How To Relieve Upper Back Pain Without Painkillers

January 16, 2023
Kinetik Chain Denver Physical Therapy

Pain in the upper back may not be as common as pain in the lower back, but it’s still something our team treat regularly.

Whilst it might not be as common as lower back pain, it is certainly as annoying, frustrating and uncomfortable when it flares up.

That’s why we have put together this blog, to help you discover natural ways to relieve upper back pain, and find out the best way to treat it without painkillers, injections or surgery.

What Causes Upper Back Pain Between Shoulder Blades?

When patients visit our Denver clinic with upper back pain, there is usually one thing that they have in common.

People with upper back pain between their shoulder blades usually spend a lot of time hunched over – whether that’s driving or sitting at their computer.

Pain in the upper back between your shoulder blades is often caused by poor posture, and over time, this leads to excessive stress on certain muscles.

Those muscles between the shoulder blades can be prone to strains and injuries simply due to the sheer volume of time that they are in a bad position.

You might also be suffering to recover from an injury from playing sports, a car incident or falling. Even sleeping in an awkward position can lead to injuries in the smaller upper back muscles which help your shoulder joint rotate.

How To Relieve Upper Back Pain At Home Without Painkillers

Use Heat (Or Ice)

If you are struggling with upper back pain on a regular basis, the use of heat can be a natural way to relieve pain.

We covered how to use heat therapy in another blog which you can read here > Heat vs Ice: When To Use One Over The Other

(If your upper back pain is a result of an incident like a fall, or a sporting injury, ice is likely to be a better option and that’s covered in the article above too!)

Improve Your Posture

Another thing that you can do is to improve your posture and avoid been stuck in a hunched position for long periods of time.

Even if you have an office job, or drive for a living, where you are likely to be in this position a lot, there are still adjustments you can make to reduce the stress on your upper back and relieve upper back pain between the shoulder blades.

A simple way to improve your position is to sit more upright and avoid reaching your arms out too far in front of you by moving your seat closer to your keyboard, or steering wheel. This reduce the need for you to hunch forward.

Move Regularly

Another easy strategy is to regular move. Every 30 minutes, sit back, move your head side to side and up and down to mobilise your neck.

Then retract your shoulder blades back (think about squeezing them together), raise your shoulders (think about bringing the tip of your shoulder towards your ears), and then lower your shoulders (think about touching the floor with your hands whilst keeping a straight back.

This will get your muscles and joints to move and help avoid stiffness and pain later in the day.

When Should I Worry About Upper Back Pain?

With all muscular pain, not just upper back pain, a minor injury should recover within a few days. This might be easily manageable at home without specialist help. This might be easily manageable at home without specialist help, and following the advice above.

If you’ve suffered with upper back pain for more than a week, it keeps coming back, or it’s getting more painful, this could be a sign that you’ve done some serious damage.

Even if your upper back pain is caused by repetitive strain, the chances are it won’t heal fully without rehabilitation and could escalate into a bigger problem in future.

Right now, we are offering a limited number of Free Back Pain Assessments in our Denver clinic where you can discover the most effective treatment options available for your upper back pain without having to resort to painkillers, injections or surgery.

You can also arrange a Free Telephone Consultation or call us on (720) 651-0674 if you prefer to speak to a member of the physical therapy team from the comfort of your own home.

Our team have worked with hundreds of patients struggling with upper back pain with a variety of treatments including Physical Therapy, Massage Therapy, and Dry Needling.

Do You Want To Be Pain-Free Like Dee?

Dee came to our clinic with back pain which flared up when lifting weights. This was ruining workouts, and they weren’t sure whether anything would work.

“It made me nervous to lift, and the pain was all I was concentrated on. After seeing TWO other people to try and get rid of it, I finally found Jamie. I have been pain-free since, and not even a hint of it has come back.”

If you are struggling with back pain like Dee, arrange your Free Back Pain Assessments today!