Middle Back Pain
Increased work demands, an unhealthy lifestyle, and the neglect of spinal checkups are just some reasons why middle back pain increased in prevalence today. Americans spend a whopping $360 billion to get this condition treated.
Many individuals often neglect to treat their middle back pain and dismiss them as a natural part of their lifestyle. This is wrong since there are many ways to prevent this from happening. With middle back pain costing you so much in your everyday life, it’s best to get appropriate treatment before your condition worsens.
If you are experiencing middle back pain or worried about getting it, then you should read this guide.
What Causes Middle Back Pain?
Middle back pain is caused by a variety of things. If any of them apply to you, you may have a middle back pain situation brewing. However, take note that these causes can also interplay with each other. For instance, you might be experiencing osteoporosis due to old age, or you have poor posture because of obesity.
These factors can compound with each other, so regularly monitor your middle back if you have one or more of these symptoms.
Muscle Strain or Sprain
Overexerting yourself will likely tear your muscle tissues and ligaments. Lifting heavy items without proper form can lead to a strain or sprain in your back. You’ll also likely experience this if you suddenly perform an unnatural movement.
Injury
You may be surprised that your middle back is a sturdy structure. However, it’s still possible to inflict injury on this part of your body. For instance, you were involved in a severe accident such as falling down the stairs, hitting something forcefully, or a vehicular accident.
While mid-back pain can happen to anyone, older individuals are more likely to have it.
Aging
The aging process is one of the most prevalent factors in most middle back pain. Your bones will thin out over time and, as a result, will make you more vulnerable to this condition.
Obesity
A study found that there is a positive correlation between weight and the risk of back pain. This means the heavier you become, the higher the risk of middle back pain. As a result, obese individuals have a large risk of having middle back pain.
Poor Posture
Bad posture can inflict pressure on your spine, which can cause middle back pain. Poor posture can also come as a result of the lack of physical exercise, which is prevalent in many Americans as well. Americans, therefore, expose themselves to a higher risk of middle back pain because of their constant sitting at home and work.
Of course, other factors come into play, such as the existence of degenerative bone diseases like osteoarthritis and osteoporosis or kidney failures.
There are many reasons why you might be exposed to the danger of middle back pains, but these are the most prevailing reasons. It’s essential to consult a chiropractor or a doctor if you have any of these symptoms.
Symptoms of Middle Back Pain
How will you know if you have middle back pain already? This condition manifests in many ways. Most of the time, you will experience these symptoms simultaneously, which can severely affect your lifestyle in the long run.
Common symptoms include the aching of your muscles which can come across as a burning sensation. This may be a result of stiff and tight muscles. You will also likely experience a sharp or stabbing pain or even a dull ache around your middle back area.
While these are the most common symptoms for mid-back pain, some symptoms are so severe that you need to consult with a chiropractor. This includes feeling numb in your arms, chest, legs, and belly. You might also lose control of your bowels and bladder. Feeling weak in your arms and legs is also a symptom of middle back pain.
While you may brush off these symptoms most of the time, failing to address them will lead to more complications in the future, like a permanent loss of sensation in some parts of your body.
How To Relieve Middle Back Pain
Middle back pain can be relieved in several ways. You can try reducing the pain through self and home remedies or medical treatments and surgeries. Your treatment option depends on your capacity to pay and how severe your mid-back pain is.
You can try the following home remedies to relieve your back pain:
First, you can ice the area where you feel the pain and apply heat. This is one of the most common home remedies for body pain and can be used to middle back pain as well.
You can also choose to take an over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen to alleviate the pain you’re experiencing in your middle back. Try naproxen and acetaminophen as well, among other anti-inflammatory drugs, to ease the swelling and mid-back pain. You have to be judicious in your use of these drugs, though. Be sure to read the label and follow instructions carefully.
Exercising, meditation, and yoga are also excellent ways to treat middle back pain in your home. These activities increase your physical activities and strengthen your middle back muscles and improve your posture in the process. Of course, there are other ways to improve your posture while doing everyday tasks. Included in these activities are avoiding slouching when standing and sitting and taking standing breaks if you sit for a very long time. Many people fail to do these in their office routine, making them vulnerable to mid-back pain. Furthermore, you can adjust the height of your desks, monitors, and keyboards to avoid slouching when doing your desk job.
How Is Middle Back Pain Diagnosed?
