Back pain is something that affects many people all over the world. Persistent and chronic pain seems to be one of the most common complaints. Middle back pain is back pain that is felt in the thoracic vertebrae region, which is located between the base of the neck and top of the lumbar spine. The ribs attach to a long, flat bone in the middle of the chest called the sternum and wrap around the back. In case, there is a nerve around there is squeezed, disturbed, or injured, you are likely to feel pain in different spots where the nerve goes through, for example, your arms, legs, chest and the stomach.

Some of the most common causes of middle back pain are as follows:

Middle back pain can happen as a consequence of injury or sudden damage or it can happen through strain or poor stance after some time.
The most widely recognized reason for middle back pain seems to begin from soft tissue problems or muscular irritation. These can emerge from poor stance, lack of strength, prolonged sitting in front of a computer, utilizing a heavy backpack, overuse injuries, (for example, repetitive movement), or injury, (like a whiplash damage brought about by an auto crash or as a consequence of a sports injuries).
The middle back is a moderately normal site for inflammatory, degenerative, metabolic, infective and neoplastic conditions.
Middle back pain and its dysfunctions are connected with various conditions, for example, essential and optional osteoporosis (particularly vertebral cracks and hyperkyphosis emerging from vertebral bone loss), ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis and Scheuermann's infection.
Muscle strain, overuse or damage to the muscles, tendons, and discs that are backing your spine can also cause middle back pain.
Weight on the spinal nerves from specific issues, for example, a herniated disc.
A fracture in one of the vertebrae can also cause pain in this region.
Osteoarthritis created by the breakdown of ligament or cartilage that cushions the little joints in the spine.
Myofascial pain that influences the connective tissue of a muscle or gathering of muscles.
In uncommon cases, pain might be brought about by different issues, for example, gall bladder disease, cancer or an infection.
Getting hit hard in the back can also cause chronic pain.
Lift something too heavy may cause pain and a sudden pressure in this area.
A compression fracture of the vertebra can also bring about intense or chronic pain in the middle back. The injury may bring about a fracture, however in ladies over age 50 without critical injury or somebody known to have osteoporosis, an unconstrained vertebral fracture is possible.
Other contributing factors to injury include lack of strength which can be treated by a Pain Management Specialist using non-surgical methods.

Common Causes of Middle Back Pain

10-minute easy exercises to relieve back pain

Most of us lead sedentary lifestyles these days which have led us to experience severe problems with our spine. Irrespective of your age, a majority of people today suffer from back pains as a result of sitting for long periods. The most effective way to counter back pain is to strengthen your spine to make it capable of dealing with these aches in a better manner.

These 3 exercises will help you counter back pain quickly.

1. Leg lifts - a lot of us have weak abdominal muscles as compared to other regions and this leads to an imbalance in the muscle strength of different groups. Leg lifts help restore that balance. You have to lie on your back and choose a firm and rigid surface. Start by lifting your legs slowly and avoid any bending. Keep lifting them to bring them at an angle of 90 degrees with your upper body and then return to the starting position. Around 15-20 repetitions of this exercise on a daily basis are bound to give you much relief from recurring back pain.

2. Cycling - this exercise is perfect for building coordination among all the abdominal muscles of your body. Set your body in a sit-up position with your back on the floor and knees bent. Next, move your legs in a pedalling position, as you would do in case of riding an actual bicycle. Continue the movement for about 20 seconds in each direction.

3. Plank positions - in a plank position, you are required to hold your body in a particular position for a specified time period. For example, you can perform a plank position by holding your body in a position that it would acquire during a push-up. Do not rest on your palms and instead bend them at your elbow, so that your weight now rests on the forearms. Breathe deeply and hold the position for a minimum of 30 seconds.


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10-Minute Easy Exercises To Relieve Back Pain

Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

Pain is an unpleasant and distressing physical sensation caused by disease or injury, which induces hurt and anxiety in those suffering from it.
There are many different manifestations of pain, ranging from short term (acute pain) to long term (chronic pain). Other classifications include pain in the internal organs (visceral pain), injured tissue (inflammatory pain), nerves (neuropathic pain), etc.

The reason for the occurrence of pain depends on the cause and kind of pain being experienced. In most cases, pain acts as a warning sign that the body has been afflicted by a disorder of some sort, which may have arisen due to internal sickness or external wounding. Acute pains are generally cured on their own through rest or simple medication. Chronic pains, on the other hand, are more complicated in nature and the treatment requires more elaborate diagnosis.

The mechanism of pain

Pain is an extremely personal and subjective experience and affects each individual to varying degrees. The pain signals, which can arise in any part of the body, travel through the spinal cord to the brain along thousands of specialized nerves and nerve fibres. In the brain, it is processed in the centres associated with anxiety, emotions, memory, appetite, etc. Signals and pain inputs are then returned from the brain to the spinal cord, which may heighten or diminish pain.

In some cases, pain may also be induced by damage to the brain and spinal cord, which happens after a stroke.
A constant barrage of pain signals may cause the cells at the end of nerve fibres to become over-sensitized. This is known as 'wind-up' and is one of the most common causes of chronic pain that occurs even though the root of the problem has been identified and treated.

The causes and effects of pain differ from case to case depending on the signals received by the brain and its interpretation. It affects the individual's day to day activities and if persistent, can also have a harmful impact on mental health and psychosis. Pain is always handled, diagnosed and treated differently in all patients by drawing out the best possible solution to the problem.





Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

Does you back hurt only when you wake up in the morning or is it a chronic problem? If yes, then you need to take immediate steps to treat it. Back pain, being the common physical anomaly for people primarily in the age range of 35-50, is one of the top causes for office absenteeism and mid-life lethargy and fatigue. Usually back pain indicates an underlying problem that involves the nerves, bones and muscles.

Here are some risk factors for back pain:

Pregnancy
Stress related to work
Leading a sedentary lifestyle
Anxiety and depression
Being overweight
Over exercising
Strenuous physical work outs
Smoking
There are varied reasons as to why back pain may occur. Discussing the causes of back pain is beyond the purview of this article; the focus is now going to be on some of the stretches one can practice to get relief from back pain: 

Downward dog: A classic yoga pose, the downward dog stretches the entire back, hamstrings and the whole of the leg. Begin the process in a classic push up pose with the palms and toes on the floor. Keeping your back straight, lift your tailbone up and straighten your legs. Push the heels to the floor and breathe to get the most out of this stretch.
Child s pose: A simple stretch, it begins with you sitting back on your buttocks and then stretching the arms in front of you. Keep your forehead on the floor and breathe slowly.
Cat cow pose: If your common complaint is that of a sore and painful back, then this is one of the best stretches for you. A very simple pose, you begin by sitting on all fours, then transitioning into the cat pose by pushing your spine upwards. Hold the pose for one breath and then go to the cow pose wherein you lift your buttocks and the head while scooping your spine.

Back Pain - 3 Stretch Exercises You Must Follow!

Pain is unpleasant suffering caused by injury or illness. Back pain may be sudden/constant, dull, severe or not responding to short rest and medication. Constant pain in back in any region of spine for more than few days to weeks needs intervention.

Pain which is intense especially at night requires urgent visit to a specialist.

Sudden onset of pain in back with or without injury needs urgent attention.

Back pain with difficulty in walking, pain while getting up from position of comfort, pain during change of posture or pain after prolonged sitting (for work) can lead to serious permanent damage, if left untreated.

Pain which travels to one or both legs may be due to pressure on the nerve/s and if left untreated for long can lead to permanent weakness or damage.

Pain associated with numbness, tingling or weakness in legs, especially below the knees, commonly called Sciatica, needs to be investigated. Various spinal ailments can lead to weakness in one or two limbs or all four limbs. There may be associated or isolated numbness (loss of sensation to touch, pain or temperature) without back pain.

Numbness, tingling or weakness may be the only symptoms without any complaint or without history of back pain.

Problems related to bladder control which may be difficulty to control, hesitancy in passing or dribbling of urine. There may be associated constipation. Loss of bowel/bladder control is caused by pressure on spinal cord &/or nerves which may be due to injury, infection, disc prolapse or tumor.

Sudden swelling and redness in back usually happens after an injury or accident but sometimes are signs of underlying severe illness.

Loss of normal shape/curvatures of spine can present with or without pain. It can lead to forward, sideways or rarely backward bending.

Unintentional weight loss, loss of appetite, evening rise of fever or disturbed sleep with associated back pain/weakness/numbness needs visit to a specialist.

When Should You See Your Doctor in Back Pain?

Most of us suffer from lower back pain at some point in our lives; be it from a sedentary lifestyle, spending hours at the office desk or from strenuous physical exercises. In most cases, a little bit of rest does the trick. However, if the lower back pain persists for 3-6 weeks, physiotherapy is recommended.

How does physiotherapy help?

The main purpose behind physiotherapy is reducing lower back pain and increasing muscle and bone function, so that such instances are avoided in the future. Physiotherapy is the first line of defence against lower back pain. More drastic measures such as surgery are undertaken once physiotherapy fails to do is job.

Physiotherapy is often recommended when the back pain is caused due to lifestyle factors, a minor injury like a fall or other moderate factors. For more severe back injuries, doctors recommend surgery straight away when there is no scope of performing physiotherapy.

Low-intensity back pain can be cured using a combination of heat packs, ultrasound wave therapy and Iontophoresis (using a localized current source to introduce medical ionic compounds to the body).

A physical therapy program for back pain usually has two components:

Passive physical therapy to help reduce the patient's pain to a more manageable level

Active exercises

Passive Physical Therapy - Modalities

The physical therapist may focus on decreasing pain with passive physical therapy (modalities). These therapies are considered passive because they are done to the patient. Examples include:

Heat/ice packs

TENS units

Iontophoresis

Ultrasound

Active Physical Therapy - Back Pain Exercises

In addition to passive therapies, active physical therapy (exercise) is also necessary to rehabilitate the spine. Here are some of the common exercises for back pain:

Back Stretch: Put your hands underneath your head while lying back. Bend your knees but put your feet on the ground. Roll your legs to one side and hold them there for 10 seconds. Repeat three times for each side.

Deep Lunge: For this, you need to kneel on one knee with the other foot pointed towards the front. Lift the back knee up and hold it there for five seconds and then bring it down. Repeat this exercise three times for each side.

One Leg Stand: This is the simplest of exercises. Hold on to a wall for support while standing and face towards it. Then slowly hold one leg and bend it behind you. Hold in the same position for five seconds before bringing it down. Repeat the process three times for each leg in five second gaps.

Physiotherapy for Back Pain

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