“Why does my upper back hurt between my shoulder blades?”

forward rounding of your shoulders is pulling on your upper back

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There is no definite answer to this. Normally, this pain comes because of bad posture but it can be an injury, organ referred pain, specific muscle and tissue injuries. You should see a chiropractor to find out.

You could have a shifted back, rib misalignment, or an internal issue like pancreatic, liver, intestine, or other issues. You need to be examined.

Usually these symptoms can have multiple causes. Posture and repetitive stress likely contributing to your pain. Consider an evaluation by a skilled practitioner for an evaluation and a plan. Pain is not a good indicator of spinal health. If you see a professional you can get some answers with a thorough exam.

Usually bad posture in conjunction with anterior displaced vertebra, bones that have moved forward out of position. This will also create binding of the rib heads. Chiropractic works well for that.

Yours in health,

Doc J

There are several reasons why you could be experiencing upper back discomfort. Your discomfort could be due to a musculoskeletal issue, which could be from things like working out, tight muscles, sitting/standing/laying in one position for an extended period of time. Poor posture doesn't necessarily cause upper back discomfort, but maintaining poor posture over an extended period of time can attribute to back soreness. Emotional stress also plays an important role in our wellbeing. Stress increases cortisol levels, which can lead to inflammation. Inflammation plays a role in many conditions, such as upper back pain. So, stress, whether it's from work, personal relationships, or major events in life can directly have an effect on our musculoskeletal system. The same thought process goes along with our diet. If most of diet consists of fatty processed foods, our inflammation can also rise. I know it's easier to have one simple answer to "why does this hurt," but the reality is these factors may include everything from physical, emotional, dietary, and socioeconomic factors.

There is a myriad of reasons why there is pain in your upper back between the shoulder blades. Whenever one deals with pain, you must be aware of the structures in the area that can cause pain. There is the heart, lungs, muscles, esophagus, and of course, the spinal column with its many rib attachments. Also consider the pain pattern. Is it constant? Pulsing? intermittent? When does it seem to be the worst? What makes it feel better? All of these things must be considered. With that being said, I can tell you that many patients have presented to my office the same way. Some I cannot help and must refer them out. Others usually will have some kind of joint fixation associated with the pain. There are a lot of joints in this area. Yes, joints! You have the joints (2 on the top and 2 on the bottom) of each vertebra PLUS the ribs have joint attachments to each side of the spine (1 for each rib). These joints can become fixed and lack motion. This usually leads to pain. I find this condition to be prevalent in people that work at desks like students, phone/computer people, and those that like to sleep on their stomachs. Without examining you, my best guess is joint fixation of one or more of the bony structures in that area. I definitely recommend that you have a chiropractic doctor check you out.

They most likely reason for having pain and discomfort in your upper back between the shoulder blades is a forward head posture or forward rolled shoulder posture. This is easily treated with good patient compliance. Typical treatment plan involves spinal adjustments to the misaligned segments of the mid thoracic spine and upper thoracic spine as well as muscle work to the tension in the muscles of this region. Finally, after resolving the discomfort, embarking on a stretch routine for the chest musculature as well as a strengthening routine for the Trapezius and Parascapular musculature will be highly effective.

Matthew J. McIlrath, DC, CMUA

This is usually caused from poor posture and weak back muscles relative to chest muscles.