Our Recommendations for Managing Your Chronic Middle Back Pain

At Branko PRPA M.D. We know how annoying chronic middle back pain can be. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to cope with it. From knowing the common causes of back pain to choosing the best home remedies, here’s a look at some of the ways that you can deal with back pain.

What Causes Chronic Middle Back Pain?

Although not quite as common as lower back pain, chronic middle back pain is still an ailment that many adults suffer from — with some studies showing almost a 20% prevalence rate.

The symptoms of middle back pain can consist of aching, sharp pains, and a burning sensation. Some of the common causes for middle back pain include the following:

• Strain or Injury
• Bad Posture
• Herniated Disc
• Pinched Nerve
• Degenerative Disc Disease

Ways To Alleviate Chronic Middle Back Pain

Heat Treatments: Heat can sometimes help reduce the discomfort you’re feeling from chronic back pain. Minor strains can be alleviated with hot baths, steamed towels, heat wraps, or heating pads. These methods can help reduce stiffness and the amount of pain you feel.

Ice packs: One the other hand, the cold can also help with some minor back pain. Try using an ice pack occasionally throughout the day to see if that stiffness and strain that you’re feeling goes away.

Over-the-counter medications: Some common pain medications can also help dull chronic back pain. Ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetaminophen can all be found in your local drug store or supermarket. These can provide temporary relief from pain.

Prescription drugs: If OTC medication doesn’t do the trick, doctors can prescribe muscle relaxants or anti-inflammatory medications that could help you.

Physical therapy: Chronic back pain could be best treated by physical therapy in some instances. A physical therapist can teach you new ways to exercise and stretch. Staying in motion can help you deal with back pain better than just lying in bed, and you can learn things that will serve you well in the future.

Staying active: As we mentioned above, physical therapy can help because you’re moving around. Being sedentary might feel better in the short term, but staying active can help you alleviate your chronic back pain. You don’t have to run a half-marathon, but taking regular strolls on your lunch break or on the weekend will help exercise your muscles in a low impact way.

Visit a doctor: If your pain is serious and comes with other symptoms, it may be time to see a medical professional. Other symptoms to be worried by include numbness in your lower body, nausea, and abdominal pain. If your back pain is so bad that you can’t even move, it also might be time to see a doctor.

Spinal injections: Injections could help alleviate chronic back pain. Epidurals or a technique known as facet joint injections can both help reduce pain from the back that radiates to other parts of the body, like your legs.

Back surgery: Most chronic lower back pain doesn’t require surgery, but some eventually might. Severe compression of the nerves or spinal cord that leads to pain in the extremities could be a sign that a surgical option needs to be on the table. Surgery can help remove pressure from the nerves and put an end to your chronic pain.

Consider a Consultation With a Middle Back Pain Expert

In addition to the above treatment options, new minimally invasive techniques that use smaller surgical incisions could be a possible cure for your back pain. 

Compared with other surgical methods, you can often recover faster from minimally invasive surgery. We actually prefer these methods here at Branko PRPA M.D. and use them whenever possible. We can help you manage your chronic middle back pain and get you back into your daily routine quickly and safely. 

Request a consultation with Dr. Prpa–Milwaukee’s leading spine surgeon– today!