Mid and Upper Back Pain
The Thoracic spine (mid and upper Back) is composed primarily of twelve vertebral bones and twelve ribs. These vertebral bones are bigger and stronger than the bones of the neck, as they need to be able to support more of your weight. The purpose of these bones is to protect the spinal cord, bear the weight of the human frame, and help maintain the upright posture. The rib cage helps to provide more support to this area, as well as protect many of the internal organs in your chest and abdomen. The twelve vertebral bones are separated by vertebral discs which provide space between the vertebrae for the nerves to pass through, cushion the bones and allow for movement. Between every two vertebra, there is a disc and there is a nerve that exits on each side of the spine, called a spinal nerve. These spinal nerves feed into the upper back, shoulders, mid back, and some of the delicate organs in the chest and abdomen.
As long as the tissues of the thoracic spine are healthy and aligned, the mid back, upper back, chest, and abdomen can operate properly. With an injury, poor posture or repetitive movements, the vertebra, and soft tissue around them can move out of alignment. When this happens, the muscles and nerves become pinched, irritated or even injured. This can cause stiffness or discomfort in the mid to upper back, ribs, or shoulders. If the upper back and rib cage don’t move properly, it can cause issues with breathing, heartbeat, and even digestion. Rarely, will a disc in the thoracic spine disc herniate, but the ribs can move out of alignment. If this happens, you can get sharp pain when you breathe, cough or sneeze.
These types of back injuries typically respond well to chiropractic care. Our doctors have had great success helping many people who have problems like this. If you have problems with mid to upper back pain, or stiffness, please give us a call today for a free consultation.
