Upper Back Pain
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While upper back pain is not as common as lower back pain, it can disrupt every aspect of your life.
Upper back pain, while not nearly as common as lower back pain, can be the result of muscle irritation or dysfunction in the joint. A disc in the upper back may have been injured, although such injuries are relatively rare.
The thoracic spine (upper or mid-back) is actually wonderfully designed to be strong, stable, and to protect your internal organs. Repetitive motions can cause overuse injuries in the upper back, and muscle strains, accidents or sports injuries can lead to upper back pain as well. X-rays, MRI scans and CT scans rarely reveal the cause of upper back pain, therefore it can be frustrating for both you and your doctor as you try to find the cause of your pain.
One relatively new phenomenon which can be a contributor to upper back pain is the poor posture by those who spend hours a day on computers—or looking at their smart phone. When your neck is bent into an unnatural position, pain is usually the result. Those whose job requires them to sit in front of a computer for hours at a time may also have neck and shoulder pain along with upper back pain.
Treatment for Upper Back Pain
If the use of NSAID OTC medications and icing the area has not resulted in significant lessening of your upper back pain, the Seattle Pain interventional pain management specialists will develop a comprehensive pain treatment program just for you. Our goal is always to avoid surgery whenever possible, helping you return to your day-to-day life, and improving your quality of life. The treatments the pain management specialists at Seattle Pain may recommend include the following:
- If there is a very tender spot, that spot could be an active trigger point which could respond well to trigger point injections with a local anesthetic
- Stronger pain medications
- Medial branch blocks—minimally invasive treatments typically used for neck and back pain related to arthritis
- Epidural steroid injections
- Facet injections to temporarily block upper back pain
- Selective nerve blocks
Are you suffering from upper back pain that is difficult to treat?
Contact Our Pain Management Specialists
When your upper back pain causes you to miss out on your life, Seattle Pain can relieve your pain and improve your quality of life. We believe in treating the whole patient – and not just the illness or injury. You do not have to live in pain.
