Middle Back & Shoulder Pain

Mid back pain and shoulder pain are experienced by many people every year in Ottawa. The pain can range significantly from minor to severe and acute to chronic. Knowing what the common causes are and how to get pain relief helps you to take charge of your health.
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Common causes of head and neck pain

Middle back pain and shoulder pain are common. It is important to understand the potential causes so that you can narrow down what may be causing your pain. This can help you to determine whether physiotherapy or chiropractic care is the best solution.

Poor Posture and Muscle Deconditioning

 Improper or limited use of the muscles in your mid-back and shoulders may lead to deconditioning over time. For example, if you switch from a relatively active job to one where you sit at a desk, this can lead to deconditioning and poor posture over time.

Muscle Overuse

It is not uncommon to overuse the muscles in this area. It can result in tightness, strains and irritation. One example of overuse is a baseball pitcher. The repetitive movement of pitching puts them at risk for muscle issues in their mid-back and shoulders.

Herniated Disc

A herniated disc in the thoracic spine is uncommon but when happened, it can cause pain in the mid-back and shoulders. When a disc is herniated, the jelly-like substance inside the disc pushes out and can irritate the nerves. In addition to pain, you may also experience extremity weakness, numbness and difficulty to breath.

Pinched Nerve

 A nerve may become pinched through a variety of mechanisms. Depending on the nerve that is compressed, you might experience the following:

  • Extremity burning pain, weakness, and numbness can affect your daily activities and quality of your sleep
  • Leg weakness or loss of control (this is a sign of lumbar spine)

Traumatic Injury

Pain in this area may result from a traumatic injury. Examples include:

  • Slipping and falling
  • Incorrectly lifting objects
  • Car accidents
  • Work-related accidents
  • Excessive or rigorous exercise

In some cases, you may not be aware you sustained an injury. For example, you may slip and fall and not experience pain. However, when you wake up the next morning, the pain may be present due to (a muscle strain or other injury) sprain, strain or muscle spasm.

Osteoarthritis

When arthritis affects the spine, it may cause stiffness and pain in the shoulders and mid-back. This form of arthritis results when the cartilage wears away. When sufficient cartilage is present, it acts as a cushion for the shoulder and spinal joints. When it is gone, the bones of these joints may rub together, causing discomfort. In addition, arthritic changes in the spine lead to nerve compression that affects your extremities.

Solutions to middle back and shoulder pain

The chiropractors and physiotherapists at Kent Chiro-med Wellness Clinic in Ottawa can address a variety of mid-back and shoulder issues to offer pain relief and treat the root of the problem to prevent a recurrence. There are several options that they can help you with:

We assess your problem

Custom Tailored Treatment Plan

You might not think about how often you move your shoulders until they start to give you pain. The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body and is subject to a wide range of injuries and conditions.

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