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What Causes Burning Pain In The Mid Back Radiating To The Shoulder And Neck?
Posted on
Sun, 11 Mar 2018
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Sat, 10 Mar 2018
Answered on
Wed, 20 Mar 2019
Last reviewed on
Question : I been having a lot of burning pain in the middle off my back it goes all the way up to shoulder an right side of neck (( it started when I layed on the floor an I heard a bad crack (( could I of cracked a rib or torn a muscle
Brief Answer:
Information.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Burning pain is often nerve related (but not always) and as your pain travels, that is another sign that a nerve is unhappy and inflamed or impinged.
Following an injury, that usually happens due to swelling of the area the nerve runs through (such as inflammation of the surrounding muscle or connective tissue) or from the nerve being stretched itself.
If there has been no sign that your symptoms are improving, I recommend you go in to see your doctor or if you can't get in to see him or her soon, then the urgent care clinic.
The doctor will examine the site of your pain and your range of motion, which can give an idea of what might be going on.
The doctor may also want to get an X-ray to see if there is any visible boney damage such as a fracture.
But injury of soft tissue is hard to see on an X-ray, so depending on the severity and duration of your symptoms, he/she may order an MRI.
In the urgent care, they usually don't order an MRI, only an X-ray, and will then refer you back to your own doctor.
So make an appointment with your doctor ASAP but in the meantime, if you can't get in soon, go into the urgent care clinic.
One other thought - the trapezius muscle is a large muscle in the back that has connection points at the neck, mid-upper back, and shoulder blade.
It's possible that you strained this muscle in which case rest, and Motrin would be the thing to do.
I hope this information helps.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, General & Family Physician
Information.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Burning pain is often nerve related (but not always) and as your pain travels, that is another sign that a nerve is unhappy and inflamed or impinged.
Following an injury, that usually happens due to swelling of the area the nerve runs through (such as inflammation of the surrounding muscle or connective tissue) or from the nerve being stretched itself.
If there has been no sign that your symptoms are improving, I recommend you go in to see your doctor or if you can't get in to see him or her soon, then the urgent care clinic.
The doctor will examine the site of your pain and your range of motion, which can give an idea of what might be going on.
The doctor may also want to get an X-ray to see if there is any visible boney damage such as a fracture.
But injury of soft tissue is hard to see on an X-ray, so depending on the severity and duration of your symptoms, he/she may order an MRI.
In the urgent care, they usually don't order an MRI, only an X-ray, and will then refer you back to your own doctor.
So make an appointment with your doctor ASAP but in the meantime, if you can't get in soon, go into the urgent care clinic.
One other thought - the trapezius muscle is a large muscle in the back that has connection points at the neck, mid-upper back, and shoulder blade.
It's possible that you strained this muscle in which case rest, and Motrin would be the thing to do.
I hope this information helps.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, General & Family Physician
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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