If you think that you’ve got middle back pain, you should consult a doctor to diagnose your condition. A physical examination will be conducted by the doctor. They will look at your head, spine, abdomen, arms, and legs to see anything that induces middle back pain. If you’re consulting a doctor after an accident, then you will have a collar around your neck to ensure that your spine is stabilized.
They will then conduct additional examinations to make a diagnosis of your condition. These exams include a computerized tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-Ray, and ultrasound. You will also undergo a neurological examination to test if your brain and spine are functioning well. This test asks you to wiggle your toes and fingers, which can indicate the healthiness of your brain and spine.
All these diagnostic tests will give your doctor an idea of the state of your middle back and decide the best course of treatment for you.
Treatment For Middle Back Pain
Despite home treatments, middle back pain may still not be alleviated due to its severity. Due to this, we recommend that you get either of these medical treatments before it’s too late:
First, you can try the service of a physical therapist to treat your middle back pain. Physical therapy is one of the initial treatments that you can use to get rid of it. The therapy sessions vary on the severity of your condition but typically include postural training, ultrasound, tissue massage, and strengthening exercises. Consulting with a physical therapist can help you decide which of these methods work best for your condition.
There are also prescription-only medications that you can take to ease your middle back pain. For instance, you can use celecoxib, diclofenac, nabumetone, and meloxicam as medications. Remember that these are prescription drugs which means that you will need to consult a doctor first before getting one. These drugs also come with side effects, so be sure to use them to prevent gastrointestinal problems and kidney damage, among others.
You can also use muscle relaxants such as baclofen, tizanidine, and carisoprodol, if over-the-counter and prescription drugs still don’t work for you. Muscle relaxants are best used if you have muscle spasms or any acute injuries. They also have side effects such as drowsiness. You shouldn’t drive or do some heavy-duty activities after taking one.
Chiropractic care is also an option to treat your middle back pain. Chiropractors specialize in relieving pain in Spain and other parts of your body. You may believe that chiropractors are less than reliable compared to other doctors, but they undergo intensive training, certification, and licensing.
If these medications still don’t suffice, then thoracic spine surgery is the best route for you to take.
Preventing Middle Back Pain
Like many health professionals say, prevention is better than cure. This dogma is also true to your middle back pain. There are many ways to prevent mid-back pain. These methods prevent you from getting this condition and allow you to have a better overall lifestyle. One key thing about these methods is that you need to utilize them as much as possible. You have to regularly monitor your lifestyle to prevent middle back pain.
Firstly, you should constantly stretch and exercise to keep your spine and muscles moving. The lack of physical activity stiffens them up and reduces their flexibility. Through constant stretching and exercise, you lessen the risk of inflicting unwanted injuries to your middle back. Exercise includes yoga, jogging, and swimming. Be sure to do some kind of exercise every single day.
While it’s true that physical therapy is a treatment for middle back pain, you can also use this as a proactive treatment for it. You can do a lot of the home remedies we mentioned for preventive methods care as well. Physical therapies may include spinal manipulation, massages, and other exercises, which depend on the recommendation of your physical therapist.
Practicing good posture can also help prevent middle back pain. By balancing your weight and avoiding slumping and slouching, you reduce the risk of having mid-back pain. This method especially applies to individuals that work non-stop in front of the computer. Ensuring that your sleeping position isn’t awkward is an excellent way to prevent middle back pains.
Finally, you can apply stress-relieving techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and yoga to reduce the risk of middle back pain as well. Stressful lifestyles can contribute to the worsening of your back pain and may lead to severe complications.
How Can A Chiropractic Massage Combination Help?
Chiropractic care and massage work excellently to help reduce your body pains and help your body function better. However, a combination of these treatments will help you accelerate your healing process and significantly reduce your pain in the long run,
These two treatments share many similarities, and it’s not a surprise that they complement each other in treating your back pain. You will get better blood circulation, more flexibility, and less muscle tension if you get yourself a massage. On the other hand, chiropractic care improves your mobility in your joint areas, reduces muscle inflammation, and improves tendon and ligament strength.
Combining these two treatments provides better results in pain relief and pain prevention. This will help you do your everyday tasks without worrying about your idle back pain from coming back. You will also experience better circulation of bodily fluids in your body since both these treatments ease your muscles, joints, and tissues. Furthermore, since middle back pain can stem from injuries, chiropractic massage combinations can aid in faster recovery.
You need to schedule these treatments with a chiropractor every month or whatever your chiropractor recommends. Patients who employ chiropractic massage combinations report instant relief from their middle back pain, mobility improvements, and even a more robust immune system.
Mid Back Pain Related Articles and Research
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