What Causes Pain In Your Upper Back And Chest

How Can I Take Care Of Myself And Prevent Angina

Follow the treatment prescribed by your doctor. In addition, follow these guidelines:

• Control your physical activity: Learn what types of activity cause you to have angina and avoid these activities. Avoid sudden hard physical activity. Learn to pace yourself physically.
• Moderate exercise is beneficial to many people living with angina. Consult your doctor about beginning an exercise program.
• Avoid situations that are stressful. Learn the types of situations that upset you. Many people can learn to control their emotions better once they are aware of situations that trigger emotional upset. In particular, you should try to avoid situations that cause you to feel pressured, such as deadlines and an overcrowded schedule. Excitement and anger can also trigger angina.
• Eat a healthy diet. If you are overweight, begin a weight-loss program under the supervision of your doctor or a dietitian. Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and avoid foods high in cholesterol and fat . Heavy meals and/or eating too fast can put a strain on your heart. Try to avoid eating large meals and rich foods that make you feel stuffed.
• Dont smoke: Cigarette smoking often makes angina worse and it increases your risk for heart attack and other circulatory problems.
• Have your blood pressure checked regularly. High blood pressure increases the hearts work and can aggravate angina.

It May Be Your Desk Job

Slouch much? Upper back pain is most commonly from poor posture, says Irene Tien, MD, emergency medicine physician with the Rowe Telemedicine Network. Sitting and staring at a computer shortens chest muscles and pulls on the muscles in the upper back. A lot of people get a muscle spasm between the shoulder blades as a result, she explains. Heres how to help your body recover from sitting all day long.

What Are The Symptoms Of Acute Upper Back Pain

Acute upper back pain symptoms can differ from person to person. For some, the pain might be mild and go away within a couple days, but for others, the pain can worsen and interfere with daily tasks. With acute pain, the pain is a sign of injured or diseased tissue, the severity of the pain matches the level of tissue damage. When the tissue heals the corresponding pain is relieved. Upper back pain symptoms and treatment plans can vary depending on the cause of the underlying problem.

Some common symptoms of acute back pain are:

• Sharp pain
• Tingling, numbness, or weakness

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How Do You Manage Fibromyalgia Chest Pain

Over-the-counter painkillers can ease discomfort in the chest and other areas of the body, and your healthcare provider will focus on an overarching plan to treat fibromyalgia and your symptoms. This includes other prescription medications and lifestyle changes, such as exercising regularly.

• Almansa C, Wang B, Achem SR. Noncardiac Chest Pain, and Fibromyalgia. Med Clin North Am 2010 94:275.
• Bösner S, Becker A, Haasenritter J, et al. Chest Pain in Primary Care: Epidemiology and Pre-work-up Probabilities. Eur J Gen Pract 2009 15:141.
• Ebell MH. Evaluation of Chest Pain in Primary Care Patients. Am Fam Physician 2011 83:603.
• Eslick GD. Classification, Natural History, Epidemiology, and Risk Factors of Noncardiac Chest Pain. Dis Mon 2008 54:593.

What Causes Pain On The Left Side Of The Heart

Poor lifestyle choices can also lead to conditions which put excessive pressure on the heart or cause the arteries to tighten, causing pain on the left side of the chest. These include diabetes, obesity or excessive intake of alcohol or tobacco. If left unchecked, these issues can lead to severe cardiac issues including a heart attack.

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Pain During Or After Eating

Chest and back pain that occurs during or after eating may be a symptom of one of the following digestive conditions:

• GERD
• gallbladder issues
• pancreatitis

If a person develops any signs or symptoms of one of the above conditions, they should make an appointment with their doctor.

The following conditions can also cause pain in the chest and back.

Panic attacks

A panic attack is a sudden episode of overwhelming or debilitating fear and anxiety. This can lead to physical symptoms such as:

• chest pain
• lightheadedness
• dizziness

The symptoms of a panic attack come on suddenly and usually reach their peak within 10 minutes. They rarely last for longer than an hour.

Shingles

Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash to develop on the body.

Often, a person who is about to develop shingles will feel a band of burning or tingling pain beneath the skin before the rash appears. The pain and subsequent rash most commonly occur on the chest and abdomen on one side of the body.

What Kinds Of Symptoms Come With Thoracic Spine Syndrome

The symptoms of thoracic spine syndrome greatly depend on the cause. Usually, youll notice a dull, pressing pain on one shoulder blade or between your shoulder blades, which gets worse when you move your thoracic spine. When moving your upper body, your movements will often feel limited. Your posture might be bent, and/or you may feel discomfort in your neck.

Sometimes, thoracic spine syndrome will also come with radiating pain along the ribs or even chest pain. This gets worse if you breathe in deeply and youll start to get breathing difficulties. Thats why a lot of people fear theyre having a heart attack or angina . But both of these are much rarer than thoracic spine syndrome. So dont start worrying too much, and consider these distinctive features:

If your pain mostly gets worse when you move your upper body, then its highly likely that you have thoracic spine syndrome, which is harmless. If your pain mostly gets worse with physical exertion, like when you climb stairs, then it becomes more likely that you could have a heart condition. In that case, its crucial that you see a doctor.

