PAIN EDUCATION • THORACIC SPINE, RIBS & MUSCLES
Upper Back / Thoracic Pain
Upper back pain may arise from muscles, joints, discs, ribs, posture, injury, or referred conditions.
UNDERSTAND THE REGION
Anatomy matters.
Symptoms in the same body region can come from different tissues and may feel similar. A clinical evaluation helps determine which structures may be involved.
This page is educational and does not diagnose the cause of your symptoms.
Thoracic / Spine Region — interactive 3DDrag/rotate and zoom inside the NIH 3D viewer when supported.
Region-specific educational anatomy. Open the NIH 3D model in a new tab if the embedded viewer is unavailable. This model is for education and does not diagnose the cause of pain.
POSSIBLE CAUSES
What may contribute to upper back / thoracic pain?
Common categories
- Muscle strain / myofascial pain
- Thoracic joint irritation
- Degenerative change
- Rib or costovertebral pain
- Referred pain from another condition
Evaluation may include
- Medical history and symptom review
- Medication review
- Focused physical / neurologic examination
- Review of prior records or imaging
- Additional testing or referral when indicated
Care may include
- History and examination
- Activity and ergonomic modification
- Medication options when appropriate
- Physical therapy
- Imaging or referral when indicated
Seek urgent or emergency care for concerning symptoms
New severe weakness, major trauma, loss of bowel or bladder control, chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke-like symptoms, rapidly worsening neurologic symptoms, or other severe/rapidly worsening symptoms may require urgent or emergency evaluation. Call 911 for an emergency.