When I press my back, my thoracic joints hurt. Is it inflammation?

If I press my back with my fingers, I will immediately feel pain in my thoracic vertebrae joints. I believe I am not the only one who has this problem!!!

So how does this pain come about, and how can we effectively deal with it after it occurs? Let’s discuss them one by one.

In fact, many people around us have experienced or are experiencing back pain. During the examination, many people will experience pain in the thoracic joints when pressing the back. There are actually many reasons for this symptom, and it cannot be directly attributed to an inflammatory response in the thoracic joints .

1. Causes of thoracic spine pain caused by pressing the back

1. Thoracic facet joint disorder

Thoracic facet joint disorder refers to the situation in which the facet joints of the thoracic spine are affect by trauma. Strain or poor posture, causing small displacements at the lumbar joints, resulting in varying degrees of damage to soft tissues such as nerves and blood vessels, leading to a series of symptoms of chest and back pain.

Causes:

(1) Chronic strain

When we work or study in a bad or uncoordinated posture for a long time, the muscles and ligaments of the back are over-stretched and twisted for a long time, resulting in chronic cumulative damage . This will cause the inner and outer sides of the thoracic spine to be in an unbalanced state, causing thoracic posterior joint disorder and pain.

(2) Degenerative lesions

This cause is more common in middle-aged and elderly people. With age, the thoracic intervertebral disc tissue undergoes degenerative changes , the intervertebral space narrows, and the soft tissues such as the joint capsule and ligaments between the small joints become loose. Under a certain external force, it is easy to cause joint disorder, resulting in this disease.

2. Degenerative changes in muscles and fascia This is the most common cause among young and middle-aged people, and is also an important reason why neck and back pain is gradually becoming younger. Long periods of standing and sitting in improper postures and bowing the head cause the muscles and fascia of the entire chest and back to be in a state of excessive tension, which gradually develops into some small tears.

These tiny tears will then degenerate and cause muscle fascia degeneration and painful reactions. Gradually, they gather together to form scar tissue , which are some of the muscle knots we often touch. Western medicine calls them trigger points .

3. Back and thoracic pain caused by diseases. The editor has consulted the information and found that in addition to the common bone and soft tissue problems, a small number of people suffer from back pain caused by diseases, especially liver diseases , because after the liver is severely damaged, it will cause pain in the liver area, thus causing symptoms of back and thoracic pain.

2. The most effective “weapon” to fight back pain

1. Correct standing and sitting posture

This is a basic measure to treat all those who have back problems, and it is also what we should pay most attention to in our daily lives. In daily life, bad sitting and standing postures lead to increased curvature of the thoracic spine . Maintaining the correct standing and sitting postures is to allow the spine to bear the weight of the head in a healthy manner. We should keep the head directly above the chest (thorax).

2. Relaxation techniques

Through manual therapy by professional rehabilitation therapists , the muscles and fascia of the back can be effectively loosened, especially some pain points or trigger points that have not been formed for a particularly long time, which will gradually get very obvious relaxation.

After transformation

Of course, you can also ask others for help. By using the technique and strength of kneading dough, use the base of your palm to massage the muscles around the thoracic spine in the upper back to quickly loosen the tense muscles. Then use your thumb to loosen the erector spinae muscles on both sides of the spine. Use the inner head of your thumb to press the stiff muscles and move them from the inside of the spine to the outside.

3. Exercise therapy

Improved thoracic spine mobility

(1) Cat stretch (spinal flexion and extension range of motion training)

Kneeling position at 4 o’clock , inhale and bring your chin to your sternum, arch your back and waist, then exhale and lift your head up and lower your waist. Do 15 times in a set, and do 3 sets.

(2) Side-lying rotation (side-lying thoracic spine rotation range of motion training)

Lie on your side with your lower leg straight and your upper leg bent. Use your lower hand to hold the bent leg in place and place your other hand behind your ear. Rotate from front to back and use your elbow to touch the bed as much as possible. Do 15 times on each side in each set and repeat 3 sets.

(3) Box rotation (kneeling thoracic spine rotation range of motion training)

Get into the four-point support position with your hands and knees, place one hand behind your ear, and keep your arm parallel to your body. Then touch your elbow to the elbow of the opposite side, and then slowly raise your elbow and point it into the air to rotate the thoracic spine. Do 15 times on each side in each set, and repeat 3 sets.

2. Neck and back muscle strength training

(1) Side-lying dumbbell resistance external rotation

Lie on your side, hold a small dumbbell in your upper hand (you can use a bottle instead), bend your elbow 90 degrees and keep your upper arm close to your body. You can clamp a towel at the elbow joint. Start from the external rotation position and move toward the abdomen, then slowly return to the original position. Repeat 15 times/set on each side, and do 3 sets.

(2) Standing elastic ring resisted external rotation

Stand, hold the elastic ring in both hands, bend your elbows 90 degrees, be careful not to shrug your shoulders, keep your upper arms close to your body, clamp a towel at your elbow joints, make fists with your palms facing up and thumbs facing outwards, and do external rotation to both sides . Repeat 15 times/set, and do 3 sets.

(3) Dumbbell bent-over row

Half squat, knees should not exceed toes, hold dumbbells of appropriate weight in both hands and let them hang naturally, keeping the core tight. Exhale, bend elbows on both sides and move them to the upper back to the limit, inhale and return to the original position. 15 times/set, do 3 sets.

(4) Y-shaped stretch

Lie on the mat, lift your upper body slightly, tuck your chin in, look level at the mat, raise your hands up to make a Y shape, extend your arms back, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and use your upper back to exert force. Do 15 times per set, and do 3 sets.

Finally, I would like to advise everyone that if you experience pain in your thoracic spine and back, you must seek professional help in a timely manner to clarify your problem and get professional treatment as soon as possible. If there are friends who are suffering from this problem, you are welcome to consult us!