Sharp pain in upper middle back and chest

Q: When should I worry about upper back and chest pain?

While some causes of chest and upper back pain arent emergencies, others are. You should always seek emergency medical attention if you have sudden or unexplained chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes.

For the 80% of adults who experience it at some point in their lives, the go-to treatment is often over-the-counter pain relievers, an ice pack, and rest.

Table of Contents Show

Heart attack
Pulmonary embolism
Injury or muscle strain
Pericarditis
What does it mean when your upper back and middle chest hurts?
When should I worry about upper back and chest pain?
Can upper back pain radiate to chest?
What causes upper back pain between shoulder blades and chest?

But while most back pain does go away on its own, there are times when toughing it out at home isn’t a good idea. If your pain falls into any of the categories below, make an appointment with your doctor:

Severe, chronic pain: If your back pain lasts more than 3 months, it’s what doctors call chronic. Make an appointment so your doctor can check for injuries or illnesses that could be to blame.
Radiating pain: Low back strains and sprains, sciatica, and a herniated disk can cause back pain to “radiate” -- move to other parts of your body. If it’s causing aching, numbness or tingling in your butt, genitals, legs, feet, arms or hands, see your doctor. They’ll be able to find out why and give you something to ease your symptoms.
Limited range of motion: Do you have trouble bending over to tie your shoes or reaching overhead? Back pain plus limited range of motion could be a sign of a chronic condition like osteoarthritis.

Call your doctor right away if you have a history of cancer or immune system problems, or if you have:

An injury or accident: Sports injuries, car accidents, or falls that trigger back pain need medical attention right away. Even if the incident seems minor, it could have caused a bigger problem like a fracture or herniated disk. Let your doctor examine you to rule out any potential after-effects.
A fever: When you have a high temperature and back pain, take it seriously. It could be the sign of a spinal infection, which needs urgent medical attention.
Loss of bladder or bowel control: If you have back pain and suddenly can’t control your bladder or bowels, call your doctor right away. This could be a sign of several things, like spinal tumors or cauda equina syndrome, a rare but serious condition caused by a severe compression of the nerve roots in the spine. It could also signal lumbar spinal stenosis, which causes compression of the nerves in the lower back.
New or worsening motor weakness, sometimes with numbness or tingling: This could be a sign of spinal cord compression.
Unexplained weight loss: If your back hurts and you’re losing weight -- 10 pounds or more -- but don’t know why, see your doctor right away. That could be a sign of a more serious medical problem.
Pain that wakes you up in the middle of the night: It can be the sign of disk degeneration, a sprain, or something more serious, like a tumor.

Show Sources

SOURCES:

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: “Low Back Pain Fact Sheet.”

U.S. National Library of Medicine: “Back Pain.”

American Association of Neurological Surgeons: “Herniated Disc,” Low Back Strain and Sprain,” “Osteoarthritis,” “Spinal Infections,” “Spinal Tumors,” “Cauda Equina Syndrome,” “Lumbar Spinal Stenosis.”

While some causes of chest and back pain are more common and may be nothing to worry about, some are medical emergencies and need urgent medical attention.

If you have sudden or unexplained chest pain that lasts for longer than a few minutes,you should seek medical attention immediately. This could be a sign that you’re having a heart attack.

Other signs of a heart attack include sudden chest pain that:

feels tight or weighs down on your chest
you start feeling in your back, arms, neck or jaw
is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating or sickness
carries on for 15 minutes or more

If you have any of these symptoms you should go to a hospital immediately.

Read on to find out more about the common causes of chest and back pain, when to seek help and what you can do to ease symptoms.

Heart attack

happens when the supply of blood to your heart is suddenly blocked, often due to a blood clot. This can cause severe damage to your heart muscle and may also be life threatening.

Heart attacks are increasingly common, with more than 800,000 people having a heart attack in countries like the US each year.

In addition to the symptoms above, other signs of a heart attack can include:

feeling weak or lightheaded, or both
an overwhelming feeling of anxiety, like a panic attack

If you think you may be having a heart attack, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Angina

Angina is not usually life-threatening like a heart attack but is also caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscles. It's usually considered a warning sign that you could be at increased risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Chest and back pain caused by

can feel tight, dull or heavy and usually stops within a few minutes of resting. It’s often triggered by stress or physical exertion.

