Upper back pain is not as common as lower back pain. The lower back is designed to aid in mobility the upper back is designed for strength. Its main purpose is to protect the important internal organs in the chest. This area is known as the thoracic spine. It is also anatomically different from the lower (lumbar region) in that it is slightly concave and the ribs are attached directly to the spine to provide structural stability which allows for very little motion when compared with the other areas of the spine. Therefore, the common causes of the more common lower back pain are not usually a factor in upper back pain.

Upper back pain is usually caused by muscular irritation, medically called myofascial pain, and/or joint dysfunction. Injuries to spinal discs (such as a herniated disc, or a degenerated disc), spinal stenosis, and spinal instability are a possible cause of upper back pain but are very rare. Because these anatomical causes are very unusual a CT scan or MRI will rarely be effective in diagnosing the cause of the pain. Upper back pain causes can be fairly elusive if the pain can’t be traced back to a specific traumatic event.

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