If you’re feeling upper back pain while breathing in north O’Fallon, Missouri, you may be wondering why you have this pain. The upper back is the area between the base of the neck and the bottom of the ribs, and pain in this area can be connected to a number of issues. However, there are three issues in particular that may be the root cause of your problem.
1. A broken rib
Your first thought when feeling upper back pain when breathing may not be that you have a broken rib, but this issue is actually a common cause of this type of upper back pain. Each of your ribs is attached to one of the vertebrae in your upper back. This means that breaking a rib can cause pain signals to be sent into your upper back, and these signals are often sent out when you take a deep breath with a broken rib. As the fractured rib heals, the pain should also go away.
2. Fractured vertebrae
Another type of fracture that can lead to upper back pain when breathing is fractured thoracic vertebrae. Thoracic vertebrae is the name for the vertebrae in your upper back, and these bones can be broken in several ways. For example, a car accident can lead to a thoracic vertebrae fracture. Impacts while playing sports can also cause this type of injury. When you have an injury like this, the fractured vertebrae may send out pain signals when you breathe. This is because the expanding and contracting of the lungs causes your vertebrae to move, and when one is broken, pain may be the result of this movement.
3. Blood clot in the lungs
A much more serious cause of upper back pain when breathing is a blood clot in your lungs. Also called a pulmonary embolism, lung blood clots are gel-like blobs of fibrin and blood cells that can block the flow of blood in your lungs. This issue can cause you to experience a number of symptoms. You may feel faint or short of breath, and patients with a pulmonary embolism can also have breathing-related upper back pain. If you have this combination of symptoms, it’s vital that you see your doctor immediately.
Get help with your upper back pain at Excel Sports & Physical Therapy
Upper back issues can make it harder to do normal daily tasks or even breathe, and this means getting help for such issues isn’t something you should put off. Excel Sports & Physical Therapy has a clinic in north O’Fallon that can help you treat upper back problems. Our help will come in the form of a personalized therapy plan designed to provide benefits like:
- Reduced pain
- Improved mobility
- Increased range of motion
- Improved ability to do normal daily tasks
We’ll also help you by providing one-on-one support throughout your therapy journey.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an appointment.
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