You should also visit a doctor if:

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When Should I Call My Doctor

See your doctor if the angina becomes worse or occurs more often. Sometimes its hard to tell a severe attack of angina from a true heart attack. Call your doctor or 911 or go to a hospital emergency room right away if:

• You have chest discomfort with light-headedness
• You are sweating a lot during an attack of angina
• You have chest discomfort that lasts more than 10 minutes or goes away and comes back.

You still have pain 15 minutes after taking one nitroglycerine tablet every five minutes.

When Should I Call Triple Zero And Ask For An Ambulance

If you have any of the symptoms below, call triple zero immediately and ask for an ambulance. If calling triple zero does not work on your mobile phone, try calling 112.

• your chest pain is severe, or worsening, or has lasted longer than 10 minutes
• your chest pain feels heavy, crushing or tight
• you have other symptoms, such as breathlessness, nausea, dizziness or a cold sweat
• you also feel the pain in your jaw or down your left arm

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Prevention Of Upper Back Pain

The following tips may help to prevent you from developing upper back pain.

• Lift objects safely and correctly by bending at your knees and not from the waist.
• Make sure your back is properly supported when sitting.
• If you wake up with back pain, a more supportive mattress that adjusts to your back and supports its various curves and hollows may help.
• Take regular breaks from sitting for long periods of time and from doing repetitive tasks.
• Practise good posture see our section on causes of back pain.
• Exercise regularly see our FAQ on some specific exercises for upper back strength.
• Learn and practise good technique for any sports youre doing.
• Stop doing any activity that you know is causing your back pain.
• Stop smoking it can speed up the degeneration of the discs between your vertebrae that act as shock absorbers.
• If you are overweight, losing weight may help to reduce the risk of back pain.

When To See A Doctor For Upper Back Pain

While most upper back pain goes away within a few weeks, with or without at-home treatment, this type of pain could require medical attention. So when should you worry about upper back pain, and how do you know if upper back pain is serious? Some serious symptoms, as outlined below, warrant a visit to the doctor.

Contact your doctor for an appointment if discomfort still persists after a week of at-home treatment or if:

• Discomfort has become severe, especially when lying down
• You notice weakness or numbness in one arms or legs
• Pain radiates down one legs

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What Does Upper Back Pain Have To Do With A Heart Attack

Why would discomfort in the back be a clue to a heart attack? The answer is referred pain. This is when the brain is confused about the origin of the pain. While the heart may be starving for oxygen, the nerves connecting the heart to the brain also merge with those connecting the head and neck, so the signals get misinterpreted. Heart attack-related back, neck, or jaw pain is also more diffuse, so its difficult to pinpoint its exact location.

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Not all heart attacks are alike, and not all people have the same severity of symptoms. Plus, many people disregard symptoms as something minor. It is important to be checked if you have any unusual symptoms, have risk factors for heart attack, or have a combination of symptoms that might suggest a problem.

The best guide is to know your personal baseline and understand your risk factors. If you smoke or have diabetes, your chances of having a heart attack increase. Sometimes people who have no risk factors and are otherwise considered healthy can have heart attacks. If you havent done anything physical to trigger that back pain, and youre also feeling anxious or very tired along with the pain, that may mean you are experiencing a heart attack.

Common heart attack symptoms can be:

Signs And Symptoms Of Upper Back Pain:

The signs and symptoms of upper back pain vary depending on the specific cause.

Here are the most common symptoms:

• Postural pain: A constant ache between the shoulder blades, particularly after prolonged periods in one position
• Thoracic facet joint sprain: sharp pain just to the side of the spine, usually between the shoulder blades. Often worse with twisting
• Costovertebral joint sprain: sharp pain on taking a deep breath or coughing. Also worse with twisting movements
• Crush fracture: constant burning pain in the middle of the back, with a sharp pain on movement
• Scheuermanns Disease: moderate upper back pain, often aggravated by exercise. May also feel stiff when trying to stand straight
• Rib fracture: sharp pain in the side of the chest wall. Particularly painful with coughing, sneezing or taking a deep breath
• Thoracic disc prolapse: moderate to severe pain in the middle of the back, which feels worse with movement and may cause pain to shoot around the chest wall

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The Real Cause Behind Upper Back Pain And Chest Tightness

Do you struggle with chronic upper back and neck pain? Is it difficult to hold good posture without discomfort? Perhaps you even have trouble sleeping at times because of the discomfort. Do you also feel tightness in your chest and shoulders?

If youre nodding your head yes to all of these questions, you may have a condition called upper crossed syndrome. While back pain in general certainly isnt uncommon, the upper crossed syndrome is a lesser-known condition that can greatly contribute to back pain, especially if its accompanied by tightness in the chest and shoulders. And, when left untreated, it only continues to progress to a worse state.

