Sharp Upper Back pain

[clennon]

Hi.
In the last few days I have started to get very sharp upper back pain from what seems to be right behind my left lung. I started to get pain while moving and lifting light objects and taking deep breaths yesterday. Today it is alot worse, the pain is constant and hurts even more when i breath now. It doesnt feel like muscles and its very hard to pinpoint the exact spot. I only seem to get the pain while breathing, once i have took in the breath and held it i dont feel as much pain but still i feel the slight constant pain. Its very hard to find a comfortable spot to sit in and would appreciate any advice you have. I am a 22 year old male who doesnt drink or smoke. Slightly underweight and have been exercising for the last 6 months for 30 minutes a day. Right now I cannot exercise as it hurts too much.
Could this be related to the lungs or am I in a totally wrong area? any help would be appreciated. Thanks

C

[National Jewish]

A pain that worsens with breathing can be due to either a problem in the:  
· muscles, including the ribs, cartilage, or nerves; or
· pleura, that is the lining of the inner chest wall and the lungs.
If your chest is sore when touched at the area where you feel the pain, it is almost certainly muscular.  If your chest is not sore when touched at the area where you feel the pain, it is probably coming from irritation of the pleura or a nerve that runs along the lower edge of the ribs, called the intercostal nerves.

You will need to have a thorough physical exam to find out the nature of the problem that is causing your upper back pain.  A chest x-ray is a good place to start to see if a lung problem is the cause.

[shiva321]

your symptoms sound almost exactly like what i recently went to the doctor for. sharp pain- in the chest of back, caused by breathing deeply, moving in certain ways or sitting/laying in certain positions. it sounds almost exactly like what ive been feeling, except you pain is in you back whereas my is in the chest. it sounds like what i have- pleurisy. pleurisy is an inflammation of the layers which make up the lung wall. it can be caused by a number of things, but most commonly it is a virus or infection causing it. i definatly would goto a doctor if you are able to- they will more then likely do an xray or CBC test. usually antibiotics are perscribed along with painkillers. in the case of a virus usually jusy a pain reliver/anti-inflammitory drug is suggested.  definatly goto the doc as it could become more painful, more infected, or be caused by some other more serious condition. pleurisy is not deadly but the pain can go on for quite some time- even after an infection has healed or virus has passed, such is my case- ive had pain for 3 or 4 weeks now. if you have any more questions please ask, since ive been dealing with this perhaps i could help more. feel better soon , drink lots of water and get lots of rest. be well

[shiva321]

ah one more thing,
in the meantime if you cannot goto a doctor soon,
Two things that may help with your discomfort are
1) an anti-inflammatory pill, like ibuprofen or advil and
2) heat, especially moist heat, like a bath or shower.

[clennon]

Thanks for the advice. I was away for the weekend and the pain gradually went over the weekend and now I am feeling as good as new. I think it may have been muscle related but it was in one of those positions hard to really reach so I wasnt quite sure.
All seems to be well and if it comes back I will immidatly go see a doctor. Thanks

C

[roxemgirl]

Yippy! I have the same problem. In fact I just came from the doc today and we couldn't pin point my problem. I thought that it was an early sign of pneumonia since I have had it before. But I am not realy sick other than the pain I have. I have had this feeling before, upper back pain behind my left rib. And it is tender when I move certain ways and breath real deep. Well even though it is not a good thing at least I can rule out pneumonia and I feel like I have more control by knowing what it is.  I was realy fustrated because I didn't know what it was and finding this web site with your experiences shed a lot of light. Today is day two with the discomfort and I am drinking lots of liquids and resting and it seems to be getting better.

[bammber1015]

i have pain in my upper back, i feel fine except for that.. it tends to be sever pain when i go to bed at night, i wake up and can't hardly move, its hard for me to turn, bind or sit,it hurts really bad in my right and left lung when i take a deep breath,if i take a hot shower it eaze the pain alittle.. what may cause this?

[qlewis]

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[Hank801]

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[nino2]

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