Fact Checked
Middle back pain is pain and discomfort that can be felt in the middle back area, and also includes the area of the rib cage that is attached to the chest area of the spine also called thoracic spine. The pain can be acute or chronic which will depend on the cause and severity of underlying condition.
Symptoms
- A burning sensations
- Dull pain
- Muscle aches
- Stiffness or muscle tightness
- Sharp or stabbing pain
- Chest pain
- Weakness of the arms or legs
- Tingling or numbness sensations of the arms, legs or chest
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
Causes of middle back pain
- Repeated pressure placed on the spine such as poor posture. The ligaments and muscles in the back become stressed to keep the body balance such as slouching.
- Overweight
- Muscle strain or sprain such as regular lifting of heavy weights especially the muscles not properly conditioned.
- Sudden or awkward movement of the body
- Hard fall down the stairs
- Vehicular and sports accidents
- Blunt force trauma
- Herniated disk
- Osteoarthritis
- Fractures
- Aging
Treatment
- Keep moving by walking around the house and eventually walking around the neighborhood to prevent making the area stiff and delays the healing.
- Apply ice compress and heat on the affected area. Wrap ice pack in a towel before placing on the area for at least 10-15 minutes to lessen the pain the inflammation.
- Apply heat pack on the area to lessen the stiffness and spasm. Place a damp cloth between the skin and the heat pack to prevent further injury and worsen the condition.
- Take anti-inflammatory medications to lessen the pain and the swelling.
- Perform breathing exercises such as yoga to strengthen and stretch the muscles of the back
- Prescribed steroid injections to lessen the pain and the inflammation and for fast healing of the condition.
- Seek the help of the physical therapist for some strengthening and stretching exercises and restore range of movement of the back without causing pain. Exercises to improve posture, core strength and endurance and mobility of the spine.
- Massages the area by placing a couple of tennis balls inside the sock and use this to massage the affected area by apply a gentle pressure to lessen the pain.
Tips
- Avoid slouching and keep the shoulders back when standing.
- Take a break by standing for a while especially when sitting for a prolonged periods of time.
- For desk job, adjust the height of the computer, the keyboard and the positioning of the mouse and the chair to prevent a bad posture.
- Sleep on your side and place a pillow between the knees and sleep in a fetal position to prevent misalignment of the spine and result to pain in the back
FACT CHECK
https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/aba5320