Mid back pain is felt at any point of the spine from between the shoulder blades down to the bottom of the rib cage. Anybody who has ever experienced mid back pain knows that it can quickly become bothersome. This kind of back pain often affects the ribcage and can make it feel difficult to draw a full breath. If the pain lasts for longer than a day or too it lowers the individual’s quality of life and makes them feel completely miserable. You can alleviate some of the discomfort with pain medication, but this will not treat the cause of the problem.

What Causes It

There are several potential causes of mid back pain including injury, muscle strain, a pinched nerve an excess of sugar in the diet putting a strain on the pancreas or a problem with the diaphragm or ribs. If you have persistent mid back pain that lasts for longer than a day or two, consult with your health care provider. They can do tests and examinations to evaluate the cause of the problem before deciding on the correct course of treatment or therapy.

Measures To Avoid It

If your back is not strong it is more susceptible to injury or muscle strain. Therefore it is important to keep your back strong and supple if you wish to reduce the probability of suffering from mid back pain. You can keep your back strong by doing regular resistance work at your local gym and through Pilates or yoga exercises.

The nerves in the middle back are linked to digestive organs such as the pancreas, which produces the insulin the body needs to metabolize sugar. If a person consumes an excess of sugar the pancreas has to work harder and produce more insulin than normal. This can cause inflame the nerves which are attached to the pancreas and cause mid back pain. Therefore it is not a good idea to consume too much sugar in your diet.

If you wish to avoid mid back pain it is also important to maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight affects a person’s balance and posture and can put undue strain on the spine. If you are heavier than you should be and you tend to suffer from mid back pain you should make an effort to lose any excess pounds.

Alternative Medicine

Sometimes conventional health care providers are unable to diagnose the cause or effectively treat mid back pain. If ever you find yourself in such a situation you may wish to consult with an Ayurveda practitioner or chiropractor. Alternative medicine practitioners take a holistic approach to problems such as mid back pain and can sometimes help in cases where conventional practices fail.