Our patients often experience upper back pain and pain between their shoulder blades. This is a very common complaint in our practice, due to the fact that many of us sit during the day at a computer workstation. By the end of the day, we end up in sub-optimal postural positions. Long hours at our desks can put a lot of extra pressure on the joints in the upper back region and specifically on the costovertebral joints (the joints between the ribs and the spine).
There are 12 sets of ribs in the mid back. In the front, these ribs attach to the sternum and in the upper and mid-back, these ribs attach to the vertebrae. If these rib joints become stuck they can feel like a dull, achy pain in the upper back or like a sharp, stabbing pain through the chest or upper back. Sometimes the pain can also radiate outwards away from the spine and around to the side and front of your chest.
Chiropractic care is a very simple and effective method to address these rib restrictions. Gentle spinal adjustments are an easy way to restore proper motion to the costovertebral joints in the upper back and in the chest region. This will decrease both upper back and chest pain and will encourage proper movement and joint function.
