Upper back pain , also called middle back pain or chest back pain , is a perceived back pain in the region of the thoracic vertebrae, down the neck and upper lumbar spine. It has a number of potential causes, ranging from muscle tension to vertebral collapse or a rare serious illness. The upper spine is very strong and stable to support upper body weight, as well as for anchor ribs that provide a cavity to allow the heart and lungs to function and protect it.
In most cases, the pain is likely to limit itself; in which case no diagnostic tests are required, and a simple pain reliever is sufficient. More severe and prolonged cases may require more specific pain management strategies and sometimes investigations for underlying medical illness.
Video Middle back pain
Signs and symptoms
Thoracic bones begin at the base of the neck and extend to the center of the stem. Every pain in this area is considered a "middle back pain".
The exact symptoms associated with middle back pain will depend on the underlying cause. Most of the middle back pain is not serious in nature. However, he tends to have more serious pathology associated with it than pain in the neck or lower back. Symptoms may include pain, either locally near the spine or referred with the corresponding dermatoma nerve region. Symptoms can also include numbness or pins and needles when nerve irritation or compression is involved. Weakness in the legs or loss of bowel or bladder control in the presence of chest spine pain can show spinal cord compression and should be investigated.
Maps Middle back pain
Risk Factors
Thoracic spinal pain is significantly associated with: concurrent musculoskeletal pain; growth and physical; lifestyle and social; backpack; postural; psychological; and environmental factors. Specific risk factors identified in adolescents include age (the older) and poorer mental health.
Cause
The most common cause of upper back pain is unknown but theorizing comes from muscle irritation, intervertebral disc, spinal joint, rib or soft tissue (eg ligaments/fascia). Generally intra-capsic pain originates from the lower neck of the spine. Factors contributing to the injury include; lack of strength, bad posture, excessive injuries (such as repetitive motion), or trauma (such as a car accident or sports injury). Torakal pain can often be aggravated, side bending and with prolonged bending postures of the spine.
Vertebral compression fractures may also cause acute and/or chronic pain in the upper back. Trauma can cause fracture, but in women over 50 without significant trauma or someone with known osteoporosis, spontaneous vertebral compression fractures may occur.
Other less common causes of chest back pain include spinal herniation which often has radicular pain (wrapping around ribs associated with numbness and burning pain), spinal tumors and rib fractures may resemble radical thoracic pain/pain. Other possible sources of referral pain into the thoracic region include visceral organs such as: lung, gallbladder, stomach, liver duodenum, pleura and heart.
Middle back pain has long been considered a "red flag" to warn health care professionals against possible cancer (metastasis or spread to the spine). This is not a sensitive or specific phenomenon and therefore unreliable in isolation.
Mechanism
The word "thorax" means related to the chest, and the thoracic spine consists of the top of the spine corresponding to the chest region. The upper spine includes twelve vertebrae, and each of the nine vertebrae in this section is attached to the ribs on both sides of the spine. Each rib then curves around the side of the body and attaches to the breastbone in front. It forms a sturdy structure (throracic cage) that supports and protects internal organs - heart, lungs and liver.
Diagnosis
A detailed physiological examination that proves how much of the pain in the thoracic spine is caused by discs, facets, ribs or unfinished muscles so the answer to the question of what causes the pain is often missed.
If thoracic pain arises with weakness or numbness in the legs, bowel or bladder incontinence, and/or fall imaging of MRI is immediately indicated.
Management
Non-specific thoracic spinal pain is usually treated by one or a combination of the following:
- Exercise/Physical therapy is active and passive
- In-massage or massage therapy
- Ice and/or heat therapy
- Analgesics such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Joint manipulation, as is usually done by a physical therapist, chiropractor or osteopathic doctor (D.O.).
- If there is a special auction place, trigger point triggers or injections may be helpful.
A painful vertebral compression fracture can be treated with pain medication and rest, or with vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty surgery. If the cause is considered osteoporosis, oral or intravenous bisphosphonates may be given to reduce the risk of further fracture.
References
See also
- Chronic pain
- degenerative disc disease
- Lower back pain
- Muscle tension
- Osteoporosis
- disc herniation
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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