Upper Back Pain: Symptoms and Treatment | Bupa UK

Often it's because of poor posture. But sometimes the cause isn't known – this is caused non-specific back pain. Upper back pain may be caused by an injury or ... Backtotop Menu Upperbackpain Expertreviewer,DrSundeeptBhalara,ConsultantRheumatologistandPhysician NextreviewdueDecember2023 It’spossibletogetupperbackpainormiddlebackpain,aswellasinyourlowerback.Thisiscalledthoracicbackpain.It’srarerthanlowerbackpain,butstillverycommon.Youmayhavepainbetweenyourshoulderbladesoranywherebetweenyourneckandyourwaist. Aboutyourback Itcanhelptoknowmoreabouthowyourbackisconstructed. Yourbackhasmanyconnectedparts,includingbones,joints,muscles,ligaments,nervesandtendons.Yourspinesupportsyourback.It’smadeupof24separatebonescalledvertebraethatarestackedontopofoneanother.Belowthesearethebonesofyoursacrumandcoccyx,whichareatthebottomofyourspine.Betweenthevertebraearediscsthatactasshockabsorbersandallowyourspinetobend.Yourspinalcordpassesthroughthevertebrae.Itcarriesnervesignalsbetweenyourbrainandtherestofyourbody.Thespinalcordendsinyourlowerbackasabundleofnerves.Thisiscalledthecaudaequina(Latinfor‘horse’stail’,whichitwasthoughttoresemble). Lookingforfastaccesstoqualitycare? Ifyou’resufferingfromamuscle,boneorjointinjury,aslongasyoursymptomsarecoveredunderyourpolicyyoucancallusforadviceandwecanoftenauthoriseaconsultationwithouttheneedforaGPreferral.FindoutaboutBupaDirectAccess> Togetaquoteortomakeanenquiry,calluson08082736216^ Lookingforfastaccesstoqualitycare? FindoutaboutBupaDirectAccess> None Causesofupperbackpain Therearelotsofpotentialcausesofupperbackpain.Sometimesyoucangetpainwithnoknowncause.Backpainthatdoesn’thaveaclearorknowncauseiscallednon-specificbackpain.Thisisoftenduetoirritationinthemusclesandsofttissuesinyourback. Upperbackpainisoftencausedbyhavingpoorpostureforalongtime.Goodposturemeansstandingtallandstraightwithyourshouldersbackanddown.Keepyourheadlevel–trynottotiltit.Yourears,shoulders,hipsandanklesshouldallbeinoneline. Othercausesofupperbackpaininclude: anaccidentorsuddeninjurysuchaswhiplashorasportsinjury strainingamuscleorligamentyourback lackofstrengthinthemusclesofyourback(forexample,fromnotdoingmuchexercise) sittingatacomputerforlongperiodsoftime carryingabackpack repetitivemovementscausingoveruseinjury Upperbackpaincanalsobecausedbysomemoreseriousconditions,suchas: osteoporosis osteoarthritis spinalstenosis–thetunnel-likepassagethatcarriesyourspinalcordthroughyourvertebrae(thespinalcanal)narrowsandpressesonthenerve slippeddisc –oneofthediscsthatarelocatedbetweenthebonesinyourspine(vertebrae)pushesoutofposition(althoughthisrarelycausesupperbacksymptoms)  ankylosingspondylitis Symptomsofupperbackpain Symptomscanvaryfrompersontopersonanddependonwhat’scausingthepain.Thepaincanbemildormoresevere.Youmighthavesharppaininoneparticularspotorageneralachinessthatcomesandgoes.Backpainthatdoesn’thaveaclearorknowncauseiscallednon-specificbackpain. Ifyourbackpainissignificantlyaffectingyourdailyactivitiesorstoppingyoufromgettingagoodnight’ssleep,seeyourphysiotherapistorGP. Diagnosisofupperbackpain Yourdoctorwillaskaboutyoursymptomsandexamineyou.Theymaythenbeabletodiagnoseandexplainthecauseofyourbackpainortheymayneedtoreferyouforsometests.Upperbackpainisoftencausedbymusclestrain,butsometimestheremightbeamoreseriouscause.Thereareparticularsymptomsyourdoctorwilllookforthatmayindicatethis.Theycalltheseredflagsandtheyinclude: arecentinjurytoyourbacksuchasacaraccidentorafall backpaincausedbyaminorinjuryorliftingsomethingheavy–particularlyifyouhaveosteoporosis ifyou’vehadcanceroryouhaveaweakenedimmunesystem othersymptomssuchasafever,unexplainedweightlossandchills arecentbacterialinfection ifyou’reyoungerthan20orolderthan50 Yourdoctorwillalsoaskyouaboutthepaintounderstandhowsevereitisandwhatcouldbecausingit.Itcanalsomeanaredflagif: