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Upper back pain
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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When pain occurs in the upper back, you need to be careful and not self-medicate, because it can be a symptom of a variety of diseases. Good diagnostics are needed.
Diseases-provocateurs
These diseases provoke pain in the upper back. It can be localized on the left or right.
Respiratory diseases
Pneumothorax (spontaneous) - this disease causes acute chest pain, which radiates to the shoulder blade on the left or right (on the side of the chest pain). When listening to the heart, the doctor does not detect any noise.
Bronchial or lung cancer - with this disease, the nature of the pain depends on the side where it arose. For example, if the lung is affected, there will be pain in the back, Pencoast syndrome may develop with severe pain in the shoulder, and also moving to the shoulder blade and radiating to the arm on the side where the lung hurts. The pain intensifies when coughing, during movements. If the nerve is also affected, the pain may be encircling.
Pneumonia - the pain with this disease is not very strong, but long-lasting. It occurs in the shoulder blade, in the chest on the left or right. When coughing, the pain may increase, and with deep breathing - too. In addition, a person suffers from wheezing in the lungs, dry cough, and may have chills.
Pleurisy - with this disease, the pain radiates to the right or left side of the chest, it worsens with movement. The pain is cutting, strong.
Diseases of the digestive system
They can cause back pain, either in the upper or lower part.
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Pain in the upper back on the right
It is provoked by acute cholecystitis. The pain is long-lasting, it torments a person for several days. It is most disturbing under the ribs on the right and in the epigastric region. With this disease, the pain can radiate to the right side of the arm, shoulder, hurt under the shoulder blade, above the shoulders, chest on the left. These symptoms are accompanied by nausea, yellowing of the skin, chills, severe pain when palpating with fingers and even touching. The abdominal muscles can also be tense and painful.
Pain in the upper back on the left
It can occur with acute pancreatitis, in which the pain is sharp and severe in the left chest area, as well as in the upper shoulder, in the shoulder blade, heart (on the left in the chest), while the abdominal muscles are tense and sore.
Diseases of the urinary system
They also provoke pain in the right or left side of the back or from above. These pains may be accompanied by colic in the kidneys, renal artery thrombosis, retroperitoneal hematoma, severe unexpected pain in patients who have undergone anticoagulant therapy.
Pain can also arise from spinal cord lesions and peripheral system malfunctions. Pain occurs on the left or right side of the back. It is shooting, strong, and very often spreads distally.
In all cases when a person feels pain in the back – regardless of which part of it – it is necessary to call an ambulance, especially if the pain is acute.