Upper backpain is the pain which surfaces between your neck and the lower back. Upper backpain may not be as common as its counterpart, low back pain or lumbar back pain, but it can cause intense pain when it does surface. The commonest causes of upper backpain include injury to the muscles (myofascial pain) or ligaments attached to the vertebrae and joint dysfunction. It may also result from poor posture over a period of time, a sudden twisting motion, or simply overuse.

Symptoms

- Pain in the thoracic back (upper back)
- Muscle Spasms
- Pain while deep breathing
- Sore back and pain when you move

Muscular exasperation and pain in the upper back is due to one or both of the following:

- Lack of strength (de-conditioning)
- Repetitive motions (poor posture, overuse)

Treatment

Upper backpain is best treated with manual treatments:

Exercise and Physical Therapy
Upper backpain is connected to large muscles in the shoulder region, so stretching and strengthening exercises are of particular help.

Chiropractic Management
An osteopathic physician or a rehab physician or a chiropractor would also be appropriate to consult in case of upper back pain.

Message Therapy
Is the pain in your upper back dislocated or centralized/localized? If it is localized, it is advisable to seek message therapy or acupuncture. You may also go in for trigger point injections, which are administered directly on the trigger point. Trigger point is the source of the pain in your upper back, and can usually be found in a skeletal muscle.

Joint Dysfunction as Cause of Upper Backpain

Our ribcage has umm...ribs. These ribs link with the vertebrae in the thoracic spine with the help of two joints which further connect with each side of the spine. Dysfunction in these joints causes upper backpain.

The forms of treatment discussed above help in joint dysfunction as well, and help joint mobility and also ease the pain. Adopt a home exercising regimen which includes stretching of the spine and shoulders to ensure enduring relief from upper backpain. Aerobic conditioning is also particularly helpful in relieving upper back pain.