If you think you may have angina, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. They will be able to check for any heart problems and refer you for any additional care.

Pulmonary embolism

occurs when the blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs, the pulmonary artery, becomes blocked. It’s usually caused by a blood clot and can be life threatening as it stops blood reaching your lungs.
Symptoms of a pulmonary embolism can include:

chest or upper back pain – a sharp, stabbing pain that may be worse when breathing in
shortness of breath – which can come on suddenly or develop gradually
coughing – this may include coughing up blood or mucus that contains blood
feeling lightheaded or dizzy
fainting

If you have any of these symptoms, you should see a doctor immediately.

Heartburn

Heartburn is caused by stomach acid moving up towards your throat, causing a burning sensation in your chest. This pain is sometimes also felt in your back or abdomen.

Many people get

and it’s not always clear why they get it, but common causes include being overweight, smoking, pregnancy, certain food and drinks and stress.

Heartburn often feels worse after a meal or when lying down, but there are things you can do to improve the symptoms, such as:

eating smaller or more frequent meals
eating at least 3 hours before bed
avoiding food or drink that triggers your symptoms
raising 1 end of your bed by 10 to 20cm so your chest and head are above your waist,
losing weight if you're overweight
finding ways to relax
not smoking
not drinking too much alcohol

Pleurisy

is when the tissue between your lungs and ribcage becomes inflamed.

The most common symptom is a sharp pain in your chest, but this can also spread to your back and shoulders. Other symptoms include a shortness of breath and dry cough.

Pleurisy is usually caused by a virus, such as the flu, but bacterial infections like pneumonia and tuberculosis can sometimes also be to blame.

Less common causes of pleurisy also include injury to the ribs, blood clots in your lungs, lung cancer, or autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

If you think you have pleurisy you should see a doctor. They will be able to listen to your chest and request further tests if needed.

Injury or muscle strain

Chest and back pain can sometimes be caused by injury or strain to the muscles in this part of your body, for example due to an accident or fall.

It can also be caused by overuse of the muscles, aided by repetitive motions throughout the day at work or when playing sports.

If you have an injury or strain, the pain is usually worse when you move this part of your body.

If you think you have a strain or injury you should rest to enable it to recover. Painkillers can also help to relieve the pain while your muscles recover, but you should speak to a doctor or pharmacist or doctor about how to get and use these.

the pain persists even after treating it yourself
the pain or swelling is getting worse
you have a high temperature or feel hot and shivery, as you may have an infection

Gallstones

Your gallbladder is a small organ that stores digestive fluid called bile. Sometimes, small stones can develop here, known as

, which are usually made of cholesterol.

Gallstones don’t usually cause symptoms, but if they become trapped in opening in your gallbladder, called the gallbladder duct, this can cause sudden pain. The pain is usually in your tummy or abdomen, but can spread to your back and shoulders.

Pericarditis

Your pericardium is a sac filled with fluid that surrounds your heart that helps to protect it. When the pericardium becomes inflamed, this causes

Pericarditis usually causes sharp chest pain and a high temperature. But the chest pain can radiate to your back, left shoulder or neck.

It’s usually hard to find out the cause of pericarditis, but it’s often caused by a viral infection It can also have other causes, such as heart attack or heart surgery.

What does it mean when your upper back and middle chest hurts?

Pain that is located to the left or center of the back, in combination with chest pain, could be related to a heart condition or heart problems. If you experience chest pain along with back pain, seek emergency medical care. This could be a sign of a heart attack or other serious condition.

When should I worry about upper back and chest pain?

While some causes of chest and upper back pain aren't emergencies, others are. You should always seek emergency medical attention if you have sudden or unexplained chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes.

Can upper back pain radiate to chest?

A pinched nerve in the neck or upper back can cause pain in the back that radiates to the chest and can mimic heart disease pain.

What causes upper back pain between shoulder blades and chest?

Thoracic radiculopathy occurs when a nerve in the upper portion of the back becomes pinched. This can lead to sharp pains between the shoulder blades, as well as chest pain. A compressed nerve in the neck is called cervical radiculopathy and often leads to weakness and loss of feeling in the arms and hands.