Upper and lower back pain may feel the same, but they’re often caused by separate conditions, with separate chiropractic treatment options. Learning about the differences and potential causes for your pain may help you explain what’s going on to your chiropractor, aiding in more precise diagnosis and treatment. Below is a guide covering the different causes of these two types of back pain.

Upper Back Pain

Causes

Upper back pain is often caused by poor posture, which is common in people who sit at a desk for several hours at work. Whether from sports or repetitive manual labor, muscle injuries caused by overuse or strain are also a common cause of pain. Both of these issues will feel like an ache or sharp pain.

When the discs that cushion your vertebrae bulge or rupture, it results in a herniated disc. This injury can cause upper back pain that’s accompanied by numbness, tingling, and weakness. Osteoarthritis is a condition that erodes cartilage in the joints, including the spine, causing discomfort.

Treatment

Conservative treatments are the dominant approach for upper back pain, and surgery is rarely recommended. Utilizing over-the-counter medications, heat and ice therapy, and a few days of rest followed by muscle strengthening exercises are the first approaches to healing. Sometimes chiropractic treatments like massage or manipulation will be used to encourage healing and relief.

Lower Back Pain

Causes

Pain in your lower back could be due to a multitude of other conditions. Degenerative disc disease occurs naturally with age, and the pain it causes sometimes resolves on its own. Joint erosions and dysfunctions and spinal stenosis—or narrowing of the spinal column—can apply pressure to nerves that send shooting pains through the lower back and down the legs. These issues are both common with degenerative diseases like osteoarthritis.

Slipped vertebrae are another concern, and can happen when a vertebra shifts out of position. Deformities like scoliosis can also cause lower back pain, due to the spine being misshapen.

Most of these conditions affect adults, but if your child is complaining of back pain, it could be from an overloaded backpack. A backpack should weigh no more than 15% of their body weight, or it can contribute to misalignment and spinal compression. 

Treatment

The first line of treatment involves gentle exercises, stretching, rest, OTC pain relievers, muscle relaxers, and heat or ice. If your pain doesn’t respond, physical therapy, changes in lifestyle, injections, and chiropractic adjustments may be implemented.

If these don’t help, surgery may be recommended for stenosis pain, slipped discs, herniated discs, and fractures that don’t resolve on their own. 

Are you suffering from persistent upper and lower back pain? The chiropractic team at West Chiropractic Clinic in Soldotna, AK, has over 38 years of experience treating back and neck pain, and auto, sports, and work-related injuries. Their chiropractic treatments include massage therapy and manipulation. Learn about their treatments online, and schedule an appointment by calling (907) 262-9171.