Injuries

Upper back pain can be very easy to treat and is usually quicker to respond to treatment than the neck or the lower back.

Disc/ Joint

Pain may be centred over the injured disc in the upper back but may spread to one or both sides of the mid-back which may radiate into the front of the chest. Pins and needles/ numbness may be present around the chest wall There may be pain with a deep breath and some people describe " arrow" like pain through the chest.

Tips for upper back Disc and Joint Pain

• Posture is critical any forward bending position will more than likely increase your pain
• Move regularly
• Trial Back first aid - Your physiotherapist will be able to guide you on what direction you will most likely respond to

Postural

Usually occurs when the back is held in an abnormal posture for too long e.g. sitting for hours in an uncomfortable car/train/airplane seat or sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress.

The nerves in the back become stressed and start to send signals to the brain to move out of this position. Similar to if you were to bend you finger back and hold it there it may help a little painful at the start but if that is held there for 10mins then the pain intensifies.

• Pain in the central back
• Headaches
• "tension" in the upper shoulders
• Your may feel like you what to push on the tight muscles or "click" your back regularly to get temporary relief

Tips for Postural pain

The good thing about postural pain is that it is not driven by damage to a joint - more so from what you are doing - stop doing it and your pain will improve Don't slouch - sit up straight, maybe use a lumbar roll Take regular breaks from sitting called micropauses to do some simple stretching Strengthening of the muscles that support good posture will help Self trigger point realise Some relaxation and breathing training may be beneficial - contact us

Rib pain

Rib pain includes any type of pain or discomfort that occurs in the ribs. Ribs are long, slender bones that curve around the chest to create the rib cage. The top 10 ribs on both sides of the body attach to the thoracic (mid-back) spine and breastbone (sternum) by joints and ligaments. The bottom two ribs attach by ligaments to the spine, but not to the breastbone, and are sometimes called the "floating" ribs.

It is important to note that pain in around the chest may be some minor musculoskeletal issue or could be something more serious. Physiotherapist are excellent at picking up musculoskeletal pain and treating it, and also can advise you what to do if it is not coming from a joint, or soft tissues. Get it assess as soon as possible.

Rib pain can occur in any age group or population and may be described as a stabbing, tearing, tender, aching or gnawing pain
Pain with coughing
Pain with deep breath

Tips for Rib pain

Posture is important - don't slouch If you are going to cough - apply some pressure to the painful area to help stabilise the rib Your may benefit from some breathing retraining