Stabbing pain in upper back right side

Learn what sharp back pain is and what it can mean — from a muscle spasm to a problem disk, stabbing pain in upper back right side. 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.

Muscle strain, herniated disks, and conditions such as osteoarthritis can cause pain in the upper right part of your back. Pain may also radiate to or from your neck and shoulder blade. Upper right back pain can range from mild to debilitating. It can lead to less freedom of movement and make it hard for you to go about your day. The upper right quadrant of your back starts at the base of your neck, and continues down your rib cage on the right-hand side.

Stabbing pain in upper back right side

Back pain can be mild and barely noticeable or cause throbbing, excruciating pain. It can slowly build up over time or come on without warning. Whatever the cause for back pain, it can be debilitating and wreak havoc on your quality of life. Upper right back pain is known as thoracic back pain, referring to the upper right quadrant of the rib cage area up to the base of the neck. Too often, simple overuse or exhaustion of the back muscles can cause pain. Such things as shoveling snow or playing sports can leave you with strained or injured upper right back muscles. You may feel sudden spasms in the area, a dull ache, or sharp shooting pain when you move your right arm. Treatments for this type of injury are most commonly at-home remedies involving rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory pain relievers. Pain due to a herniated disc, commonly known as a slipped disc, occurs when a disc in your cervical or upper thoracic spine ruptures and causes pressure on your spinal nerves. Anti-inflammatories, heat, rest, and stretching are the recommended treatments for acute mild pain.

This condition is sometimes accompanied by scoliosis. It is known as referred pain. This is the main reason behind this article, why does it happen again and again no matter how many times the patient receive treatment?

Persistent or frequently occurring upper back pain can affect your work and life to a large extent, making it hard for you to move around easily. It can have a variety of triggers, and to address it successfully, you must learn about its possible causes. Eric Freeman is an experienced and board-certified pain specialist and has been treating patients suffering from various back and spine issues successfully for years. He helps you figure out what is causing your backache and gets you back on track with comprehensive, cutting-edge care. Upper back pain is not as common as lower back pain, but the debilitating pain can disturb your routine.

Our content is not intended nor recommended as a substitute for medical advice by your doctor. Use for informational purposes only. Common causes of mid-back pain on the right side include muscle, tendon, ligament sprains, and strains, right renal colic, biliary colics, and right rib bone pain. Your back muscles and ligaments are frequent sources of mid-back pain. The pain can localize to one side right or left. The pain results from the affection of the muscles in the right mid-back by either:.

Stabbing pain in upper back right side

But what exactly causes this pain? Is it something you should be worried about? Sharp upper back pain is not as common as lower back pain but can be just as debilitating. But what causes this type of pain? There are a few specific causes of stabbing upper back pain , but the most common is a mechanical problem with the spine. When something goes wrong with the bones, joints, or muscles in the back, it can cause sharp pain. Another common cause of sharp back pain is an injury. This could be something like a muscle strain from lifting something heavy or a slipped disc. Either way, an injury can cause inflammation and pain. Less common causes of stabbing upper back pain include things like shingles, tumors, and infection.

Articulate thesaurus

Only rare cases may be caused by a progressing infection, illness, injury, or spinal disability that is starting to affect a nerve root or even the spinal cord. 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. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , such as ibuprofen , can help relieve back pain. Activities such as shoveling snow, sudden twisting, heavy lifting, and playing sports can also leave you with strained or injured upper right back muscles. A herniated disc occurs if the soft inside of a spinal disc pushes out, bulging through a tear in its outer coating. When the protective cartilage that cushions the joints of your vertebrae wears away or breaks down, osteoarthritis presents itself as a grating sensation, swelling, stiffness, and bone spurs. Which doctor should you see for lower back pain? Eric Freeman is an experienced and board-certified pain specialist and has been treating patients suffering from various back and spine issues successfully for years. Princeton Mercer-Bucks Orthopedics. Or maybe felt a tension in a specific point in near your spine after sitting all day behind the desk? Call your doctor if you have been in an accident or fallen from a laden and the back pain does not go away after a week. Treatment options for stress-related upper back pain include stretching, exercise, and relaxation techniques and therapies. Even though your gallbladder is not located near your upper back, conditions affecting it, such as gallstones , can make your upper right back hurt. This condition often occurs in the lower back and can also develop in the neck. General discomfort.

Muscle strain, herniated disks, and conditions such as osteoarthritis can cause pain in the upper right part of your back.

Medically reviewed by Angelica Balingit, MD. Before starting a new health regimen, always consult your doctor or another qualified healthcare provider. Intercostal Muscle Strain Symptoms and Diagnosis. Quick Links. It can result from the improper lifting of heavy objects or overly strenuous activity. Pain in the back can sometimes feel worse when you take a deep breath. Which will eventually overload the rhomboids and cause trigger points. Synergistic Muscle Groups: Levator scapule, upper trapezius, middle trapezius fibers, latissimus dorsi. Suffering from Lumbar Spinal Stenosis? Although rest can help with upper back discomfort, a person should limit being sedentary for too long. This pain can travel along a nerve from the thoracic spine and potentially go into the arm, chest, stomach, or further down the body.