Upper Back Pain...

Upper Back Pain is often associated with a tightness of the lower neck or shoulder area. Stress is often the answer that Dr. Augustine gets when he asks what do you think is causing the problem.

If you are employed at a job that involves computer work or talking on the phone, you have an increased risk for upper back pain and shoulder pain. Some patients feel pain when taking a deep breath, during movement, or when the tender area is touched.

Poor posture, deconditioning, bending or twisting, sitting in a static position for a long time, hard coughing or sneezing, or carrying an overstuffed backpack can also lead to upper back pain.

If you have kids, make sure that the backpack is appropriate for their size. Don't buy one and think you are getting a bargain because it is bigger than all the rest. We encourage parents to bring in their kids with the backpack to make sure it is the correct size and fitted properly.

Another cause of upper back pain is called Forward Head Carriage. I'm sure you have seen people who walk around all hunched over. That obviously takes some time to develop. But it once started with Forward Head Carriage. Your head may feel heavy and difficult to hold up. The diagnosis is often made with postural analysis and an x-ray.

Scoliosis is a very common cause of upper back pain. If scoliosis can be diagnosed in the teen years, it can often be corrected. Once you pass 20 years old it becomes more difficult to correct. Even though correction is more difficult, you can still get some upper back pain relief by working on the muscles and balancing the spine. This is true even if you are older, so don't give up.

▪ Read more on Spinal Stenosis.