Patients may or may not recognize the exact moment that an upper back muscle overstretches and tears. In an acute sports injury or traumatic event, patients may notice a burning or popping sensation, followed by immediate upper back pain. In a back strain that results from chronic overuse, symptoms may creep up gradually or come on the next day after unusual exertion. Home care and physical therapy usually facilitate a full recovery, while severe tissue damage that prevents self-healing may need surgical treatment.
Identification
Symptoms of significant soreness, painful movement, warmth and swelling indicate a pulled or torn muscle in the upper back. According to the NYU Langone Medical Center, patients will need to seek medical diagnoses to determine how seriously muscle tissue has been harmed.
Doctors may use imaging tests such as MRIs or x-rays to reveal whether back strain has caused a total separation of the muscle tissue fibers. They can also target the correct muscle or muscle group for treatment.
Types
Upper back strain treatments include first aid, therapeutic and rehabilitative care. As the National Institutes of Health, NIH, relates, first aid for back pain and swelling includes rest, cold pack applications and pain relief drugs. Therapeutic surgery aids in physical repair of the torn muscle, while therapeutic massage treats pain and muscular inflammation, as the Mayo Clinic notes. Physical therapy guides rehabilitative exercise to bring patients to a total recovery.
Function
A torn muscle causes an inflammatory response by the immune system, which begins cellular repair but causes side effects. First aid should take place just after these symptoms of back pain and muscle swelling arise, in order to keep them from escalating. The NIH suggests that patients refrain from activity that increases pain, apply ice packs for 20 minutes at a time, and take ibuprofen or aspirin as directed. In most cases, a day or two of first aid will reduce pain and begin to restore muscle mobility and function.
Effects
Moving past the inflammatory stage of a back strain allows patients to begin therapeutic and rehabilitative treatments. The NIH recommends a physical therapy program that makes a gradual transition from gentle stretching to muscle strengthening that increases in intensity.
Prevention
Preventing re-injury will make successful treatment pay off down the road. Continuing to exericise within reasonable limits adds to muscle fitness and decreases the chances of patients developing another torn muscle. The NYU Langone Medical Center discourages patients from resuming sports play before an absence of back pain signals that recovery is complete.
