At one time upper back pain was not as common as lower back pain but nowadays more people than ever are complaining about their upper back, shoulders and neck causing them pain. The neck and upper back is the most complex of all the body areas. Upper back pain exhibits many of the lower back problem difficulties such as arthritis, pulled muscles, and disc problems. Can coughing cause upper back pain? Lungs that are congested causing severe bouts of coughing can make your ribs hurt, your back sore, give you a headache along with other problems. When upper back problems become very severe, some people have difficulty performing everyday activities like brushing their hair or even picking up a cup of coffee. The upper back, located between your neck and lower back has very little movement and anchors your rib cage. This provides a cavity for your heart and lungs with just enough space for your lungs to expand. Pain in the upper back is often a result of muscular irritation, trauma, strain, poor posture, illness, and muscular irritation.
Many parts of your body can feel the effect of upper back pain. Lungs, chest, ribs, shoulders or neck can become painful resulting from an upper back injury or illness. There are many illnesses and diseases, which affect the lungs and can cause upper back pain. Pneumonia is a lung and respiratory infection caused by things such as parasites, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and physical or chemical injury to the lungs. With pneumonia, some of the more common symptoms include difficulty breathing, fever, chest pain, and coughing. If you are coughing and experiencing upper back pain, lungs filled with pneumonia could be the cause.
Another medical condition that can be the cause of upper back pain, lungs, which are sore and chest pain, are rib fractures. A rib fracture is a crack or break in the bone/bones that make up the rib cage. The most commonly fractured ribs are the middle ribs, often caused by indirect crushing injuries, sustained coughing, or from direct trauma. Osteoporosis and other diseased bone structures can cause fragility fractures. Rib fractures can also be the result of diseases, infections or cancer. Symptoms of broken ribs include upper back pain, lungs that pain when taking a deep breath and a grating sound with movement or breathing. Unlike most fractures, there is no particular treatment for cracked ribs although there are several supportive measures. Pain from a simple rib fractures can contribute to cough suppression and decreased movement, which could result in a secondary chest infection. Usually they prescribe painkillers to avoid this.