Dont worry: if you do fall into this category, the encouraging news is that most cases are completely treatable with the right diagnosis, patience, and consistent conservative care. Lets explore the causes behind this condition and tangible steps to take toward your healing.

Preventing Upper Back Pain

While back pain is common, its possible to lower your risk of getting upper back pain. Here are some tips:

• Practice good posture. Sit and stand up straight. When you sit, position your hips and knees at 90 degrees.
• Exercise.Cardio and resistance training will strengthen your back muscles and lower your risk of injury.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight can place stress on the back.
• Quit or avoid smoking. This will help you quickly heal after a back injury. Quitting is often difficult, but a doctor can help you develop a smoking cessation plan right for you.

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How Is Angina Treated

Lifestyle When angina is caused by coronary artery disease, treatment often involves changes in your lifestyle. You may need to:

• Quit smoking
• Get more exercise
• Lower your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar

Medicine Nitroglycerine is the most common medicine for treating angina It reduces the workload on the heart by enlarging the coronary blood vessels. This increases blood flow to the heart and lowers blood pressure slightly. Nitroglycerine comes in the form of pills and spray. It is also available in long acting forms by pill, paste and patches.

If your doctor has prescribed nitroglycerine, you should understand how to take the medication:

Surgery Angina caused by blocked arteries can be treated with two types of procedures.

The first procedure is called balloon angioplasty. Under local anesthesia, a tiny tube called a catheter is placed in an artery in the leg or arm. It is guided up to the coronary artery where a small balloon on the tip of the tube is inflated. This pushes the blockage against the sides of the artery wall and then the balloon is deflated and the tube is removed. This expands the artery enough to let the blood flow normally. Most people have a stent inserted as part of this procedure to help keep the artery open. With a stent, the chance of having the artery blocked again is reduced. This procedure usually requires a short stay in the hospital.

Lung Conditions That Can Cause Burning Chest And Back:

Pneumonia: The most common condition of the lung which can cause burning chest pain and pressure is pneumonia. Pneumonia occurs when the airways get inflamed and swell causing constriction.

This leads to reduced supply of air to the lungs causing difficulty breathing along with burning chest and back pain. Pneumonia is normally a viral infection, although certain forms of bacteria can also cause pneumonia.

Pleuritis: This is a lung condition in which there is inflammation of the sac which encompasses each lung. This condition can also cause burning pain in the chest and back. This pain tends to get worse with coughing or sneezing.

Pulmonary Embolism: This is yet another lung disorder which causes burning chest and back pain. Additionally, the individual may experience difficulty breathing and persistent cough. Pulmonary embolism is potentially a serious condition and requires emergent medical treatment. A blood clot in the legs called deep vein thrombosis which breaks free and gets lodged in the lungs is the primary cause of a Pulmonary Embolism.

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Treatment And Management Of Upper Back Pain:

In the majority of cases, manual therapy treatment is beneficial for pain relief in the early stages.

Gentle manipulation and mobilisation of the stiff joints and massage of the protective muscle spasm can be particularly effective. Superficial dry needling is also great for reducing upper back pain.

Once the acute pain is settling, it is critical to address the underlying cause of the problem. This may be poor posture, muscle imbalances, work habits, bone density, nerve tightness, joint stiffness or other factors specific to your circumstances.

A program of stretching exercises for the upper back may help to address those issues that the physiotherapist identifies in your assessment, and can prevent the problem from coming back.

When To See A Doctor

You should always take chest pain seriously, as sometimes it may be an indicator of a serious health condition, like a heart attack.

Always seek emergency medical attention if you have unexplained or sudden chest pain, especially if you have difficulty breathing or the pain has spread to other areas like the arm or jaw.

You should also make a doctors appointment for any condition that isnt relieved using OTC medications or has symptoms that recur, are persistent, or begin to worsen.

You can connect to a physician in your area using the Healthline FindCare tool.

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What Upper Back And Chest Pain Feel Like

Upper back and chest pain may begin gradually and worsen over a long period of time, or it can start suddenly without explanation or after an injury. This pain is typically felt more on one side of the spine, but it can be felt on both sides. People with upper back and chest pain usually have one or more of the following symptoms:

• Dull achiness that is felt in the upper back and chest, perhaps just on one side, and/or possibly extending into the shoulder area
• Burning, sharp, or electric-like pain that may worsen with movement, possibly radiating pain along a rib from the upper back to the chest area
• Stiffness in the shoulder, chest, and/or upper back due to pain or muscle tightness, which can reduce the ability to perform basic tasks, such as getting dressed or driving
• Pressure or fullness in the chest rather than pain1
• Increased pain while breathing or trouble taking full breaths
• Trigger points in the upper back and/or chest that feel tender, sore, or tight, and can flare up and spread pain to nearby areas when touched
• Pins-and-needles tingling or numbness that might be felt along the rib or across a bigger area, possibly more in the chest or back
• Pain that spreads into the neck and/or arm, which can range from dull to sharp, and could be accompanied by tingling, numbness, and/or weakness
• Rib pain that travels along the rib or possibly between ribs

• Causes of Upper Back Pain Video