Aging, as well as daily pressure on the spine and back muscles, can result in middle back pain. Lifestyle factors also play a role, including poor posture, obesity, inactivity and smoking.
When most people experience back pain, it’s usually in their lower back. The middle back, or thoracic spine, is far less prone to injury because it is less mobile and does not carry as much of your body weight. Although less common, it is possible to experience pain or discomfort anywhere from the bottom of your neck to roughly waist level.
If you are experiencing middle back or thoracic spine pain (TSP), the doctors at Desert Institute for Spine Care are here for you. We focus on compassionate care and sophisticated diagnostic techniques to help us find the source of your middle back pain and develop a personalized treatment approach.
Middle back pain is a symptom rather than a condition, and it usually points to some injury or illness of the thoracic spine. The thoracic spine has far less range of motion than the upper or lower back. Its main functions are to provide stability, protect the spinal cord and provide an attachment point for the ribs and various muscle groups.
Your spinal column is made up of 33 vertebrae, 12 of which are located in the thoracic region. This middle back area is found at the back of the chest, extending from the bottom of the neck to the start of the low back.
Along with the vertebrae, the middle back consists of shock-absorbing spinal discs, muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and blood vessels.
When you experience damage, injury or irritation to any of the thoracic spine structures, you may experience TSP.
Schedule an AppointmentThoracic spine pain is more often caused by serious underlying spinal pathology compared to the causes of lower back or neck pain. However, this symptom can also occur in healthy individuals with no apparent injury or illness. Surprisingly, children and adolescents, primarily females, are more prone to TSP. This could be due to a number of factors, including heavy backpack use, participation in certain sports, chair height at school or strain while doing homework.
Aging, as well as daily pressure on the spine and back muscles, can result in middle back pain. Lifestyle factors also play a role, including poor posture, obesity, inactivity and smoking.
This injury is caused by stretching or tearing the muscles, tendons or ligaments of your back with a sudden, jerky movement or improperly lifting something heavy.
Injuries due to car accidents, falls and playing sports can all lead to TSP.
If the spinal discs in the thoracic spine become compressed, bulge or rupture, the pressure put on nerves can cause severe middle back pain.
When the cartilage covering the joints breaks down, the bones can rub together and cause painful symptoms in the middle back.
Compressed nerves in your back can create minor to severe pain.
The pain that people experience in their middle back can be characterized in various ways, including tenderness, tightness or stiffness. Patients also describe their pain as feeling dull, sharp or stabbing. TSP can be accompanied by a burning sensation in the middle back.
Additional side effects that sometimes accompany middle back pain include:
Don’t just take our word for it. See what patients of DISC are saying about their experiences with our highly-skilled spine surgeons.
There are a variety of effective and innovative treatment options for middle back pain. At DISC in Arizona, our first aim is to provide an accurate diagnosis. Because of the various potential causes, we use a proprietary diagnostic technique called Personalized Pain Diagnostics (PPD) to find the specific pain generator.
Once we understand your unique pain journey, we work with you to develop a personalized treatment approach. As leaders in minimally invasive spine care, we always start with the least invasive option, including non-surgical treatments like:
However, if your middle back pain symptoms progress, we may recommend surgical intervention. The spinal care experts at DISC specialize in a wide range of surgical options, including minimally invasive procedures.
If you’ve been struggling with middle back pain and nothing seems to relieve your symptoms, contact the orthopedic spine surgeons at DISC to learn about your treatment options. Take the first step toward relieving your pain and enjoying life again.
Our spine health blog features up-to-date spine education and expert spine tips from our spine specialists here at DISC.
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Congratulations to DISC’s surgeons, Christopher Yeung, Justin Field, and Nima Salari, for being chosen as Phoenix Magazine’s TOP DOCTOR in 2023.
Register today for Amplify Surgical’s 2nd Annual Endoscopic Spine Symposium, featuring dualPortal™ and dualX® System on March 4, 2023.
Congratulations to Dr. Yeung for being featured on the front cover of Maricopa County Medical Society’s “Arizona Physician” Winter 2022 magazine!
Dr. Chris Yeung was interviewed by Arizona Physician Magazine – a publication that provides information for physicians across Arizona.
Dr. Salari received the most votes in the Orthopedic Surgery of the Spine category. Dr. Yeung received the award for the 10th consecutive year.
DISC surgeon Dr. Chris Yeung participates as a panelist in UCI Health Comprehensive Spine Center Webinar Series on January 14th, 2022.
DISC surgeons Dr. Salari and Dr. Wang participated as instructors in a recent M.O.R.E. Education Spine Program in Phoenix, Arizona on November 19-20, 2021. The M.O.R.E. Spine Learning Center offers surgeons the opportunity to attend cadaver labs, meet experienced surgeons and discuss the clinical, technical and economic aspects of new spine treatment technologies.
Begin or advance your Endoscopic skills at NASS on September 29th, 2021. Elliquence is dedicated to ensuring the best education for doctors and physicians on the Endoscopic Spine and MIS procedures using didactic and cadaveric hands-on instruction.
We are proud to announce that Dr. Nima Salari has been named to Becker’s Spine Review “50 Spine Surgeons To Know.” Written by Carly Behm | August 26th, 2021 Nima Salari, MD. Desert Institute for Spine Care (Phoenix). Dr. Salari was reportedly the first spine surgeon to implant Amplify Surgical’s 12-degree hyperlordotic DualX interbody cage. His specialties include pathologic conditions of the spine and minimally invasive surgery.
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