Mid back problems, located in the area between your shoulder blades and lower ribs, is often overlooked but can cause deep discomfort, stiffness, and restricted movement. It’s usually linked to posture problems, spinal misalignments, or muscle fatigue.

Pain experienced in the mid-back (the area between the shoulder blades and the bottom of the rib cage) will affect a person’s day-to-day activities and may limit their ability to be functional. There is often stiffness, pain, and limited movement in this area. While the mid-back is often underrated, it plays an important role in posture, breath, and support of the spinal column. Poor posture can result in pain—poor posture can result from prolonged slouching, leaning forward, or sitting down without proper support of the back, and when one continues with this behavior, the thoracic spine and associated muscles are weakened, leading to misalignments and more restrictions at the joints and overall fatigue. Other repetitive movements like, lifting, twisting, and shallow breathing can also place stress on the mid-back. The mid-back can also become “tight” if the muscles are underused; in this case, the neck, shoulders, and lower back will be instructed to compensate for a lack of mid-back movement, creating pain elsewhere in the spine. In certain cases, simply inhaling or deeply breathing can become uncomfortable, which is related to limitations in mobility of the ribs and spine.