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Upper Back Pain Symptoms & Treatments

Upper back pain is a common complaint, often caused by prolonged sitting or an overuse injury. Upper back pain can be felt anywhere between the scapula and base of the neck. If you experience pain on deep breathing, this can also be related to inflamed costovertebral joints.

Symptoms associated with upper back pain may include:

  • Headaches and neck pain
  • Poor movement of your rib cage when moving from side to side
  • Pain on deep breathing
  • Constant, non-limiting pain around the scapula
  • General stiffness in your thoracic movement

You may also notice your spine is rounded or flat and your shoulders are moving forward. This is termed ‘gothic shoulders’ and can be related to poor posture or postural stress.

Our Physiotherapists and Chiropractors are trained in the orthopaedic assessment of the spine. We assess your range of motion along with orthopaedic testing to determine a diagnosis. You may also be referred for further imaging by our allied health team, such as an MRI or X-ray to rule out any underlying pathology or injury.

If you would like to discuss your upper back pain but are unsure how to proceed, book a complimentary discovery session with one of our allied health practitioners today!

Lower Back Pain Causes & Treatments

Lower back pain is also a common complaint. Approximately 3.7 million Australians suffer or have suffered from back problems.

Lower back pain is often short lived, and settles itself without treatment. However, Chiropractors and Physiotherapists know that the chances of developing a chronic problem are high, especially if you have a long pain episode (longer than three weeks) or if you have had more than one pain episode in your lifetime.

The two most common causes of lower back pain are related to either the disc or the lumbar facet. The pelvic joints (SIJ, Sacrum, and pubic symphysis) can also be very similar to lumbar pain. Chiropractors and Physiotherapists are highly skilled in assessing, identifying, diagnosing, and treating, these types of complaints.

Approximately 31% of back pain presentations are related to the lumbar facet joints alone. These joints can become dysfunctional in their movement due to repetitive rotation and backwards bending. This loss of motion over time causes the joints to degenerate, and the discs to lose their viscosity and also degenerate.

Some discs will bulge or herniate and compress on the sciatic nerve causing pain down the leg. In severe cases there is also sensation loss and weakness in one leg, depending on which side the bulge has compressed.

Not all back pain presentations correlate with an MRI scan. We are learning that sending patients for scans early can worsen their prognosis. The current recommendation for new onset back pain is to undergo conservative care for four weeks before taking an MRI.

If you would like to discuss your upper back pain but are unsure how to proceed, book a complimentary discovery session with one of our allied health practitioners today!

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