Spine Upper Back Pain Common in Today’s Population

While lower back pain still remains the major cause of missed days in workplaces around the world, spine upper back pain has become more and more common among individuals who spend much of their day hunched over a computer.

Individuals of all ages are prone to spine upper back pain but, these days, college and high school students are amongst those who most often complain of this type of discomfort. And it’s no wonder they hurt! Many millennials spend upwards of 8 hours or more at their desktop PC or on their laptop. In many cases, their desk chair may not provide proper support. In other cases, those who chose to work on their computer while in bed or while sitting in another spot that provides no support at all will likely wind up with upper back pain. Often, they’ll experience neck and shoulder pain as well.

Most cases of spine upper back pain are attributed to some sort of muscular irritation. Joint dysfunction may be the culprit as well. Just as with lower back pain, participating in a task that involves repetitive motions could cause upper back discomfort as could a lack of strength in that part of the body. In addition, car accidents, falls, sports-related issues, and other injuries may result in muscular irritation that prompts this type of pain.

Unfortunately, those who are used to spending their days at a desk, staring at a computer, have come to accept this upper back pain as merely part of the load they must bear as workers of the 21^st century. Chances are that there are tens of thousands of individuals who suffer with this pain who simply “grin and bear it”, figuring it’s a job-related hazard and there’s nothing they can do about it.

Fortunately, they’re wrong. No one need suffer from any kind of back pain as there’s always a solution to either lessen it or to help it go away altogether. In regards to spine upper back pain, sufferers should consider turning to a non-surgical spine specialist who will likely be able to treat their pain and make them comfortable again.

Options for treating this kind of pain include:

• Stretching exercises
• Manual manipulation
• Trigger point injections
• Acupuncture
• Massage therapy
• Pain medication

Any number of professionals, from chiropractors and osteopaths to massage therapists and Chinese medicine experts, can address upper back pain with their patients, and part of that discussion can be a demonstration of how the spine works and what exactly is causing their pain. When a 3-dimensional, fully-dynamic upper back model from Dynamic Disc Designs (ddd) is used for education purposes, patients will “get” what’s going on with their back and will be inclined to follow doctor’s orders.

According to specialists who already use ddd’s models, these finely-crafted educational tools turn on that proverbial light bulb in a patient’s head, prompting them to understand why their upper back hurts and how lifestyle changes can help make that pain disappear. As a result of that knowledge, they set themselves on the road to recovery and, as mentioned, are more likely to follow the recommendations provided to them.

“My clinic relies heavily on the patient education process, as I believe all clinics should. I have not come across any anatomical model that depicts spinal mechanics as well as this one does. It saves me time, makes detailed explanation easy, increases patient compliance and ultimately, produces better results. I recommend it highly to any clinician who works with the spine.”
–Dan Kelly, physiotherapist