Middle back pain is described by pain that you feel below your neck but above your waist. The most common cause of middle back pain can be attributed to lifting heaving objects that can physically stress your diaphragm or the ribs that are attached to your spine.
As you try to lift heaving objects, instinctively you hold your breath which causes your breathing muscles, or diaphragm to tighten. The stressed muscles will continue to tighten until pain occurs in the middle of your back. If you have a job where you are continually lifting, bending or twisting, over time these repetitive movements can tighten your mid spine and ribs which will also provide you with pain in the middle of your back. Even sitting for a lengthy period of time can tighten the mid back muscles! It is a good idea to get up and stretch and take a short walk in an effort to avoid back pain.
Generally speaking back pain is caused by four main factors – tight muscles, or weak muscles, the balance of your pelvis and the condition of your joints. When your pelvis twists, then your mid back twists and this can be a major cause of mid back pain that can sometimes last for months. Finding the right ways to stretch and loosen these muscles on a regular basis goes a long way to provide continuous relief and prevent a back injury from occurring.
Identifying what is causing your mid back pain is the first step in avoiding permanent damage. Most people with chronic back pain may say that the pain is unavoidable, that they have learned to live with it. Some people take medication to help the pain, and this is a temporary fix. Finding the right exercise program, even if it is performed just a couple of times a week will strengthen and improve posture and help prevent future injuries. There are many exercise programs that are designed to help people with any type of back pain, whether it is in your lower back, the middle of your back or in your neck.
Once you are aware of where your back pain actually is, and you take the proper steps to avoid repetitive motions, you will be able to get through the day without living in pain and depending on pharmaceuticals to help you relax at night. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and knowing your limitations will help keep your back strong and pain free. Some people have lived with back pain so long that they are unaware of what it feels like to not have pain, and if they had the opportunity to not feel pain as they go about their day, they would live more happily and productively with energy to spare! Even if you have the most physically demanding job, knowing your limitations, taking breaks and stretching occasionally to avoid repetitive motions will help keep you active and energetic, long after the end of your workday.
Jesse is the co-founder and visionary CEO of The Healthy Back Institute®, the world-leading source of natural back pain solutions. His mission as a former back pain sufferer is to help others live pain free without surgery and pharmaceuticals.
