Getting Relief From Burning Pain in Your Neck, Back and Shoulder

Almost 80 percent of Americans will experience back pain in their lives, and in any two week period over twenty five percent of adults will get some back pain.

If you’ve played a lot of sports, sat at a computer for a long time, or suffered from whiplash, chances are that you've experienced a burning pain in your neck, back and shoulder. It’s a terrible feeling which greatly restricts your motion and can take a while to go away.

In my case, I swung to hard on the golf course and for the next month I had a burning upper back pain between my shoulders. It was very frustrating but had I known the right way to treat it, I’d have been back playing sooner.

What causes upper back pain?

The upper back (called thoracic back) is very stable meaning that upper back pain is rarely a result of any spinal issue such as an instability in the spine or a herniated disc. That’s good news since spinal injuries can involve surgery.

Upper back pain usually occurs because the large upper back muscles get strained or twisted in some way and so the treatment is similar to treatment for other muscular ailments you might have experienced.

How to treat upper back pain

The best method is to ice the area as soon as possible, for 10-15 minutes, 5-6 times per day for 48 hours. I used to stick the ice pack right on my skin but I've since learned that this can cause frostbite. So be sure to wrap it in a cloth before applying it.

Since ice packs can be a bit unwieldy, a bag of frozen peas or corn will do just as well. In fact, what's good about them is that they mold to your body making for a snug fit.

Your doctor may suggest an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen, but be sure to consult a doctor before doing taking them.

How to avoid upper back pain

Once you understand what causes a burning pain in your neck, back and shoulder, you’ll realize that making upper back pain prevention part of your every day routine is a smart thing to do. If you work at a PC, get up every twenty minutes. Stretch if possible, but at least move around because it will help your spine.

If you are going to do any kind of sports, be sure to stretch your upper body, especially your neck and shoulders.

When you're in pain it's easy to commit to a course of action. However, once you are pain free, chances are you’ll slip into your old habits. It will take some effort to change your behavior but if you are in any doubts over it, just remind yourself what that burning pain in your neck, back and shoulder was like. That should get you motivated!

Upper back pain is a miserable experience because it can be so restrictive. Make a pact with yourself to become more conscious of your back and posture and by doing so you’ll greatly reduce the chances of being affected by upper back pain.