Chiropractic Care for Upper Back Pain
Sacramento Chiropractor Helps With Upper Back Pain
It’s a great day at Barham Chiropractic!
Our Sacramento Chiropractic Office helps hundreds of people with upper back pain daily. We treat all sorts of cases from simple back pain caused by poor posture to more severe pain caused by bulging discs. (see testimonial video below)
We absolutely celebrate the health success of our patients but it does not take away from the seriousness consequences that severe upper back pain can have on your life.
A Global Burden of Disease study examining the impact of back pain on mental health found that people suffering from back pain are more than twice as likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, psychosis, stress, and sleep deprivation.
This article is to help people who are experiencing upper back pain for the first time learn a little more about it and what we can do to help.
What Does Upper Back Pain Feel Like? (and when to seek help)
At Barham Chiropractic we have a broad range of upper back issues that we have helped patients with. We often remind patients that upper back pain can feel different for each person. You may feel pain that spreads throughout your upper back or it can be a smaller area. The pain can be sharp or dull and can happen all the time or only sometimes. Upper back pain can also make your back muscles feel tight and sore, and pressing on them may be painful. Some symptoms that you should definitely share with us during your visits are if you feel numbness or tingling in your back, your muscles spasm, or you feel muscle weakness. Very often those symptoms can give us clues about what issues we can correct to help your back pain. Upper back pain can even cause headaches. Our patients with more severe upper back pain have shared with us that having such debilitating pain was not just a physical burden but that it was very discouraging.
At Barham Chiropractic we STRONGLY recommend getting care before problems escalate. Preventing back issues is significantly easier and less painful than correcting a major problem.
We encourage people to get care if they experience the following:
1. You’ve Had Enough of Managing Your Upper Back Pain
If you’ve experienced persistent pain or discomfort in your upper back for a while but have just tried to manage it on your own, it may be time to get help. This is especially true if the pain is interfering with your daily life.
If your upper back pain is causing you to miss work, school, or fun activities, we strongly recommend you get help, find the problem and correct it.
2. You’re Having Intense Pain
If the upper back pain you’re experiencing involves sharp pain and it’s been going on for five days or more, it’s time to talk to a chiropractor.
Pain that is ongoing and excessive, especially when you’re lying down in bed at night and not aggravating the area, is also a red flag.
Back pain should not get in the way of your sleep.
Sleep is when the body recovers! If the back pain is stopping you from sleeping it is time to get help.
3. You’re Experiencing Tingly Prickles or Loss of Strength in Your Legs
You know that feeling you get like your foot or leg or an arm has fallen asleep? There’s that tingling sensation like you’re being pricked with little pins, and it’s sort of numb and weak because of the numbness.
Usually, this happens because you slept on your arm or leg weirdly and the blood isn’t getting in.
But if you’re getting that same feeling, especially if it’s combined with back pain this could be a red flag.
4. The Area of the Pain Is Red or Swelling
Redness and swelling around the area of pain means that you’ve had some kind of injury in that area.
If swelling continues for about a week or you notice that the swelling is getting worse, it’s a clear sign that the injury is not getting better.
5. You Injure Yourself or Have an Accident
Sometimes when you get hurt, you think it’s not that bad and you deal with the pain. But sometimes, even a little pain is a sign you need to see a professional to get you back on track.
If you have had a car accident, have had a fall and your upper back hurts or if you have had a sports injury, go to the chiropractor.
It is so much easier for us to take care of injuries close to when they happen because often they get worse if left untreated.
By seeing a chiropractor you may be able to prevent injuries from getting worse.
What can cause upper back pain?
As we stated above everyone experiences back pain differently, and may experience it for different reasons as as well.
Below are some of the common underlying causes of upper back pain:
Injuries from contact sports, improper lifting of heavy objects or falls.
Constant poor posture.
Subluxations in the cervical spine or thoracic spine.
Whiplash.
Repetitive movements.
Scoliosis.
Arthritis.
Compression fractures.
Herniated discs.
Muscle strain.
Ligament sprain.
Osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis.
bulging discs
Frankly, there are many more reasons you may experience back pain. The best thing you can do is learn about your condition and do what’s best for you and your health.
How Do Chiropractors Treat Upper Back Pain?
The three main ways chiropractors help upper back pain is with adjustments, massages, and strengthening exercises.
1. Spinal Adjustments
A chiropractic adjustment is a physical manipulation that gets your vertebrae back into proper alignment. By getting your spine back into alignment, adjustments can help reduce inflammation and allow the body to naturally heal. In a study from 2018, researchers actually found that patients who used a combination of traditional medical care and chiropractic care for back pain had better outcomes for pain reduction and rehabilitation than patients who used traditional medical care alone.
2. Massage
Massages help people heal by getting more blood to soft tissues. During the massage, tight muscles are loosened so that the person can move more easily, have less pain, and feel less soreness.
5. Strengthening Exercises
Strengthening exercises can help the vertebrae stay in alignment after adjustments. Very often our Chiropractors will give patients personalized exercises to help them stay well after receiving care.
How long does it take for chiropractic care to help with upper back pain?
Patients can get significant relief from upper back pain as soon as their first adjustment. However, the time it takes for the pain to be completely resolved can vary from patient to patient depending on the severity of their condition. At our Sacramento CA Chiropractor office, our patients usually report major progress in their 1st 6th, and 12th adjustments. Normally patients continue with care and the pain gradually turns into discomfort and the discomfort eventually is resolved completely.
Thanks for reading our article
Our intention is to help as many people as possible whether that be through information or chiropractic care.
If you or a loved one is experiencing upper back pain we would love to earn the opportunity to help you.
Please give our team office a call during our office hours or click on the New Patient Special so we can follow up with you.
Clinically reviewed by Steven Barham, D.C.
— Updated on March 25, 2023
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