Mid back stabbing pain: Sharp Back Pain: Stabbing Pain in Back
Sharp Back Pain: Stabbing Pain in Back
Ouch! A sudden sharp pain in your back can stop you in your tracks. Unlike the dull ache of sitting too long at a computer or the gradual neck stiffness from too much driving, the cause of a sudden sharp pain in your back (also known as acute back pain) is not always obvious.
In fact, there are a number of common and less-common causes for acute back pain, and they are both mechanical and medical in nature.
Diagnosing Sharp Back Pain: Common Causes
Acute, sharp back pain caused by a mechanical problem within the back (meaning a problem with the bones, disks, ligaments, or muscles of the back) is one of the most common types of back pain. Some specific causes of acute, sharp back pain include:
- Muscle spasm. A muscle spasm is a prolonged contraction or stiffening of the back muscles, which can be triggered by trauma or repetitive strain. The back muscles spasm to protect the spine from further injury.
A spasm can produce sharp back pain in either the upper or lower back. - Herniated disk. A herniated disk — also called a bulging disk, slipped disk, ruptured disk, or pinched nerve — can also cause sudden, sharp back pain. It can result from the improper lifting of heavy objects or overly strenuous activity. Sharp back pain that shoots down through the buttocks into the legs, called sciatica, is a common symptom of a herniated disk.
- Compression fracture. This term refers to a fracture of the spine bones (vertebrae). It can be caused by trauma (a fall or car accident) or by weakened bones (osteoporosis), and the pain is often very sharp.
- Infection. Sometimes the vertebrae themselves can become infected in a rare condition known as osteomyelitis. With infection, back pain is usually accompanied by fever and other symptoms.
A spasm can produce sharp back pain in either the upper or lower back.Other Causes of Sharp Back Pain
“Occasionally, sharp back pain that seems to be coming from the back is not really back pain at all,” says Cynthia Haines, MD, chief medical officer at HealthDay, a daily health news website based in Norwalk, Connecticut.
For example, rupture of the main artery in the abdomen (called a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm) can be a very serious cause of sharp back pain. Also, kidney infection (pyelonephritis) and an infection of the lining of the lungs and chest (pleurisy) can mimic back pain. In these cases, treatment of the underlying cause will usually resolve the back pain.
Keep in mind that it is always best to consult with your doctor.
“Anytime you experience a pain that comes on suddenly, with no apparent cause, you should call your doctor,” says Dr. Haines. She also advises a call to your doctor if the pain you are experiencing is anything other than very minor.
Other symptoms that require immediate medical attention include back pain with fever, numbness or tingling, shooting pains in the extremities or groin, progressive weakness, difficulty walking, or loss of bowel or bladder control.
Bottom line: There are many causes of sharp back pain, but most have simple treatment solutions.
By talking with your doctor, you can determine the cause and get on the road to recovery — and back to your everyday activities as soon as possible.
The Best and Worst Shoes for Back Pain
What kinds of shoes might be contributing to your back pain? And what kinds of shoes might help? Here’s what two podiatrists have to say.
By Scott Fontana
What Is Back Pain? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
Tips to ease and treat back pain and low back pain, including home remedies and drug-free fixes.
By Joseph Bennington-Castro
Anti-inflammatory Diet Could Help Reduce Low Back Pain
New research suggests that a pro-inflammatory diet may play a contributing role in low back pain, while an anti-inflammatory diet may help prevent it….
By Becky Upham
Reiki for Back Pain: Does It Actually Work?
This ancient Japanese healing practice may be a side-effect-free, complementary therapy for managing and reducing chronic back pain.
By Becky Upham
The Pain-Free Guide to Choosing and Using a Backpack
Packing and wearing a backpack incorrectly can have harmful effects on the body. From the weight of the bag to how you adjust the straps, it is possible…
By Sarah Fielding
Best Mattresses for Back Pain
You need a supportive yet comfortable mattress to get a good night’s sleep — even more so if you suffer from back pain. We round up some of the best ones…
By Andrea Kornstein
Do’s and Don’ts of Lower-Back Pain Exercises
The right kind of lower back pain exercises can give you relief, but the wrong moves can leave you in even more agony – and possibly send you on a trip…
By
The Best and Worst Exercises for Back Pain
Back pain can be treated and prevented with exercise, but you need to know what you are doing.
Learn about good and bad exercises for back pain.
By Chris Iliades, MD
Spinal Stenosis | Spine Center | Condition
At UT Southwestern Medical Center, the expert team of doctors in the Spine Center specializes in all available evidence-based treatments for spinal stenosis – both medical and surgical.
Our multidisciplinary approach gives patients access to neurosurgeons, orthopaedic surgeons, pain management specialists, and physiatrists with one call. We strive to coordinate, facilitate, and expedite patient care and save our patients time.
Our Spine Center is one of only a few U.S. programs offering endoscopic surgery for the treatment of herniated discs – a potential cause of spinal stenosis.
About Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing in the spine that puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. The condition can occur in the neck (cervical spinal stenosis), the middle of the spine (thoracic stenosis), or the lower spine (lumbar stenosis).
Spinal stenosis can be caused by injuries and diseases such as osteoarthritis and scoliosis.
Many people have no symptoms, but some people experience pain, numbness, or weakness in the neck or back.
The Spine Center offers our patients the most advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies and techniques for spinal stenosis, such as specialized spine imaging.
Diagnosing Spinal Stenosis
If we suspect spinal stenosis, we’ll conduct a physical examination and order additional testing. Tests, procedures, and spine imaging studies used to diagnose spinal stenosis can include:
- Bone scans
- Computed tomography (CT) scan
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Myelography
- Nerve conduction studies to measure electrical activity generated by muscles and nerves
- X-rays
Spinal Stenosis Treatments
After diagnosis, we’ll make sure patients see the right experts to treat their specific symptoms. Our Spine Center specialists treat spinal stenosis with therapies that include:
- Anti-inflammation drugs
- Biofeedback
- Cortisone injections
- Physical therapy
- Surgery
We’ll create a care plan that minimizes the number of visits a patient needs to make, while also providing all the support needed.
Research and Clinical Trials
UT Southwestern conducts clinical trials aimed at improving the treatment of spinal stenosis. Talk with our doctors to see if a clinical trial is available.
See More
Back and Spine;
Orthopaedics and Rehab
- Douglas Dickson, M.D.
- Kavita Trivedi, D.O.
July 3, 2019
Orthopaedics and Rehab
- Carlos Bagley, M. D.
D.June 5, 2017
More Articles
Results: 4 Locations
at James W. Aston Ambulatory Care Center
5303 Harry Hines Blvd.,
7th Floor
Dallas, Texas 75390
214-645-2300
Directions
to
Neurosurgery Clinic
Parking Info
for
Neurosurgery Clinic
at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Las Colinas
6121 N.
Highway 161,
3rd Floor, Suite 300
Irving, Texas 75038
214-645-2225
Directions
to
Spine Center
at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Richardson/Plano
3030 Waterview Parkway,
1st Floor
Richardson, Texas 75080
972-669-7101
Directions
to
Spine Center
at Professional Building 3
8230 Walnut Hill Lane,
Suite 514
Dallas, Texas 75231
214-645-2300
Directions
to
UT Southwestern Neurosurgery at Texas Health Dallas
Parking Info
for
UT Southwestern Neurosurgery at Texas Health Dallas
Spinal pain in the middle of the back | “Hello!”
Features and causes of pain syndrome
Doctors distinguish between acute and chronic manifestations of ailments.
A pathological condition is considered acute if the pain manifests itself for the first time. If a person experiences discomfort constantly, with a periodic increase and decrease in the intensity of unpleasant symptoms, the pain is chronic.
Pain may be:
- throbbing;
- sharp, sharp;
- stabbing or cutting;
- pulling.
Sometimes the pain is accompanied by swelling or numbness of the back, arms, legs, face.
The causes of back pain in the thoracic spine may be associated with problems in different body systems. Most often they are caused by diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Reflected soreness is less common in pathologies of internal organs. In some cases, both factors take place: diseases of the spine, which is the “axis” of the whole organism, often lead to prolapse, displacement or compression of the internal organs.
Soreness with increased exertion
After intensive physical work, pulling pain often appears.
It is most commonly caused by muscle tension and fatigue. Such sensations can occur after carrying weights, sitting for a long time (static load) or sports training. Women sometimes experience pulling pains during pregnancy.
Diseases of the spine
If pain is accompanied by tingling, cutting or heat in the spine, then it is most likely not due to muscle fatigue. Such symptoms usually signal diseases of the spine:
- arthrosis;
- retrolisthesis;
- osteochondrosis;
- deformations;
- protrusion or hernia.
These pathologies are characterized by chronic pain, which increases sharply after emotional stress, physical exertion or hypothermia.
The fact that it is the spine that hurts in the middle of the back is indicated by the following symptoms:
- crunching or clicking when moving;
- increasing stiffness;
- increased pain when changing body position, turning the head and other movements;
- coldness of hands and feet;
- periodic numbness of hands, face, back, legs, neck;
- sensation of “current” in the body;
- frequent dizziness, migraine.
If the spine becomes numb in the middle of the back, this indicates compression or damage to the nerve roots. Left untreated, this problem can lead to spinal cord injury, loss of sensation, and loss of mobility.
If the spine hurts in the middle of the back when pressed, the pain is most likely caused by myositis or another inflammatory disease of the muscle tissue.
Soreness under stress
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system are not always the cause of pain. Often, pain in the collar region, thoracic region and lower back is caused by a stressful condition. Due to strong emotional stress, a person constantly strains his muscles, stoops, raises his shoulders – all this leads to uncomfortable sensations. To get rid of pain, you must first deal with stress. High efficiency is shown by spa treatment, manual therapy, massage and physiotherapy, including therapeutic baths.
