Middle Back Pain
Because the muscles in the mid back play the the biggest role in most of the body’s range of motion as well as keeping our bodies in an upright posture, most people will experience pain in their mid back at least once in their lifetime. While pain in the mid back may come from the spine or back muscles, it can also radiate from injuries or biomechanical problems in the neck, upper, or lower back. Carrying out multiple actions incorrectly like sitting, standing, and lifting, may lead to a mid back injury when doing something simple like bending over to pick up a pen off the floor. In other words, the injury is most likely not the result of a single event.
Symptoms may include:
- Tingling or burning sensation
- Dull aching or sharp pain
- Decrease in range of motion
- Tension or knots in muscles
- Pain may come on slowly or all of a sudden
- Asthma sensation or feeling like you can’t get in a full breath
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common joint disorder, is a result of the wearing away of cartilage between bone joints. As the condition progresses, the cartilage dissolves causing bones to grind together and resulting in pain and stiffness. OA most commonly affects the hands, feet, spine, and the weight-bearing joints like the hips and knees. The two types of OA are primary and secondary. While OA is most commonly caused by metabolic conditions (i.e., acromegaly), problems in anatomy (i.e., being “bow-legged”), injury, and/or inflammatory disorders (i.e., septic arthritis), it also can occur without previous injury or medical condition.
Symptoms may include:
- Grating of the joint when in motion
- Joint pain in wet weather
- Swollen joints
- Limited movement of joints
- Morning stiffness
