaments, joint tissue, nerves and even spinal discs.
Finding Lasting Relief from Middle Back Pain with Pain and Performance Solutions
Are you experiencing middle back pain as a result of a slipped disc or other problem? Does it seem to linger, or has it become a recurring pain issue?
We invite you to call for an appointment. It’s during your initial consultation and assessment that we will learn all we can about your present pain and condition, along with any history of pain or discomfort, as well as your current level of activity.
Treating and relieving your middle back pain can begin once we understand where and how it started.
A full examination will help us determine which form of treatment is best suited to get you on your road to recovery. Your trust in us is key, as is your honesty. Ultimately, getting your body healthy and working properly is the only way to achieve total recovery.
Our goal is to work through the sequence of pain and dysfunction in order to get your body healthy and working properly and to achieve total recovery.
We know that, with time and patience on your part, it is possible to bring relief from pain. Our overall goal is to identify why and how this condition began and then correct it with as little discomfort as possible, so you can return to life without fear of it returning.
Contact us now at (707) 636-4404 or use our online booking form to set up a consultation and an office walkthrough. More than anything else, we are here for you and to help you achieve a happy and healthy life.