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What Causes Upper Back Pain Along With Severe Arm Pain?
I have been having some upper back pain for about 2 weeks ! Went to primary and he didn t find find anything but did an ekg and it was normal! I m type 2 diabetic hbp ! Now for the last 5 days I pain in both my arms esp my left! If I take Tylenol it is relieved for a couple of hours ! Don t know what to think bc I don t feel anything else!
Wed, 28 Nov 2018
Hi,
The most common cause of upper back pain is the problem we know as PMID (Painful Minor Intervertebral Derangement). It is a disorder caused by irritation and local damage to small joints above and below the vertebrae (facet joints). Other causes can be any problem at vertebral bones themselves, spasm and strain at muscles around the spinal bones and in rare cases intervertebral disk protrusion (discopathy). As you have pain also at your arms, cervical region is more probably affected.
One thing that you can do is to have someone put pressure over your vertebral bones, one by one, from neck to upper back and locate the areas that are sensitive and painful to pressure.
- If you found painful spots then do the following: 1- an anti-inflammatory medication such as Ibuprofen or Diclofenac Na, for 5-7 days 2- an antispasmodic agent such as Baclofen 3- a muscle relaxant gel or cream to be put 3-4 times a day. Also, you need few days of rest. If the problem did not start to relieve after a few days, you should refer to a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist, an Orthopedist or a Neurologist for a proper examination. they can order some sessions of physiotherapy or give other medication according to their findings.
In some cases if they confirm that the pain originates from Facet joints, spinal manipulation could reduce the symptoms immediately and effectively. Spinal Manipulation can be done by trained professionals (mainly Physiatrists, Chiropractors or Osteopaths, according to where you live).
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Hooman Mahmoudi,
Neurologist
The most common cause of upper back pain is the problem we know as PMID (Painful Minor Intervertebral Derangement). It is a disorder caused by irritation and local damage to small joints above and below the vertebrae (facet joints). Other causes can be any problem at vertebral bones themselves, spasm and strain at muscles around the spinal bones and in rare cases intervertebral disk protrusion (discopathy). As you have pain also at your arms, cervical region is more probably affected.
One thing that you can do is to have someone put pressure over your vertebral bones, one by one, from neck to upper back and locate the areas that are sensitive and painful to pressure.
- If you found painful spots then do the following: 1- an anti-inflammatory medication such as Ibuprofen or Diclofenac Na, for 5-7 days 2- an antispasmodic agent such as Baclofen 3- a muscle relaxant gel or cream to be put 3-4 times a day. Also, you need few days of rest. If the problem did not start to relieve after a few days, you should refer to a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist, an Orthopedist or a Neurologist for a proper examination. they can order some sessions of physiotherapy or give other medication according to their findings.
In some cases if they confirm that the pain originates from Facet joints, spinal manipulation could reduce the symptoms immediately and effectively. Spinal Manipulation can be done by trained professionals (mainly Physiatrists, Chiropractors or Osteopaths, according to where you live).
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Hooman Mahmoudi,
Neurologist
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