At Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation of NY & CT (PMR), upper back pain treatment targets the stretch of spine between the base of your neck and the bottom of your rib cage. This area, the thoracic spine, is anchored by your ribs, so it hurts less often than the neck or low back. When it does, the cause is usually muscles, posture or the small joints where the ribs meet the spine. You can get care for it at any of our two offices: Brewster, NY, Danbury, CT.
What causes upper and mid back pain?
- Posture and desk work: hours at a laptop or phone round the shoulders and load the muscles between the shoulder blades.
- Muscle strain: lifting, carrying a child on one hip, shoveling or overhead sports can strain the rhomboid and trapezius muscles.
- Rib and joint irritation: a stiff or irritated joint where a rib meets the spine can cause sharp, catching pain with a deep breath or a twist.
- Less common causes: a thoracic disc problem, a compression fracture linked to osteoporosis, scoliosis, or Scheuermann’s kyphosis in teens.
Symptoms of thoracic back pain
- An ache, burn or tight knot between or around the shoulder blades
- Stiffness when you twist, look over your shoulder or sit up straight
- Sharp pain with a deep breath, a cough or a sudden movement
- Pain that wraps around the side of the chest along a rib
- Tension that climbs into the neck
When to get urgent care for upper back pain
Upper back pain sometimes comes from the heart, lungs or other organs. Call 911 for:
- Back or chest pain with pressure, shortness of breath, sweating or nausea, or pain spreading to the jaw or arm
- Sudden, severe, tearing pain between the shoulder blades
- Trouble breathing or coughing up blood
- Back pain after a fall or other injury, particularly with thinning bones (osteoporosis), or with new leg weakness, numbness or loss of bladder or bowel control
See a physician promptly for upper back pain with a fever, a history of cancer or unexplained weight loss, or a band of pain on one side followed by a rash, which can be shingles.
How PMR evaluates upper back pain
Your provider asks about your work setup, sports and sleep, and screens for signs that point beyond muscles and joints. The exam checks your posture, how your mid back rotates, how your ribs move as you breathe, how your shoulder blades move and how your neck contributes. If anything suggests a heart, lung or digestive cause, we refer you to a physician right away.
What upper back pain treatment includes
- Chiropractic care: an upper back pain chiropractor uses adjustments and mobilization for stiff thoracic and rib joints, which may ease sharp, catching pain and improve rotation.
- Physical therapy: exercises to open up the mid back and strengthen the muscles that steady your shoulder blades, progressed in the on-site gym.
- Medical massage: soft-tissue work and trigger point therapy for tight bands and knots around the shoulder blades.
- Ergonomic coaching: changes to your desk, chair, screen and phone habits so the strain is less likely to return.
Results vary, and your plan is adjusted based on how you respond.
Desk setup and self-care
- Raise your screen so the top is at or just below eye level
- Sit back in your chair with your feet supported
- Every half hour or so, get up, roll your shoulders and reach overhead
- For a seated stretch, clasp your hands behind your head and lean back gently over your chair
- Use heat to relax tight muscles, and carry bags on both shoulders
Frequently asked questions
Why does my upper back hurt between my shoulder blades?
Pain between the shoulder blades most often comes from muscle tension and stiff joints, usually linked to long periods of sitting, screen use or repetitive arm work. Irritated rib joints and neck problems can also send pain there. Less often it relates to the heart, lungs or gallbladder, which is why sudden or unusual pain with other symptoms needs medical attention.
What does a chiropractor do for upper back pain?
A chiropractor assesses how your thoracic and rib joints move and uses adjustments or gentler mobilization to restore motion where it’s restricted. Many people with upper back stiffness find this eases their pain. At PMR, your chiropractor pairs hands-on care with exercises and posture changes, so the improvements are easier to keep between visits.
How long does mid back pain last?
A simple strain often eases within days to a few weeks. Pain tied to posture or desk work can linger or return until the habits behind it change, which is why upper back pain treatment at PMR includes exercise and workstation changes. If your pain isn’t easing after a couple of weeks or keeps returning, an evaluation can find what’s driving it.
Can poor posture really cause upper back pain?
It can contribute, but there’s no single perfect posture. Trouble usually comes from staying in one position, often slumped over a screen, for hours at a time, until muscles tire and joints stiffen. Changing positions often, building endurance in the muscles around your shoulder blades and setting up your workstation well usually matter more than sitting perfectly straight.
Schedule upper back pain treatment
Choose the PMR office that’s most convenient for you, or book an appointment online.
- Call PMR of Danbury, CT at (203) 744-8013
- Call PMR of Brewster, NY at (845) 279-1135
Neck or shoulder pain too? See the full list of conditions we treat.