Mid back and xiphoid process pain

[Heronbrook1]

Hi everyone - does anyone have an idea whats up with me?? please have a look;

Firstly I appreciate many others have much worse pain than me and i truly feel for them!! but my mild pain is driving me nuts!!  Im more concerned about what it is than the pain.

I have pain in my mid back - more specifically I have about two joints next to each other that are tender to touch.  They are more tender when in the sitting position and very tender between the two joints.  They give me a dull aching pain.  When I have been sitting for any length of time the pain gets much worse and I need to then lay down to relief the pain.  What is strange is I also feel pain in my xiphoid process (bottom of the sternem round the front).  When I press down on my xiphoid it gives me pain for a few minutes after it which then also turns to a dull ache.  What I find strange is that the symptoms are much less and I feel much better the day after a good workout at the gym.


I also get pain in my back when I try and touch my toes (I cant get anywhere near them!!)
I have had 4 trips to the osteopath and two to the physio.  They always improve my movement in the back but my back joints hurt like hell for the week after.

Whats also weird is that if I play a sport with a lot of twisting ie squash or field hockey, my back aches/hurts really bad ammediately after but the next day my back feels 95% perfect but after a couple of days goes back to square one.

The very worse of the pain is when I have been sitting at a desk all day and my xiphoid process gives me a stabbing like pain.

I am 28 years old 6ft, 13 stone and very active (but not over active).  Generally very good health.

The only other symptoms is aching (but not pain) in my lower back sometimes and numbness down both my arms to the end of my fingertips that comes and goes.

Any ideas??

I have been to the Doctors - and yes you guessed it - they prescribed pain killers!!

I am in the UK

[vattimo51]

beenthere1 seems to be describing a standing forward bend (feet about a meter/yard apart) from which you do an abdominal twist.    I gave this a shot and immediately (after perhaps 5 minutes of stretching) felt much better (granted, I now am a little achy from muscles/tissue which were perhaps impacted by the xiphoid issues I have).   The relief has lasted for almost a day -- and I am not nearly as bad as before I tried this.    

Anyway, this is clearly a great tip.   I suspect that this little stretch should be done every day.

[beenthere1]

Having the same symptoms as yourself I bought a rowing machine from Aldi yestrday and have been gently exercising.

However, having read that there  is an interaction between the xiphoid and the lower back muscles I started to try and find an exercise where I could feel both regions twinge at the same time.

Bingo I'm sat in my chair pain free and my chest feels great.

Wait for it.

Make sure you have some trainers on - good grip on the floor.

You need enough space to let your arms flail.


Stand with your legs a meter a part or so - you will know because your back will just twinge a little.

Then start to twist slowly from side to side and let your arms just try to turn you a little more as they come to rest.

Note how far you turn in one direction - it will probably be more in one direction than the other.


Note as you reach your extremity of turn how the back and xiphoid twinge at the same time.

Keep doing it gently from side to side going as far as you dare without causing undue pain.

Click - you may just feel a click in your sturnham at which point there is relief in all the pain both chest and lower back.

My back still feels al ittle tender but i bet I have experienced a 95% overall pain reduction.

Perhaps the rest is just imflamation in my lower back.

I guess this technic is similar to the exercises you are given by the osteopath where you twist the body whilst lying down. I used to do this for days on end but it never resulted in anything as quick as what I have just descibed.

Good luck