Pain in the upper back or the ribs can affect the way your neck, shoulders, and lungs function. This is a complex area of the body that incorporates the thoracic spine, ribs, breastbone, and viscera (organs). There are a variety of causes of thoracic pain but by far the most common people we see in the clinic are people who spend all day at a computer.
The Desk Worker
Sitting is not bad for you. It’s staying in any one static position for an extended period of time that your muscles and joints hate. If you’re going to stay seated for longer than 15 minutes, you either need perfect posture or a sufficiently supportive chair to prevent aches and pains. At BodyGears Physical Therapy, we can teach you how to have both!
Your workstation set-up is equally important to prevent your chin from poking out or your shoulders from slouching forward; the two major culprits behind upper back pain in desk workers. Our highly trained physical therapists will review photos of your workstation with you as well as recreate your setup in the clinic.
How can physical therapy help?
At Body Gears, we complete a thorough evaluation including examining your joint range of motion, muscular strength, and mechanics of any movements you frequently perform, such as reaching and typing. A complete postural assessment will be performed in sitting, standing, and any positions that you need to be able to get into for work or recreation.
With this analysis, our physical therapists will clearly pinpoint your specific joint, soft tissue, neural, or visceral dysfunctions in order to formulate a manual therapy and exercise program. Whether you have a mechanical, neuromuscular, or motor control problem or all of the above, your treatment plan will be individualized to you.
We use many techniques and forms of treatment, including joint mobilizations, soft tissue manual therapy, Functional Dry Needling, muscle activation and strengthening exercises, and functional movement re-training. Our goal is to help you manage and eliminate pain, improve range of motion, increase muscle activation and strength, and restore efficient movement mechanics to get you back to normal function. Long-lasting relief from thoracic pain is on the way with the help of a physical therapist!
Request Free Consult or Contact Us Today at Chicago Lincoln Park, Oak Brook, Oak Park, & Winnetka, IL Centers to learn more about how we can help you get back to the things that matter most and enjoying life without pain.
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