You Need To Consider Doing This If Your Upper Back Pain Is Not Improving With Exercise
Upper back pain can feel like an unrelenting obstacle, hindering your ability to perform even the most basic tasks, like sitting at your desk, lifting groceries, or even lying down comfortably. Whether caused by muscle strain, poor posture, or an underlying condition like thoracic spine misalignment or herniated discs, upper back pain can significantly affect your daily life and limit your freedom to move.
The emotional toll of upper back pain can be just as intense as the physical discomfort. The anxiety and frustration of not being able to find lasting relief, combined with the constant awareness of the pain, can leave you feeling discouraged, stressed, and helpless. If exercise hasn’t provided lasting relief from your upper back pain, it may be time to explore other treatment options that focus on the root cause and provide long-term solutions.
Exercise: A Common Approach to Treating Upper Back Pain
Exercise is often recommended for upper back pain because it helps strengthen the muscles that support the spine, improve posture, and increase flexibility. Targeted exercises can help restore balance, reduce muscle tension, and prevent further strain on the upper back. Stretching, strengthening the core, and engaging in posture-correcting routines can help ease discomfort and improve mobility.
However, while exercise can be effective for many, it may not always provide complete or lasting relief, especially if the pain is caused by more serious issues such as spinal misalignment, degenerative disc disease, or nerve compression. For some individuals, exercise alone may not address the underlying cause, leaving them feeling frustrated and uncertain about how to proceed with their recovery.
Why Getting a Clear Diagnosis Is Crucial
Upper back pain can result from a variety of causes, and understanding the exact cause is essential for finding the most effective treatment. Here are five common causes of upper back pain:
- Muscle Strain – Overuse, improper posture, or sudden movements can strain the muscles in the upper back, leading to pain, stiffness, and discomfort.
- Herniated Discs – Discs in the upper spine may slip or rupture, causing nerve compression and pain in the upper back and shoulders.
- Thoracic Spinal Misalignment – Misalignment of the thoracic spine can put pressure on the nerves, causing pain and discomfort in the upper back.
- Osteoarthritis – Degeneration of the joints in the spine can lead to chronic pain and stiffness in the upper back.
- Postural Issues – Poor posture, such as slouching or sitting for long periods without proper support, can strain the muscles and joints in the upper back, leading to pain.
In addition to these common causes, two less common but potentially serious causes of upper back pain include:
- Fractures – A break in the vertebrae or other bones in the upper back can cause severe pain and limit movement.
- Spinal Infections – Infections in the spine can cause inflammation, pain, and other symptoms, requiring prompt medical attention.
The Need for Imaging to Get a Precise Diagnosis
It’s important to recognize that upper back pain cannot always be fully diagnosed based on symptoms alone. Imaging techniques such as X-rays, MRIs, and ultrasounds are necessary to assess the condition of the muscles, ligaments, discs, and bones in the upper back. These diagnostic tools help healthcare providers get a clearer picture of the issue and create a treatment plan that targets the root cause of the pain.
The Pain Relief Clinic: Your Partner in Finding a Clear Diagnosis
At The Pain Relief Clinic, we understand how upper back pain can limit your ability to move freely and affect your quality of life. With over a decade of experience, we specialize in offering non-invasive diagnostic services to uncover the root cause of your pain. If exercise hasn’t provided lasting relief, we can arrange for affordable scans, typically within one working day.
Medisave can often be used to help cover the cost of these scans, making them more accessible for you.
We also assist with insurance claims, including accident insurance, travel insurance, and company insurance, ensuring that you can access the care you need without added financial strain.
Once we have a clear diagnosis, we can provide targeted treatments, solutions, and non-invasive technology to help alleviate your upper back pain and restore your mobility.
Ready to take control of your upper back pain? Send us a message today to arrange an appointment and take the first step toward lasting relief from upper back pain.
What To Expect When I Visit The Pain Relief Clinic
A typical visit will involve our doctor first understanding your medical history, concerns and previous experience with other pain treatments.
For patients who have consulted many people but have yet to receive a clear diagnosis, selecting an affordable imaging scan might be recommended to confirm the cause of your pain..
Some patients have already done scans with other doctors for their pain condition but are still not clearly told what they suffer from.
Dr Terence Tan is happy to offer you a second opinion and recommend how best to manage your condition.
We also see patients who already have a confirmed diagnosis from specialist pain doctors, but are "stuck” because treatment options offered are not practical or acceptable.
We can help by discussing options that you might have potentially never been told of.
A common experience is when a patient has already consulted a specialist doctor for pain management and is told to consider orthopaedic surgery which they find too aggressive.
Or they may have seen doctors for their pain and were prescribed painkillers with potential side effects which made them feel uncomfortable.
Many of our patients have also first tried complementary treatments or acupuncture with traditional Chinese pain doctors.
They look for a second opinion after finding any relief experienced from other treatments to be temporary or requiring repetitive treatments, which add up to time and cost.
Especially in such situations, we emphasize using non-invasive medical technology you likely have not been told about .
This can make a big difference to your results.