Mid back pain is a fairly common complaint.  Causes of mid back pain can range from joint fixations to fractures or even from indigestion to internal organ disease.  However, the most common cause of mid back pain involves an alteration of the normal biomechanics of the spine and surrounding joints.  Sources of biomechanical problems include:

• Vertebral subluxation
• Rib subluxation
• Disc bulge or herniation
• Myofascial pain and trigger points
• Postural distortions
• Abnormal muscular tension

The spinal area of the mid back is called the thoracic spine.  It comprises 24 interlocked and movable bones called vertebrae.  The attachment of the 12 ribs is a unique feature of the thoracic spine.

In my experience, rib pain is frequently caused by a subluxation(s) of the costovertebral joint (the place at your back where the rib connects to the vertebrae).  To get an accurate diagnosis, I would first take a detailed history of your condition.  Sometimes patients with rib subluxations complain of painful breathing.  Others only have pain when they move their torso or neck to extremes.  Some have an obvious physical cause,while others have a mysterious onset.

Then I would need to fully evaluate your mid back and rib areas by performing various tests including but not limited to:

• Examining your posture.
• Checking your range of motion.
• Using my hands to feel for asymmetries in position, movement, and muscle tone (this is called Palpation).
• Orthopedic and neurologic testing.

Rib subluxations are easily treated by using a special adjusting technique.  All rib adjustments just take a few seconds to complete, and are generally painless.  In many cases, patient describe the adjustment as a “relief”, like when a large stone is moved off of your foot.

Muscle work typically ranges from around 10-60 minute sessions.  In many cases, our patients experience an  immediate reduction of pain and symptoms after their treatment.

If you are suffering from mid back pain and you’re looking for a natural way of treating the problem, give us a call.  We would be happy to provide you a thorough examination to allow for a clear diagnosis as to the cause of your pain.

I just finished a 12-hour seminar focusing on whole-body adjusting. It was held in the heart of Philadelphia, just 2 blocks from city hall. The seminar was taught by a veteran chiropractor, Dr. Mark Charrette. He always has excellent and practical information to share, and delivers it with lots of energy and a “spicy” sense of humor. I have been a student of Dr. Mark Charrette since attending one of his seminars nearly a decade ago.

Over the weekend, we covered treatment strategies and extremity adjusting protocols for the whole body. During the lectures, I learned some amazingly simple, yet powerful strategies for patient care. I even had several opportunities during the hands-on sessions to practice and fine-tune my techniques.

Dr. Charrette detailed the ASR strategy for patient care. This stands for ADJUST – SUPPORT – REHAB. Over the years, I’ve learned that by following this simple strategy for patient care, I can help my patients achieve superior health faster and with fewer setbacks. The following example may help to illustrate this…

Sally, a 45-year old woman, comes in to see me with lower back pain and hip-area pain. I would start with a detailed case history and exam. I gather a great deal of helpful information here and can then determine if care is appropriate and safe, and what course we should take. I typically start with ADJUSTments of the spine and then the extremities. In Sally’s case we would focus on her lower extremity – the feet, ankles, knees, and hips. We may do other therapies such as ice, electrical stimulation or massage therapy. To SUPPORT Sally’s body, I may wrap the area (foot, ankle or knee) and determine the need for arch supports (orthotics). I would then design a program (for office and home) of targeted REHAB exercises for Sally, that would help provide long-lasting relief and improved body function.

I hope that example gives you a better idea of how I “give life” to the ASR strategy in my practice. By hitting all three components and focusing on whole-body balance, I provide the best care possible. You can see that if one of the components is neglected, you have a reduced likelihood of a good outcome.

As you may know, I have been doing whole-body adjustments (foot, ankle, knee, hip, wrist, elbow, shoulder and jaw) for many years now. Many chiropractors don’t address whole body balance. Perhaps due to lack of training, or different philosophies, or not wanting to spend the time with each patient. But when I first started focusing on whole body balance, I began to get great results. Now the research keeps coming in and continues to validate this “style” of chiropractic wellness care.  I’m hooked!

I can’t wait to share some of the incredible things I learned at the seminar. If you have any questions about my whole-body adjusting technique, feel free to call me or email any time.