Upper Left Back Pain   

The area between the base of the neck and the bottom of the ribs is the upper back area, which is also known as the thoracic area. The pain in the upper left back region usually is localized and involves the muscles and ligaments attached to the vertebrae. When one experiences pain in this area, there can be a number of reasons associated with it. 

Some of the most common causes for pain in the upper left back are poor posture, sprained ligaments and muscles, muscle irritation, or over exertion of the upper back muscles. 

Sometimes when a person experiences an injury or muscular strain due to an accident, the pain can radiate from the back towards the upper left area on the front. Another cause for such pain that one might experience, is pain radiating up to the ribs which could be due to problems in the joints that connect the ribs and the vertebrae.  

A burning pain in the upper left portion of the back near the shoulder blade could be an indication of pain in one of the internal organs. This indicates a possible problem in the chest, pneumonia, problems with the stomach, ulcers, or ectopic pregnancy. A pinched nerve in this region can also cause pain in the upper left quadrant of the back.  

There are various treatments suggested for the upper left back pain and pain in the left rib. Here are some treatment options: 

Physical therapy: This includes active and passive treatments as suggested by a physician and is a combination of exercises. The active treatments help increase strength of the muscles and flexibility, and the passive treatments help the patient relax. 

Massage therapy: This treatment includes manipulation of the exterior layers of muscles and tissues to help relax the body and relieve the patient from pain. 

Acupuncture: This is a process whereby needles are inserted in the body at various points to relieve pain.

Medications: Analgesics, commonly known as painkillers, such as acetaminophen or paracetamol are prescribed to provide relief from pain. Apart from this, non steroidal anti inflammatory medications such as opium, morphine, and salicylates may also be prescribed. Although effective, it is recommended that all natural anti inflammatory supplements are tried first. 

Finally, with any type of pain you will want to find and treat the causes not just the symptoms.