If you have back problems, you may know where they come from. However, that is usually the case when the pain is in the lower back. We are aware of times when we have gotten injured, or perhaps when we have poor posture each day will sitting at our desks. If you have a labor intensive job, the source of your pain may be very obvious. However, if you find yourself with upper back pain, you may not be so sure from where the pain comes. There are some common reasons for this, and you may have experienced one of them.
One of the most common reasons for neck and upper back pain is sleeping the wrong way. You may have slept with a different pillow, and it did not feel right. When you do that, you move around in the night trying to get the position of which you are used to sleeping. That means pain in the upper back. You may also have moved into a funny position because of a dream. Don’t laugh. That happens all of the time. If you are being pursued or scared in your sleep, your body may move around trying to ‘get away’, even if it is just a dream. Upper back pain will then ensue.
You may know that you can get lower back pain from sitting in your chair the wrong way, but you can also get upper back pain in the same way. This type of pain can radiate from the upper back and up into the neck. It happens due to poor posture as well. This is something that happens when you lean towards your computer, most often due to vision problems. If you find yourself doing this, you may want to make sure your vision is what it should be. You should also post a little note reminding you to sit up so that you can avoid that upper back pain.
Upper back pain can also mean all over poor posture in other areas of your life as well. You may hunch over when you are standing over the stove, or perhaps you have to stoop to use your shower. You may walk with your shoulders slumped, which can strain the muscles in all parts of your back. Most upper back pain, and pain in the neck, comes from muscle strain and misuse. You may have to think about why you are always slouching to see what you can do to correct that.
When you first feel upper back pain, you should put some heat on it to sooth the muscles. If they are tightened up and strained, the heat is going to help relax them. You may also want to take a pain reliever that works with muscles. If the pain in your neck and upper back is bad, and preventing you from going through your day, you may want to see your doctor for more advice and possibly some short term medications that can get you back to normal in no time.