A
multitude of patients have come to us for pain between the shoulder blades
or in the upper back. This area of the spine that starts just below the
neck, and ends at the bottom of the rib cage, is called the mid-back.
Mid-back pain can be very aggravating. Sometimes it can feel like being
stabbed with a knife. Because the ribs attach to this area, in some instances
the ribs too can get involved. Pain can radiate around to the side or
front of the ribs.
Direct trauma or injury cause pain in this area: car accidents, sports
injuries, etc. However, it is also an important compensatory area of the
back. It will compensate for low-back and pelvic problems, or for neck
problems.
One of the most interesting and baffling causes of mid-back pain is from
the blood-sugar control system. Because the nerves to the organs of blood-sugar
control (pancreas, liver, and adrenal glands) travel out from this part
of the spine, a persons dietary error may trigger this type of spinal
pain. The other day a patient reported a stabbing mid-back pain. On inquiring,
she told us of eating her way through a whole bag of candy in one sitting
(just before the pain started). Excess carbohydrate (sugar or starch)
overload can cause this area of the spine to subluxate (go out of place,
and irritate the adjacent nerves). The typical location is right around
the center of the back (at about the height that a bra strap crosses a
womans back).
This area of the spine, if injured directly can also cause a malfunction
to occur from the pinched nerves to blood-sugar control organs. It is
also the area (there are 12 different pairs of spinal nerves emitting
from the mid-back) for many key digestive nerves. The ones that go to
stomach (indigestion, gas, ulcer, "hiatal hernia") are just
one inch above the blood sugar (pancreas) nerve. Liver, gall bladder,
and small intestine nerves are also from the mid-back. Correcting subluxations
of the mid-back, and normalizing the nerve communication of that area
successfully treats numerous digestive disorders.
The
top of the mid-back has nerves that go to the heart. Numerous heart irregularities
(arrhythmias, etc.) that have worried many patients, were finally
figured out and eliminated when they came in to us. Their health problem
had eluded being figured out after extensive prior medical tests. These
upper nerves also send signals to the shoulders and arm. (Ever wondered
why arm pain is linked to heart disease? Answer: They share many of the
same nerves.)
The mid-back responds very well to advanced chiropractic procedures. The
pain can be relieved and the spine corrected. It is a good idea to do
this as early as possible. Spinal conditions left uncorrected, as time
passes, result in spine, joint, disc and nerve degeneration.
A number of digestive, blood-sugar and chronic fatigue disorders will
not respond permanently without this part of the spine being tested, and
if found abnormal, corrected.
The new breakthrough technologies: Proprioceptive Technique and Applied
Kinesiology, the chiropractic speciaties that developed muscle testing
as a diagnostic method, enable us to clear up even difficult mid-back
complaints. Even for those patients who had unsuccessfully seen lots of
other chiropractors, doctors and therapists before getting to us.
Nutritional supplementation is invaluable in healing many back conditions.
Ligaments, discs and nerves are repaired faster and better using nutrition.
Nutritients relieve muscle spasms and pain, often better and without the
spacey side effects of drugs. Nutritional advice or supplements for specific
organ help (by checking the spinal level of the pinched nerves, the correct
nutrients can be prescribed) can be crucial to speed the healing of mid-back
pain. These could be blood-sugar balancing nutrients, stomach-lining healers,
or gall bladder cleaner-uppers, etc.
Its an excellent idea to see a great chiropractor, if mid-back pain
is making you nuts. Who else would be able to better figure it out? After
all, your back pain isnt caused by a drug deficiency!
Universal City Medical Group, Inc.
3535
Cahuenga Blvd West-Suite 206
Los Angeles, CA 90068