Upper Back Pain and You

Does upper back pain bother you?  Upper back pain can be particularly bothersome and cause severe pain and discomfort if left untreated.  It can be caused from a number of things including trauma, posture distortions, sprain/strains, fractures, subluxations, dislocations, rib misalignments, underlying organic diseases, and much more. 

Thoracic curve

The upper back or the thoracic curve of your spine is kyphotic in nature.  Abnormal posture and prolonged sitting with rounded shoulders can increase this kyphotic curve putting a strain on the deep and superficial musculature and tendon sheaths.  These muscles become lengthened and begin to cause pain, specifically the Rhomboid and Trapezius muscle groups.  These taut bands of muscle tissue have a sort of tug of war match with the bones of our spine causing the bones to misalign causing subluxation. 

Subluxations

Subluxations cause the nerves to become impinged and this is what causes upper back pain.  The nerves that are impinged therefore don’t transmit proper nerve conduction to their corresponding organs and body functions.  This causes inadequate function and ultimately disease. 

Treatments

There are many ways of treating upper back pain that include chiropractic manipulation, massage therapy, stretching, physical therapy active and passive care modalities, and posture rehab.  Chiropractic manipulation will correct the spinal subluxations to allow the muscles to decrease their spasticity and minimize pain fiber transmission.  The patient needs to take an active role in their treatment by performing the recommended exercises to reap the benefits of pain relief and better health.