There are so many reasons that you may be experiencing upper back pain that it’s best to get a firm and professional diagnosis from the best back pain specialist in Manhattan at NYC pain management. Your discomfort may just be from a minor ligament pull or it may indicate something much more serious that leads to crippling consequences. Your back health is nothing to take lightly, so ensure the best outcome with individualized attention and upper back pain treatment that works for you. Call today for a consultation.
You may have heard a lot more about lower back pain than you have about upper back pain. Even though a larger percentage of people suffer from lower back pain, upper back pain can be the cause of significant discomfort, decreased quality of life or even signal a serious illness.
Pain in the upper back — whether upper left back pain, upper right back pain or cervical pain — is discomfort or strain that you feel anywhere from your neck to your bottom rib. This area includes part of the middle back for pain purposes. Shoulder pain may be related to a problem in your upper back.
Minor or Serious, Never Unimportant
Because your upper back is composed of several strong muscles attached to the rib cage and vertebrae, or spinal bones, it’s relatively more resistant to injury. But this also means that pain in the upper back could be a symptom of a serious underlying cause. The most common general causes of upper back pain include:
- Muscle irritation
- Joint dysfunction
- Trauma
Muscle irritation stems from strains, pulls, or tightening due to poor posture, a lack of strength or overuse— the same causes as injuries from repetitive motion. Joint dysfunction can result from sudden injury or age-related illness, like osteoarthritis. Other, less common causes of pain in your upper back include:
- Spine deformities
- Compression fractures
- Fibromyalgia
- Infections
- Tumors
Anyone Can Get Back Pain
Almost anyone is susceptible to an upper back injury. Some groups of people who may be more prone to pain in the upper back include women, older people and manual laborers. But no one is immune.
If you have poor posture, use improper techniques for lifting, do repetitive work or lead a sedentary lifestyle, you may be more vulnerable to injury. The pain clinic in New York specializes in diagnosing and managing these types of problems. Cervical pain may not be bilateral, meaning you may feel it only on one side of your body. Radiating pain from your internal organs, depending on their location, sometimes leads to upper left back pain or upper right back pain.
What Brings You in Today?
The most apparent symptoms of a back injury are pain and stiffness. The cause of your upper back pain or cervical neck pain depends on certain characteristics of the pain, such as when it occurred and whether it’s delayed or sudden. Some key symptoms to look out for include weakness, numbness or tingling, headache or jaw ache, and painful or difficult breathing.
The type of pain helps your doctor diagnose the cause, so be sure to describe whether it’s sharp, shooting, burning, dull, throbbing or aching. Tell him the severity of your pain. This information helps your NYC pain specialist reach the correct diagnosis.
Upper Back Pain Relief: Closer Than You Think
Seek medical help if you have a sudden traumatic injury, any associated symptoms or pain that doesn’t go away with rest. Even though it may not seem like it, you could be suffering from a deeper issue. It takes an experienced and highly trained pain expert to determine the true cause of your pain.
A top-rated back pain doctors in New York at the top pain clinic in NYC diagnoses and treats upper back pain as a result of everything from minor strains to severe injuries. A detailed history of your symptoms, lifestyle and family tell the pain management doctor how to move forward to give you upper back pain relief. A quick and thorough exam may lead your pain doctor to diagnostic testing. If left untreated, pain in your upper back leads to a poor quality of life and even lifelong pain and disability.
Treatment for Upper Back Pain
The treatment options the doctor may suggest if your discomfort seems mild include lifestyle modifications, medication, ice or heat. Regular exercise, good posture and avoiding repetitive stress helps keep your back healthy.
If your upper back pain persists, injections can relieve your pain. Options the top back pain specialist in Midtown Manhattan may suggest include a nerve block injection as well as:
If your injury or damage is severe enough, you may require minimally invasive treatments, such as:
Contact the experienced team at Pain Management NYC to schedule a consultation. Your first step toward a pain-free life is a diagnosis by board certified physician.
Leon Reyfman, MD, is a top-rated, best-in-class interventional pain management doctor. He is a nationally recognized pain relief specialist and is among the top pain care doctors in New York City and the country. He is an award-winning expert and contributor to prominent media outlets.
Dr. Leon Reyfman has been recognized for his thoughtful, thorough, modern approach to treating chronic pain. He has been named a “top pain management doctor in New York” and one of “America’s Top Doctors™” for advanced sports injury treatments. Among other accolades, he was voted by peers as a “Castle Connolly Top Doctors™” and “New York Super Doctors™”. Dr. Leon Reyfman was a part of the medical team at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.