symptomshaven’teaseddespitechangingpositionorresting you’vehadpainformorethantwoweeksdespitehavingtreatment youhavepainthatyoudon’tthinkhasbeencausedbyasprainorstraininyourupperback youareverystiffinthemorning youhavepainallthetimeandit’sgettingworse Yourdoctormayaskifyou’vehadanyweaknessinyourlegs,oranybladderandbowelproblemssuchasincontinence.Thismaypointtowardspressureonthenervesinyourspineorspinalcord,whichcouldbecausedbyaslippeddiscorinjury. Ifyouhaveanotherconditionaffectingyourlungs,oesophagus,stomach,pancreas,liverorgallbladder,youmighthavereferredpain.Thisiswhenaproblemelsewhereiscausingpaininyourupperback. Dependingonyoursymptoms,examinationandmedicalhistory,yourdoctormayreferyouforfurthertests.Thesemightincludebloodtests,X-raysandanMRIscan(atestthatusesmagnetsandradiowavestoproduceimagesoftheinsideofyourbody).YoumightalsohaveaDEXAscan,whichmeasureshowstrongyourbonesare. Treatmentofupperbackpain Ifyouhaveupperbackpain,it’slikelytogetbetterbyitselfwithouttreatment.Ifit’snotcausedbyanythingserious,itwillprobablygetbetterwithinafewweeks. Youcantrysomeself-caremeasuressuchasimprovingyourpostureorputtinganicepackorheatpackontheareathathurts.Makesureyouwrapthisinatowelanddon’tapplyitdirectlytoyourskin.Youcanalsotakeover-the-counterpainkillerssuchasibuprofenorparacetamolaspainreliefforupperbackpain.Askyourpharmacistforadvice. Ifthepainiscausedbyaparticularcondition,yourtreatmentwillvarydependingontheunderlyingproblemthat’scausingthepain. Treatmentsmayincludemedicines,physiotherapy,injectionsandmanualtherapies. Preventionofupperbackpain Thefollowingtipsmayhelptopreventyoufromdevelopingupperbackpain. Liftobjectssafelyandcorrectlybybendingatyourkneesandnotfromthewaist. Makesureyourbackisproperlysupportedwhensitting. Ifyouwakeupwithbackpain,amoresupportivemattressthatadjuststoyourbackandsupportsitsvariouscurvesandhollowsmayhelp. Takeregularbreaksfromsittingforlongperiodsoftimeandfromdoingrepetitivetasks. Practisegoodposture–seeoursectiononcausesofbackpain. Exerciseregularly–seeourFAQonsomespecificexercisesforupperbackstrength. Learnandpractisegoodtechniqueforanysportsyou’redoing. Stopdoinganyactivitythatyouknowiscausingyourbackpain. Stopsmoking–itcanspeedupthedegenerationofthediscsbetweenyourvertebraethatactasshockabsorbers. Ifyouareoverweight,losingweightmayhelptoreducetheriskofbackpain. Frequentlyaskedquestions Expandall Whatcausesupperbackpain? Whatcausesupperbackpain? Lotsofthingscancauseupperbackpain.Oftenit’sbecauseofpoorposture.Butsometimesthecauseisn’tknown–thisiscausednon-specificbackpain.Upperbackpainmaybecausedbyaninjuryorstrainingamuscleorligament.Someconditionscancauseupperbackpain,suchasosteoporosis,osteoarthritisandspinalstenosis. SeeourCausesofupperbackpainsectionformoreinformation. HowcanIstretchmyupperback? HowcanIstretchmyupperback? Herearesomegoodstretchesyoucandoforyourupperback,particularlyifyouspendalotofyourworkdaysittingatadesk. Sittingbackextensions Sitstraightwithyourfeettogether. Putthepalmsofyourhandsintothesmallofyourback. Leanbackoveryourhands,feelingyourlowerbackstretchout. Shoulderextension–one Standupandstretchyourarmsoutbehindyou. Claspyourhandstogetherandgentlyliftyourarms. Youshouldfeelthepressureinyourshoulderseaseoff. Shoulderextension–two Holdbotharmsaboveyourhead. Linkyourhandswithyourpalmsfacingupwards. Reachashighaspossible. Youshouldfeelyourshouldersstretching. WhatupperbackexercisescanIdo? WhatupperbackexercisescanIdo? Somegoodexercisesforyourupperbackincludethefollowing.Trydoing3–4setsof10repetitions,threetimesaweek.Thiswillhelpstrengthenyourbackandpreventpaincomingback. Backextensions Lieonthefloor(onayogamat,ifyouhaveone)facedownwithyourarmsstretchedoutinfrontofyou. Engageyourcore(tightenyourtummymuscles)andliftyourarmsandshouldersupoffthefloor. Atthesametimeliftyourlegs,keepingthemasstraightasyoucan. Holdforamomentandthenlowerbackdowntothefloor. Bent-overdumbbellrow