Upper and middle back pain can take place at anywhere between your rib cage to the bottom of your neck. You may also have pain in the areas supplied by the nerves originated from the affected area of the spine, e.g., arms, chest, belly, and leg. There may be a number of causes of upper and middle back pain some of which are following.

• Muscle strain, injury to the muscles or overuse of muscles causes pain in the affected area. You may also have an injury in tendons, ligaments or intervertebral discs.

• Poor posture also causes back problems.

• Pressure on the spinal nerve roots due to any problem like a disc hernia, trauma, etc.

• Any fracture of the vertebrae.

• Osteoarthritis occurs due to the breakdown of cartilages that has the cushioning effect for the small joints of the spine.

• Myofascial pain that has a bad effect on the connective tissues of a muscle or group of muscles.

• In some cases, back pain may also be caused by other problems like infection, gallbladder disease or cancer.

What are the symptoms?

A common type of symptoms of a middle and upper backache are

• A burning, sharp, throbbing or dull pain.

• Tightness and stiffness in muscles.

The serious symptoms which need immediate treatment are

• Weakness in one or both arms or one or both legs.

• Tingling sensations or numbness in your chest, belly, arms or legs.

• Loss of control to bowel or bladder activity.

What you can do at home?

You can consider following measures to reduce your upper and middle back pain at home.

1.) Take a break or change your daily routine.

The common cause of upper back pain is repetitive motion due to the extra load of work or injuries related to vigorous exercise or playing sports. First of all, you should take a break from the normal activity which has caused the strain to your back and took rest for a few days. Talk to your boss to switch your duty if your problem is work-related. If your pain is exercise related, abandon your exercise for some days.

• Total bed rest is not recommended for any type of back pain because some activity is required to stimulate blood flow and healing.

• Adopt better posture at your work and at home. While sitting, keep your back straight and do not lean to one side.

• If your mattress is too soft or your pillow is too thick, it may contribute to your back pain. Do not sleep on your stomach because it causes the twisting of your head and neck and enhances the back pain.

2.) Take over the counter NSAIDs.

You can take over the counter used NSAIDs for your back pain relief. Commonly used NSAIDs are aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. They reduce the inflammation resulting in the reduction of pain. Before using them, do remember that these drugs have side effects for stomach, kidneys and liver so do not use them for more than two weeks consecutively.

• The dose for adults is 200-400 mg orally, after every 4 to 6 hours.

• You can also use oral other over the counter analgesics such as acetaminophen or muscle relaxants but do not take thiese medicinif you are already taking NSAIDs.

• Do not take any drug if you have an empty stomach because it causes the irritation of stomach mucosa and may induce gastric ulcers.

Don’t forget to consult your doctor before taking any medicine.

3.) Apply Ice to your back.

Application of ice usually has good results for all minor type of musculoskeletal injuries. Cold therapy has excellent results for acute injuries (injuries lasting for 48 hours or less). Cold packs are applied to the pained or tender part of the body, and they reduce the swelling and thus pain is also reduced. An ice pack should be used for 15 to 20 minutes after every two hours for two days, and after this, you can reduce frequency.

• If you feel uncomfortable about placing an ice pack directly, you can wrap it in a plastic bag.

• You can also pack it in a towel. This will reduce the chances of frostbite to your skin.

4.) Take an Epsom salt bath.

If you practice soaking your back in a warm Epsom salt bath, this will relieve your pain and swelling significantly specifically when the cause of pain is a muscle strain. Magnesium is present in the salt which causes the muscle relaxation. Make sure that water must not be too hot, and you should not soak your back in the water for more than 25 to 30 minutes because the salty water causes the dehydration of the body as it pulls water from the body.

• If the swelling is present in your upper back, then after taking a bath with warm salted water, carry out cold therapy until your back becomes numb (in about 15 minutes).

5.) Gently stretch your upper back.

If you gently stretch the affected area of your back, your condition may reverse, more commonly when you pay attention to the problem in the early course of the disease. In general practice, you should stretch your body for 30 seconds and do this three to five times a day.

• Lye on a comfortable surface while your buttocks are resting on your soles of the feet. Then lean forward on your waist and walk your finger as forward as possible and try touch your nose to the floor.

• Stretch your rhomboid muscles with a doorway stretch.

• Keep standing and place your hands behind your head and push your head backward slowly and arch your spine.

6.) Use a foam roller.

A good way to massage your back is, rolling on a piece of foam which is firm in consistency. This will relieve mild to moderate amount of discomfort especially in the thoracic region of your back. Foam rollers are generally used in yoga, pilates, and physiotherapy.

• Take a foam roller from a sporting goods shop. It is quite inexpensive.

• Put the foam roller on the ground. Lie down on it on your back so that foam roller is under your shoulders.

• Keep your feet flat on the floor bending your knees and lift your lower back and roll your back on the foam in back and forth manner.

• Move your body on the foam using your feet. In this way, your spine is massaged gently. Last it for 10 minutes. Your muscles may be a little swollen after the first time but do not be worried.

7.) Acupuncture.

Acupuncture is a procedure in which small needles are inserted into your skin at specific points of the body to exaggerate the healing process and relieve from pain. Upper and middle back pain can be inhibited by it if specific points on the back are concentrated.

8.) Sleeping.

Comfortable sleeping posture on a comfortable bed for sleeping at night leads to relieving of your backache. On contradiction, if you sleep on an uncomfortable bed in an uneven posture, it will enhance your back pain. Do not use the soft mattress. The Sleep Council suggests that a sleeping mattress must be changed after every 7 years.

9.) Find ways how to reduce stress.

Stress makes you feel worsening of the pain. Learning stress-reducing techniques make you feel comfortable and tension free thus reduction your pain. You should practice deep breathing techniques, meditation or relaxation exercises.

10. Be optimistic.

Although it is quite difficult for one to be optimistic or cheerful while in pain. But it is important for you to be positive in the pained condition because it will cause you to recover faster.