Referred pains
If the ailment is caused by diseases of the internal organs, the following symptoms may accompany the pain:
- cough;
- shortness of breath;
- temperature increase;
- cardiac arrhythmias;
- constipation, diarrhea;
- vomiting;
- bloating;
- yellowish appearance of eyes and skin;
- plaque on the tongue.
In tuberculosis, the back hurts in the back of the lungs. With inflammation of the gallbladder or liver disease, pain occurs in the back and on the right under the ribs, while nausea appears, and sometimes the temperature rises. With inflammation of the kidneys, pain is accompanied by difficult or frequent urination.
Features of diagnosis
The presumptive reason why the spine hurts in the middle of the back can be determined by the nature of the discomfort and additional symptoms, but only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis. If you are only concerned about pain in the back, you should consult a neurologist or orthopedist. If discomfort appeared after a bruise or other injury, an examination by a traumatologist is needed. If you have a cough and fever, you may need to consult a phthisiatrician.
To establish the exact causes of pain in the middle of the back in the spine, various diagnostic procedures allow:
- X-ray;
- MRI;
- CT;
- Ultrasound of internal organs;
- ECG;
- laboratory tests.
MRI or X-rays in several planes reveal curvature of the spine, changes in the width of the vessels, damage to the intervertebral discs, displacement of the vertebrae. ECG, ultrasound and tests help to detect diseases of the internal organs.
Treatment for pain in the spine in the middle of the back
Pathologies of the musculoskeletal system (musculoskeletal system) and the complications caused by them require surgical treatment only in the later stages. In other cases, conservative methods are sufficient.
Mandatory elements of the treatment plan are:
- medication;
- physiotherapy;
- physiotherapy exercises;
- normalization of the regime of rest and work;
- healthy diet.
These measures are necessary to strengthen the ligaments and muscles in order to reduce the load on the spinal column and develop mobility. They also allow you to restore the integrity of the intervertebral discs and get rid of protrusions and hernias, eliminate pain, prevent inflammation, accelerate tissue regeneration and normalize blood circulation.
As a result, along with soreness in the back, migraines and fatigue disappear. To speed up the treatment of osteochondrosis, arthrosis, intervertebral hernias, auxiliary therapy can be used: manual therapy, acupuncture, massage and other methods. Help improve well-being yoga and swimming.
Despite the apparent simplicity of the treatment plan, self-treatment in the event that the back hurts in the thoracic spine is contraindicated. When trying to calm the reflected pain on your own, the time needed to treat the pathologies of the internal organs will be lost. Inept massage or manipulations performed incorrectly during manual therapy can lead to rupture of the intervertebral discs. In addition, unqualified assistance can lead to the development of chronic intense pain, paresis or paralysis.
In the clinics of the “Zdravtstvuy!” network high-quality laboratory and diagnostic equipment is used, which makes it possible to detect diseases of the musculoskeletal system at an early stage.
Experienced highly qualified doctors use both the latest and classic methods of treating musculoskeletal pathologies and diseases of internal organs. For the convenience of patients, all clinics are located near metro stations.
Low back pain – causes, examination and treatment | Symptoms
Sprains
Signs: Pain, which often occurs on one side of the back, worsens with movement and lessens with rest, usually begins after lifting objects, bending, or twisting.
Osteoarthritis (sometimes with spinal nerve root compression)
Signs: Localized midline back pain that worsens when standing up, improves when sitting, spreads down the leg, accompanied by numbness and/or weakness, usually occurs in older people with pain and/or deformities of other joints.
Compression fractures
Signs: Back pain in the midline, which sometimes begins suddenly. Usually in older people or patients with osteoporosis.
Herniated disc ( Herniated disc)
Signs: Midline back pain that usually radiates down the leg, is accompanied by numbness and/or weakness, and is aggravated by coughing, sneezing, or leaning forward.
Lumbar spinal stenosis
Signs: Midline back pain that worsens with straightening of the spine (as when walking or leaning back), relieved by leaning forward or sitting, may radiate to one or both legs, usually seen in older people.
Spondylolisthesis (sometimes with spinal nerve root compression)
Signs: Back pain, which is sometimes unilateral in adolescents, spreads down the leg and may accompany a fracture; in adults, it is located in the midline, extends down both legs and includes tissue degeneration, accompanied by numbness and/or weakness, aggravated by standing up or bending back. In adolescents, it is often associated with a fracture, and in adults it is associated with degeneration.
Fibromyalgia
Signs: Pain and stiffness in various parts of the body (not only in the lower back). Painful areas sensitive to touch. Often bad sleep. Most often observed in women from 20 to 50 years.
Ankylosing spondylitis (inflammation of the spine and large joints)
Signs: Stiffness, often aggravated immediately after waking up.