Standwithyourfeethip-widthapartholdingadumbbellineachhand.Keepyourkneessoft. Bendforwardfromyourhipskeepingyourbackstraightandyourcorestrong. Atthesametimeextendyourarmsforwardsoyou’reholdingtheweightsoutinfrontofyou. Pullyourelbowsbackandup,keepingyourbackstraightandyourcorestrong. Youshouldfeelasqueezebetweenyourshoulderblades. Cobrastretch Lieonthefloorfacedownandplaceyourhandsontheflooreithersideandinlinewithyourchest.Useayogamat. Yourelbowsshouldbepointinguptowardstheceiling. Pushupsothatyourchestislifted. Keepyourneckstraightandinlinewithyourback. Itmighthelptolookforwardtoapointontheflooroutinfrontofyou. Youshouldfeelthestretchinyourback. Holdforafewsecondsandthenloweryourselfbackdowntothestartposition. BackpainquizHowmuchdoyouknowabouttakingcareofyourback?Takeourshortquiztotestyourknowledge. Takethequiz Didourinformationhelpyou? We’dlovetohearwhatyouthink.Ourshortsurveytakesjustafewminutestocompleteandhelpsustokeepimprovingourhealthinformation. Completethesurvey Aboutourhealthinformation AtBupaweproduceawealthoffreehealthinformationforyouandyourfamily.Thisisbecausewebelievethattrustworthyinformationisessentialinhelpingyoumakebetterdecisionsaboutyourhealthandwellbeing. OurinformationhasbeenawardedthePIFTICKfortrustworthyhealthinformation.ItalsofollowstheprinciplesoftheTheInformationStandard. Learnmoreaboutoureditorialteamandprinciples> Relatedinformation Osteoporosis Yourbonesbecomeweak,brittleandmorelikelytobreak,andyou'llusuallylosebonedensity. Readmore Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritisisthemostcommonformofarthritis,affectingovereightmillionpeopleintheUK.Itaffectsyourjoints,makingthemstiffandpainful. Readmore Ankylosingspondylitis Ankylosingspondylitisisatypeofarthritisthatmainlyaffectsthejointsinyourspine(backbone). Readmore Expandall Sources Sources Allaboutupperbackpain.Spine-health.spine-health.com,lastupdatedSeptember2017 Thoracicbackpain.Patient.patient.info,lasteditedSeptember2016 Spinebasics.OrthoInfo.orthoinfo.org,lastupdatedJune2020 Thecenterofgravityandstability.In:HamiltonN,WeimarW,LuttgensK(eds).Kinesiology:scientificbasisofhumanmotion(12thEd).McGraw-Hill.accessphysiotherapy.mhmedical.com Upperbackpainsymptoms.Spine-health.spine-health.com,lastupdatedSeptember2017 Gettinghelpforbackpain.CharteredSocietyofPhysiotherapy.csp.org.uk,lastreviewedJanuary2019 Diagnosingupperbackpain.Spine-health.spine-health.com,lastupdatedSeptember2017 Earlytreatmentsforupperbackpain.Spine-health.spine-health.com,lastupdatedSeptember2017 Treatmentforbackpain.CharteredSocietyofPhysiotherapy.csp.org.uk,lastreviewedJanuary2019 Preventingbackpainatworkandathome.OrthoInfo.orthoinfo.org,lastupdatedFebruary2017 Authorinformation Authorinformation ReviewedbyLizWoolf,FreelanceHealthEditor,December2020 Expertreviewer,DrSundeeptBhalara,ConsultantRheumatologistandPhysician NextreviewdueDecember2023 Legaldisclaimer ThisinformationwaspublishedbyBupa'sHealthContentTeamandisbasedonreputablesourcesofmedicalevidence.Ithasbeenreviewedbyappropriatemedicalorclinicalprofessionalsanddeemedaccurateonthedateofreview.Photosareonlyforillustrativepurposesanddonotreflecteverypresentationofacondition. Anyinformationaboutatreatmentorprocedureisgeneric,anddoesnotnecessarilydescribethattreatmentorprocedureasdeliveredbyBupaoritsassociatedproviders. Theinformationcontainedonthispageandinanythirdpartywebsitesreferredtoonthispageisnotintendednorimpliedtobeasubstituteforprofessionalmedicaladvicenorisitintendedtobeformedicaldiagnosisortreatment.ThirdpartywebsitesarenotownedorcontrolledbyBupaandanyindividualmaybeabletoaccessandpostmessagesonthem.Bupaisnotresponsibleforthecontentoravailabilityofthesethirdpartywebsites.Wedonotacceptadvertisingonthispage. Formoredetailsonhowweproduceourcontentanditssources,visittheAboutourhealthinformation section. ^Wemayrecordormonitorourcalls