Anatomy Of Mid Back and The Causes Of Pain

spinal stenosis

Anyone who has ever suffered from middle back pain most likely does not care where it is located, only that the pain ends as fast as possible. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent back pain from even happening. It might help to understand how pain can occur in this region, through an explanation of the anatomy of mid back first. Knowing more now might just help you to avoid the pain later on.

Your Thoracic Road Map

Defining the anatomy of mid back begins in the thoracic area of the spine, and is actually a part of the upper back as well. The thoracic spine links into the cervical spine near the bottom of the neck area, and continues down past the shoulder blades, extending around five inches beyond the lowermost point of the scapula bones. At that point, it becomes the lumbar spine, and defines the lower back region.

Just like other areas of the spinal column, the thoracic spine consists of twelve vertebrae, and is meant to provide stability for the body as a whole. The upper part of the spine, the cervical area provides flexibility and the lumbar region provides the power for movement and lifting, but it is up to the thoracic spine to keep the body upright during movement, as well as protecting the organs beneath the chest cavity, like your lungs.

The Ribs are Connected to the T-Bones

Each of the vertebrae of the thoracic spine is designated with the letter T and a number, 1-12. The rib cage that protects the lungs and other fragile organs is connected to the T-vertebrae, one rib connected to either end. The ribs connected to 1 through 10 curve about to form the chest cavity, anchored by the breastbone and sternum. Those that connect at 11 and 12 are only anchored at the spine, but provide protection for the kidneys from the back of the body. These are the more fragile of all the ribs and most likely to be sources of pain through injury or illness.

Thoracic Discs

Just like the rest of the spine, with discs in the back above and below the middle back, the thoracic spine has its own vertebrae discs built in. The difference between these and those found along the rest of the spinal column are that the back discs here are much thinner than the others. The reason for this is that it adds to the stability of the thoracic region by not being as flexible as the bigger discs elsewhere. Bigger discs are designed to cushion movement, while thoracic discs are only meant to keep the vertebrae separated and prevent injury. They are, however, still prone to disorders that can affect other spinal discs, like herniated discs and bulging discs.

The thinner discs here also help to narrow the bone tunnel the spinal column is threaded through in the middle of the back. The tunnel is stronger here, and denser, to better protect the spinal column from injury. If any parts of the vertebrae are breached here by injury, this bone spinal canal could also be compromised, causing injury to the delicate spinal column.

Sources of Middle Back Pain

A lot of the same injuries and medical conditions that can cause neck pain, lower back pain and damage to the nerves in the back can plague the middle back as well. While more resilient than the cervical and lumbar, it can still be damaged in accidents or develop congenital diseases like spinal stenosis that can lead to serious middle back pain later on.

Poor posture can cause muscle strain throughout the anatomy of mid back, as well as Kyphosis, or a hunchback form. Arthritis can play havoc with all the many fascial joints along the ribs and vertebrae, especially if you have ever suffered from a cracked rib or broken breastbone. Another form of arthritis, osteoporosis, has been known to cause compression fractures along the thoracic spine, because bones weaken and thin out as we age. If it happens, most likely it will happen in the bottommost two that are independent from the stronger rib cage structure.