Upper back pain, also known as mid-back pain, is not as general as neck pain or low back pain. The thoracic spine-the upper or mid-back area-does not move as much as the cervical (neck) or lumbar (low back) spines, so there aren't as many injuries related with overuse.
Many times, patients with upper back pain in addition have neck pain. That's particularly true of patients whose upper back pain is created by poor posture. Think of sitting arched over as you work at your desk: your upper back is rounded and your neck is straining frontward at an unusual angle. Inadequate posture can lead to muscle damage or muscle tiredness, both causes of upper back pain.
This article series will cover other causes of upper back (mid-back) pain, and you'll understand about ordinary treatment choices to relieve your pain.
There are 12 vertebrae in the thoracic spine. They are labeled T1 through T12; the T stands for thoracic. You have more vertebrae in your thoracic spine than you do in any other spinal locality. (The cervical spine-the neck-has 7 vertebrae, and the lumbar spine-the low back-has 5 vertebrae. There's in addition the sacrum and coccyx, which are 5 fused vertebrae and your tailbone.) The thoracic spine extends from your shoulders to your waist.
Vertebrae are the building blocks of your spine, and they pile one on top of each other, getting progressively larger from the cervical spine to the lumbar spine. Vertebrae help your frame carry its weight proficiently, in addition to protecting the spinal cord and interior organs.
Your thoracic spine has a lot of soft tissues that support it. Muscles, ligaments, and tendons help your body move: twist, lift, throw, etc. Muscles are strands of tissues that power your progress. Ligaments are the strong, flexible bands of tissue that connect bones, and tendons attach muscles to bones. Muscles, ligaments, and tendons all work to control your movements so that you don't hyperextend (bend backwards too much), hyperflex (bend forwards too much), or over-twist your spine.
The upper back (thoracic spine) is much more steady than the neck (cervical spine) and low back (lumbar spine). It doesn't move as much as they do since one of its main jobs is to protect the internal organs in the chest. It does this in conjunction with the ribs, which are attached to the thoracic vertebrae.
for the reason that the thoracic spine doesn't move as much, it's less prone to the joint and disc problems that more commonly affect the neck and low back. That doesn't mean that you can't have a herniated disc generating your upper back pain, but it is much less familiar.
It's as well less familiar to have degenerative concerns in the thoracic spine. The neck and low back move more, so the joints and discs may wear out sooner from use, overuse, and misuse.
Please be careful when thinking that surgery is the only solution to your back pain. Get at minimum two opinions and one of them should be from a holistic healer. Many times treating the spine and muscles of your back with mild conditioning is all it takes to permanently heal your upper back pain.
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