Balanced Care Chiropractic

Mid Back Pain usually occurs between the shoulder blades, posterior ribs or within the 12 vertebrae that make up the mid-back (thoracic spine). Most people who experience mid back pain or pain between the shoulder blades feel it when they twist, move in certain directions, or take a deep breath.

A common cause of mid back pain is a rib injury or subluxation. Anatomically speaking, the thoracic spine (middle back) attaches to the ribs. If a blunt force affects the ribs, even if the force occurred in the front part of the body, a mid back symptom may be felt because the muscles between the ribs were irritated or the ribs were subluxed at the spinal level. This can also occur very easily during a cough or a sneeze! The muscles extend from the front part of the ribs to the area that attaches to the spine of the middle back so an uncontrolled cough or sneeze can cause a great deal of middle back discomfort. Upon examination it is very common to find a lower back misalignment, or in some cases, a lower neck misalignment that has helped cause the mid back pain. Remember, the spine works as a unit. In the majority of cases, patients will complain about neck or lower back pain specifically. However, mid back pain is a reality for some patients, and that situation can be addressed using chiropractic treatment.