Thoracic Pain Treatment
Thoracic pain or upper back pain is a common back problem that people suffer from. In today’s world where working on the computer for long hours is quite common more and more people are complaining about suffering from thoracic spine pain.
Bad posture and strain on the thoracic region of the spine are two quite common thoracic pain causes. Other major reasons for this problem are muscular problems, joint dysfunctions as well as herniated discs.
There are a lot of thoracic pain treatment options including both non-surgical and surgical methods that are used in treating upper back pain. Let us take a view at both these treatment methods.
Thoracic Pain Treatment (Non-Surgical Overview)
These are the most popular as well as most recommended treatment options for thoracic back pain. To treat upper back pain doctors will usually include one or a combination of the following:
- Use of anti-Inflammatory agents to reduce inflammation like NSAIDs, epidural injections, facet blocks as well as use of narcotic and non-narcotic analgesic medications to help relieve back pain
- Activity modification as well as recommending short period of rest
- Recommending back strengthening exercises like core stabilization exercises
- Application of ice packs as well as manual manipulation that is usually done by a trained chiropractic
- Use of back braces
Overview of Surgical Options
Surgery for upper back pain is rarely used as a treatment option. It is only recommended when a degenerated disc leads to spinal cord dysfunction or myelopathy or when the patient suffers from severe symptoms like progressive neurologic deficits.
These disorders lead the patient to suffer from often intolerable pain that is untreatable by non-surgical disease. Decompression in the surgical option that is chosen to address these symptoms and to get the pressure off the spinal cord.
