Thoracic Back Pain Treatment
Feeling pain between your upper and middle back can be challenging. It can make daily activities difficult and affect your quality of life. Muscle strain, poor posture, and spinal conditions can cause thoracic back pain. Fortunately, treatment can prevent this pain from worsening.
This article explores the causes of thoracic back pain and how Towne Lake physical therapy can help. Kindly read along!
What is Thoracic Back Pain?
The thoracic region is the middle section of the spine. It supports the chest and abdomen and allows easy movement. If you feel pain in your upper and middle back, between your neck and lumbar spine, it is thoracic back pain. This pain can radiate to other parts of your body and cause numbness, tingling, and difficulty breathing. You may also feel stiffness, sudden sharp pain, or lose control of your bladder or bowel.
Causes of Thoracic Back Pain
You may experience thoracic back pain due to one or more of the following;
Muscle Strain
When you stretch your back muscles too far, you may experience a strain, which can lead to pain, stiffness, and discomfort in the middle of your back. You are likely to have a muscle strain if you overuse your muscles, lift heavy objects, or move suddenly.
Poor Posture
Poor posture can cause muscle imbalances and strain, causing thoracic back pain. Sitting for extended periods while slouching or hunching over when standing causes poor posture, which can stress your thoracic spine and lead to pain.
Spinal Conditions
Problems with your spine can also affect your thoracic spine, leading to pain, numbness, and tingling. Common spinal disorders that can cause thoracic back pain include herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, and spinal stenosis. Arthritis, scoliosis, and ankylosing spondylitis are also spinal conditions that can affect your thoracic spine.
Injury
Back injury can cause trauma to your spine and its surrounding muscles and ligaments, leading to pain. You can injure your back during sports or if you fall or have an accident.
Other causes of thoracic back pain include lack of muscular strength, using a backpack, and repetitive movement. Fractures, osteoporosis, spinal infection, and spinal tumors may also cause thoracic back pain.
Thoracic Back Pain Treatment
Home remedies for thoracic back pain can work for mild pain. The following techniques can relieve your pain and help you return to your daily activities;
Rest
Resting your back and avoiding activities that worsen your back pain can reduce discomfort. This also prevents further strain on your back and promotes healing.
Pain Management
Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, can help manage pain and reduce inflammation. These medications can provide temporary relief. When using these medications, always follow your doctor's instructions.
Heat and Cold Therapy
Heat therapy improves blood flow and relaxes tense muscles, while cold therapy reduces swelling and inflammation while numbing the area. When applying heat or cold packs, do not apply them directly to your skin. Instead, wrap them in a towel and place them on the painful region for 15 minutes at a time, several times a day.
Lifestyle Modifications
Adjusting your daily habits can reduce strain on your thoracic spine and improve long-term pain relief. For instance, maintaining a good posture when sitting or standing can help manage pain. Also, using an ergonomic chair and lifting properly can reduce your risk of injury.
Stress Management
Managing stress can reduce muscle tightness and promote pain relief. To reduce tension, you can incorporate stress management techniques like mindfulness, yoga, or relaxation exercises into your daily activities.
When to Seek Professional Help
Sometimes, thoracic back pain symptoms may be mild and resolve with rest and over-the-counter pain medications. However, you should seek back pain treatment in Towne Lake if you experience any of the following;
- Intense or severe pain that worsens when you lie down or at night
- Persistent pain lasting longer than a week or a few weeks
- Numbness or tingling
- Difficulty breathing
- Radiating pain in your legs
- Accompanying symptoms like bowel or bladder problems, weight loss, or fever
How Can Physical Therapy Help with Thoracic Back Pain?
Physical therapy is a drug-free treatment for thoracic back pain. Your therapist will examine your symptoms and create a customized treatment plan, which may include one or more of the following techniques;
Therapeutic Exercises
Your exercise program may include stretches and strengthening exercises. Stretches can relieve muscle tension and improve your flexibility. Common stretches that ease thoracic back pain include the cat-cow pose, overhead arm stretch, and wall stretch.
Strengthening exercises can target your back muscles to support your thoracic spine and improve stability. Popular strengthening exercises include rows, scapular squeezes, and wall angels. Your therapist may also include exercises to correct your posture and prevent future pain.
Manual Therapy
Manual therapy is a hands-on treatment. Your therapist may use techniques like massages, joint mobilization, and manipulation to improve the alignment of your thoracic spine and relieve pain and discomfort.
Modalities
Physical therapy modalities like electrical stimulation, ultrasound therapy, and dry needling can also help relieve pain. Electrical stimulation uses light electrical pulses to stimulate the muscles in the thoracic region, helping to ease tension and relieve pain.
Ultrasound therapy, on the other hand, uses high-frequency sound waves to promote healing and ease pain. The sound waves generate heat energy to increase blood flow to the painful region and help your tissues heal.
Dry needling is minimally invasive and drug-free. Your physical therapist will insert thin, sterile needles into tense muscles to relieve tension and reduce pain.
Conclusion
Because your back is important to your daily activities, thoracic back pain can affect your daily life. If your pain is mild, incorporating at-home treatments can help ease it. However, in severe cases, it is best to visit FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers - Towne Lake.
Early intervention can prevent your condition from becoming worse. Your therapist will examine your symptoms and create a tailored treatment plan. They will also work with you to monitor your progress and adjust your treatment plan if necessary.