The Upper Back
The upper back is the second key load-bearing part of the back, after the lower back, and supports the weight of the head and provides a stable platform from which the shoulder-blades or scapula move the arms. The head weighs approximately 5 kg and is supported by 7 vertebrae of the thoracic spine and around 20 muscles are attached in this upper back area. The arms are key for everyday work, whether at a computer for fine motor movements or as a builder, lifting and carrying heavy weights. The brachial plexus nerve carries all the messages for this movement and originates from the thoracic spine area in the upper back. Many of the arm sensations and issues such as arm pain, pins and needles, tennis elbow, hand aches and pains, and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) may originate from stored or locked-in tension from this area.
In addition, stored stress and tension may also radiate from head and neck related issues into the upper back and shoulder area. Key contributing factors for this stored stress tends to be too much sitting, poor posture, slouching over laptops and cell phones and emotional stress. Emotional stress usually manifests itself in the triangle between the top of the head and the two shoulder joints.
Thus, significant contributing factors to many of the common issues in this area stem from occupational stress at work, poor posture and from emotional stress in challenging work environments. This makes for a cocktail of aches and pains in the posterior ribs, the shoulder blades, tight shoulders, painful shoulders and stabbing pains between the rib cage.
Releases in this upper back area of the body will be carried out as a matter of routine by your Body Stress Release Practitioner, once the supporting lower back region has been tested and worked on. In this way the technique works to influence the entire body, through testing and releasing stress on the whole spine. Practitioners see many issues in the upper back and are well versed in dealing with them over the period of sessions they administer.
Posterior ribs
Pain in the ribcage in the posterior (or rear) ribs, is common and similar to that experienced for issues in the front ribs and upper torso region. Often a practitioner will release locked-in tension found in the intercostal muscles which are a complex set of muscles, which act to move and flex the ribs in the breathing cycle. Emotional stress and physical stress manifesting in this area may result in shallow or reduced capacity breathing which your practitioner may be able to assist with. As the ribs are in continuous use throughout our lifetime it is a key area.
Inferior ribs
The inferior ribs are the two floating ribs and lowermost ribs in the back part of the ribcage. They are not attached to the sternum nor do they have any intercostal muscles associated with breathing and flexing of the ribcage. Clients of all ages may experience floating rib pain for a variety of reasons which may be associated with lower back pain.
Shoulder Blades
The shoulder blade (or scapula) is an extremely important bone in the function of the shoulder joint and allows for 6 types of motion we need for everyday life, forming part of the most flexible and complex joints in the body. It works together with the trapezius muscle, running across the top of the shoulders, allowing shoulder and spine to be stable. Many arm rotation and bending and twisting activities such as lifting, pulling, and stretching, typically seen in exercise, result in pain, tightness or stiffness in the shoulder blades and mid-spine area.
Stabbing Pains
Any sudden or sharp pains for an extended period of time in any part of the body should be referred to a medical practitioner, if these are of concern. Practitioners do however see many clients with sharp pains in the upper back, often resulting from work stress, overuse, poor posture or prolonged exercise. Practitioners are able to test the location of stabbing pain, something they refer to as the “Caesar Point”, and release the tension often found in the intercostal muscles between the ribs. This type of pain may result in a tight chest or shallow breathing.
Upper Back Pains
The upper back region may suffer from more general aches and pains and many clients feel “the weight of their shoulders’ quite literally here and it may cause a sensation of body fatigue. Practitioners are able to test muscles and joints to find the location of stored tension in the upper back. Again, this is an area where poor sitting posture and poor computer posture may cause the upper back to ache and especially get worse as the day progresses. This may also cause arm fatigue and radiated sensations down the arms.
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