Back Pain Upper Causes

There is back pain upper at the moment that the pain manifests itself in the area between the lower ribs on the back and the neck vertebrae. As a rule, the back pain upper will occur between the shoulder blades. Pain complaints high in the back are much less common compared to low back pain. This does not mean, however, that a lot of people can suffer from this from time to time.

Back
Your back is a complex entity that is built up from vertebrae, intervertebral discs, ligaments, and muscles. When your back is in good health, there will be a right balance between stability and mobility. Between your spinal vertebrae are the so-called intervertebral discs that function as a kind of shock absorbers. Not only do they absorb the most shocks, they also ensure that your back is able to move with the rest of your body. A large number of back problems are the result of overloading the intervertebral discs.

Causes
Back pain upper usually results from the continuous use of your arms above your head. For example, people who place or paint ceilings have a greater chance of developing high back complaints. Pain high in your back can not only arise gradually but also occur acutely when you, for example, you misalign, you make a wrong movement or as a result of an accident.

With back pain upper, there is often a pinching of the nerves due to an incorrect position of the vertebrae, just as with pain in the lower back. As a result, the intervertebral discs will constantly be compressed. A tightening of the nerves high in your back can create an appearance in the direction of your chest, which sometimes causes undeserved heart problems.

Move one-sided
An incorrect (working) posture or the one-sided use of your arms can gradually cause back pain upper. By repeatedly making the same movement, there will be a lot of tension on your back so that nerves can become irritated and pain complaints can arise.

Sudden movement
Back pain upper can also be caused by making a sudden movement. With a muscle strain when you are talking or a shock reaction you can easily suffer from complaints in your upper back.

Problems elsewhere in your body
If you experience problems with one of the organs in your body, this can also lead to the development of back pain upper. Here you can think of stomach complaints that radiate to the upper part of your back.

Hernia of the thoracic spine
If the soft material bulges out inside an intervertebral disc, then there is a hernia. In the first place, a hernia of the thoracic vertebrae will cause pain in the center of the shoulder blades. In some cases, there will also be appearing along one or more ribs. A feeling reduction often also occurs on the left or right side of the chest. Generally, a hernia will mainly occur at the places in the spine that are often exposed to injury and wear.

An aortic aneurysm
At the moment that part of the wall of an artery becomes weaker, the artery can start to expand under the influence of blood pressure. This phenomenon is called an aneurysm. When you are dealing with an aneurysm in your chest, it can cause chest pain or top of your back. If the pain mainly manifests itself between your shoulder blades, then there may be a dissection or a tear in one. vascular wall, Furthermore, an aneurysm will be accompanied by symptoms such as:

• violently coughing,
• swallowing problems,
• saltiness,
• panting.

If you suffer from an aneurysm in the chest, medical intervention is always absolutely necessary.

Bekhterev's disease
Bechterew's disease, or ankylosing spondylitis, is counted among rheumatic diseases and will in particular cause inflammation of the joints of the spine. Characteristic of this disease are:

• pain,
• restricting the mobility of the spine,
• the stiffness of the spine.

In the case of Bechterew's disease, the pain complaints occur both in the lower back, on the chest and high in the back (between the shoulder blades).

Ectopic Pregnancy
A possibly less obvious cause for back pain upper is an ectopic pregnancy. This is the case at the moment when the fertilized egg has not nestled in the uterine lining but outside: usually in a fallopian tube. This fallopian tube will burst open at a certain moment and the fertilized egg will die off. Often this will be accompanied by severe pain in the abdomen, loss of blood and sometimes even pain complaints high in your back.

Hyperventilating
When you hyperventilate, this can also cause pain in your upper back. The pain will then mainly be observed between the shoulder blades. This pain, as well as the other physical complaints that you experience during hyperventilation, will usually be related to an incorrect way of breathing. With hyperventilation you breathe too quickly or too deeply, causing too much oxygen to enter your blood. The resulting unbalanced situation in your body can cause all kinds of physical complaints such as pain in the upper part of your back.

Stress and tension
Stress and tension can cause back pain upper. This stress can arise in all kinds of areas: at home, at work, within your relationship or family. As a result of this stress, your muscles will be extra tense with the result: stiffness and pain in your shoulders and upper back. If these muscle tensions remain on for a long time, you may even suffer from pain in your neck and (tension) headaches

Shoulder blades
Complaints high in your back will in many cases express themselves in pain between your shoulder blades. In addition, the pain can sometimes radiate to the arms or chest. Because such complaints are often associated with heart problems, such a form of back pain can sometimes cause a lot of commotion and unnecessary anxiety.

To Treat
The moment you are aware of the fact that the back pain upper is the result of a wrong movement, taking an analgesic medication may be (temporarily) a good solution. However, as soon as back pain upper persists for a longer period of time, a visit to your doctor or physiotherapist is absolutely recommended.

• For example, a physiotherapist could help you to improve your body posture and thus relieve the pain or even prevent it in the future.
• A chiropractor can, by means of certain printing techniques on your spinal column, ensure that disturbances and blockages are eliminated after which muscles and nerves can function in a normal way again.

In both therapists, it is usually necessary to undergo multiple treatment sessions in order to get the back sufficiently flexible and thus prevent recurrence.

However, if the back pain upper persists, a doctor will often decide to have a so-called MRI scan of the back. The images of such a scan will often provide much more clarity for a doctor. The detailed image that the doctor receives from his back is, therefore, an excellent basis for making a treatment plan.

Movement
In order to keep the muscles in your back sufficiently flexible and strong, you will have to move sufficiently in the long term. Sports that are extremely suitable for achieving this goal are:

• bicycles,
• swimming,
• hiking.