Mid Back Pain

Mid Back Pain:

Your First Visit to Millar Chiropractic:

Your Millar chiropractor's purpose on your New Patient visit is to make sure you're in the right place. He or she wants to make certain your back pain really is back pain - and treatable - rather than being a symptom of an underlying medical condition. Your chiropractor will take a complete history, learning the facts about your problem. How long you've had the pain, the nature and quality of the pain itself, whether the pain is localized or radiating, and whether the pain wakes you up at night are key elements in solving the puzzle. Following the history, your chiropractor will perform a complete orthopedic and neurologic exam, gathering all the information necessary to arrive at what's called a "working diagnosis", and ordering any necessary tests or imaging. If your chiropractor concludes that treatment is appropriate, he or she will outline the anticipated stages of improvement and recovery, noting that further evaluation will be done if you're not getting better in a timely manner.

In general, middle back pain is less common than lower back pain, primarily because the rib cage helps to stabilize the upper and middle back.  We call this part of the spine, the thoracic spine. 

Although it's possible, it is rare to have a herniated disc or spinal stenosis in the thoracic spine.  So what are some of the more common causes of mid back pain?  One common cause is straining or injuring the middle back muscles and ligaments through overuse or overexertion during sports or other activities such as cleaning or house painting.  Even sitting at your computer too long can strain your back.

Some people are born with an unusually shaped spine called a scoliosis, which can cause significant back pain.  While chiropractic can help reduce a congenital scoliosis, sometimes the shape of the individual vertebrae are such that the person will always have a significant abnormal curvature of the spine.   Some people develop a scoliosis later in life due to trauma, stress, chronic misalignments and other causes.  These types of scoliosis often respond very well to chiropractic care.

Osteoarthritis occurs in many people as they age, and can be a source of middle back pain.  Another age-related problem, more common in women, is osteoporosis.  As a person's bone density decreases, the vertebrae become more prone to compression fractures of the spine. 

Compression fractures can occur in people with normal bone density when they experience significant trauma such as an auto accident or fall.  With Osteoporosis, the vertebrae can eventually become brittle and weak.  When this happens, compression fractures of the spine can occur, sometimes with very little force, or even just by moving wrong.

Practicing proper posture is very important in preventing mid back pain.  You have probably known someone with poor posture over the years who eventually developed what is commonly referred to as a "dowager's hump".   This is called a kyphosis of the thoracic spine and is more common in patients with osteoporosis, but can also be the result of years of slouching and hunching over.

Chiropractic treatment is a powerful tool in preventing, resolving, or at least minimizing, many cases of back pain.  The outcome will depend upon the severity and whether or not there is any underlying pathology.  Mid back pain can also occasionally be caused by gall bladder problems, infections or other serious disease processes which need to be ruled out.

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