Understanding upper back pain between the shoulder blades in Havelock, NC

Pain in the lower back is a common issue that affects millions of Americans every year. The lower back bears a lot of your body’s weight, which puts pressure on the vertebrae and the spinal canal. However, pain can also affect your upper back. 

While pain in the upper back is less common than pain in the lower back, it can be just as serious. Pain in the upper back can limit your range of motion or cause numbness and tingling in your arms, chest and ribs. 

What causes upper back pain between the shoulder blades?

Pain in the upper back should be understood as pain between the shoulder blades. Anything above this is considered neck pain, and anything below the shoulder blades should be considered lower back pain. However, the symptoms for many of the injuries and conditions in the spine are similar regardless of which portion of the spine is affected.

Some of the conditions that frequently cause pain in the upper back include:

• Strain — Strains are the most common cause of pain in the upper back between the shoulder blades. A strain is the stretching or tearing of muscle tissue due to overexertion. It’s usually due to poor posture or from overexertion in activities that involve a lot of bending and twisting of the spine.
• Slipped disc — An injury to the spine or the degeneration of a disc can cause its fluid to burst out. This puts pressure on the nerves in the spinal canal, which can be painful and lead to other issues like tingling and numbness in the chest, arms and other parts of your body.
• Arthritis — Arthritis causes the degeneration of cartilage in your joints, which can affect the vertebrae in your spine. When this happens, it can be painful and challenging to bend and twist your back.
• Pinched nerve — A pinched nerve in the spine is a nerve that has been compressed by some form of pressure. It is painful and can limit the use of your back. This is usually from inflammation caused by prolonged pressure on the back.

Visit Peak Performance Sports and Physical Therapy in Havelock, NC, for back pain treatment

At Peak Performance Sports and Physical Therapy in Havelock, North Carolina, we specialize in helping people like you overcome pain and improve their quality of life. Do you have upper back pain that is keeping you from doing the things you love? We want to help you feel better. Contact us today to learn more about back pain treatment or to schedule an initial appointment.