Mid back pain mainly occurs between the shoulder blades, posterior ribs or within the 12
vertebrae that make up the thoracic spine (mid-back). Most people who experience mid
back pain or pain between the shoulder blades feel it when they twist, move in certain
directions, or take a deep breath.
A common cause of mid back pain is a rib injury or subluxation (a partial dislocation).
Because the thoracic spine attaches to the ribs, if a blunt force were to affect the ribs, even if
the force occurred in the front part of the body, a mid back symptom may develop because
the muscles between the ribs were irritated or the ribs were subluxed at the spinal level. This
can even occur during an uncontrolled cough or sneeze. The muscles in this region extend
from the front part of the ribs to an area that attaches to the thoracic spine so an
uncontrolled cough or sneeze can cause a great deal of middle back discomfort. Upon
examination it is very common to find a lower back misalignment, or in some cases, a lower
neck misalignment that has caused the mid back pain. Remember, the spine works as a
unit. In the majority of cases, patients will complain about neck or lower back pain
specifically. However, the thoracic spine can be the root of the pain. Fortunately, this can be
addressed using chiropractic treatment.
Costochondritis occurs when the cartilage, the costosternal joint, that connects the ribs to
the breastbone becomes inflamed. This inflammation leads to sharp pain in the costosternal
joint. This pain can resemble symptoms of a heart attack. The difference between the two is
that heart attack pain is more widespread while costochondritis is localized around the
breastbone. Symptoms of costochondritis include:
Pain in the area the ribs attach to the breastbone
Pain when breathing deeply, coughing, and sneezing
Difficulty breathing
Sharp, dull pain
Costochondritis treatment and mid back pain treatment consist of chiropractic adjustments
to address misaligned vertebrae/ribs and physiotherapy to eliminate soft tissue swelling.
For mid back pain treatment, contact us at Vegas Valley Chiropractic, (702)478-6914