Upper back pain, same as lower back pain, can be treated with acupuncture Bellingham. Although not as common as lower back pain, upper back pain can be as severe. This type of back pain more often than not involves older people who are usually not active. Upper back pain can manifest as muscle or neck strain, muscle soreness or irritation, joint injuries or malfunction, shoulder pain, even by not being physically active or by sitting long hours in front of the computer using poor ergonomically designed furniture. Bad posture, accidents, can also be causes of upper back pain. The upper back supports the body and neck and carries large muscles that support the chest, neck, shoulders and head. Upper back pain does not usually go away through time and becomes chronic unless proper treatment is applied to the problem area. The symptoms of upper back pain are pain caused by deep breathing, sneezing or coughing; spasms or muscle tightness and tenderness.
Joint malfunction usually occurs from muscle injury or strain along the rib cage and the upper back. This problem can be treated by a chiropractor, physical therapist or by an acupuncturist. In acupuncture, needles are inserted at specific points in the body. The needles are inserted in a way to stimulate the release of “feel-good” chemicals called endorphins and opioid peptides that act as analgesics to mitigate the pain. The needles also remove the blockage of chi in the body to allow the chi to nourish and energize the whole body, particularly the injured areas. The body then heals itself with the added energy brought about by acupuncture.
Herbal medicine is also given to speed up and optimize the treatment. The acupuncturist may advice the patient to take anti-inflammatory drugs such as non-steroidal inflammatory drugs or NSAIDS to cut down on the upper back pain. If the pain is severe, sometimes steroids might be used at the site of the pain to give instant relief. Depending on the injury, acupuncture treatment can last for one day up to 6 or more months. Some prescribed diets and less strenuous activities might be advised by the professional to avoid the recurrence of pain. Environmental factors such as damp and cold may also play a part in upper back pain. Treatment may be different for each case of upper back pain and herbal medicine may be an option.
Upper back pain may have many symptoms. Some of these such as osteoarthritis, herniated disk, rheumatoid arthritis, tendonitis and bursitis may need special attention. The treatment for these symptoms may last a month or more and may involve besides acupuncture and herbal medicine, the taking of NSAIDS or steroids depending on the severity of the pain.