What Causes Middle Back Pain?

There are many potential causes of middle back pain:

• Injury: Trauma from accidents or falls can result in fractures or soft-tissue injuries in the mid-back. A strain or sprain can also occur from stretching or tearing the muscles, tendons or ligaments of your back by making a sudden movement or incorrectly lifting something heavy. 
• Poor posture: Slouching while sitting or standing can be a big source of back pain, as it puts more pressure on the spine and can strain muscles as they try to maintain balance. 
• Herniated discs: If the spinal discs in the thoracic spine become compressed, bulge or rupture, the pressure put on nerves can cause severe middle back pain. 
• Degenerative disc disease: This happens when spinal discs wear down over time. It can lead to pain and stiffness or nerve irritation in the middle of the back. 
• Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage covering the joints breaks down, causing the bones to rub together and pain, swelling and stiffness in the middle back. 
• Pinched nerves in the spine: Compressed nerves in your back can create minor to severe pain in the back that feels like a shock or burning sensation, often wrapping around the chest or ribcage. This nerve pain in the middle of the back can happen when a herniated disc, poor posture or bone spurs compress a nerve root. 
• Spinal stenosis: Spinal stenosis happens when the spinal canal narrows and puts pressure on nerves. This can cause pain, tingling, numbness or weakness.

Lower back pain is more common than upper and middle back pain because the lumbar spine bears most of your body weight. However, the structures around it are still vulnerable to painful injuries and wear and tear from overuse. While less common, it’s possible to experience pain or discomfort anywhere from the bottom of your neck to waist level.

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Risk Factors and Prevention Tips 

Certain risk factors can lead to center back pain, like a sedentary lifestyle, poor posture, smoking and excess weight. For instance, working long hours at a desk without taking time to move during the day can lead to muscle fatigue and weakness in your core and back. Slouching or rounding your shoulders while sitting or standing can also place stress on the spine. 

Some tips to prevent these risk factors include:

• If you work from a desk, make sure your screen is at eye level, and your feet are flat on the floor. Keep your back straight while standing or sitting, and take a break to walk and stretch every 20 minutes of sitting. 
• When lifting heavy objects, keep your back straight, bend at the knees and hold them close to your body to prevent injury. 
• You can also incorporate more targeted stretching and strengthening exercises, avoid smoking and eat a nutritious diet to maintain a healthy weight and help prevent pain. 

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