Steve Bleser, D.C., F.I.C.C.,
Alliance Institute for Integrative Medicine

The diagnosis of mid-back pain is often elusive. We often see patients that may have already been to their family physician or elsewhere – only to be frustrated by a non-conclusive diagnosis. In actuality, this pain may stem from rib head subluxation and/or intercostal neuralgia. Symptoms include nagging pain that radiates in a semi-circle or straight through the back to the chest, or pain between the shoulder blades. At times, these symptoms are so indefinable that they may be misdiagnosed as a heart, lung, stomach or esophageal problem. This condition responds well to chiropractic treatment.

In my experience, most of the symptoms for these conditions can be resolved within 10 – 21 days. In summary, this is an area where an integrative approach works extremely well. It is necessary to work with a physician to rule out important medical conditions. But ultimately the treatment may be a simple, easy chiropractic adjustment. At the Alliance Institute for Integrative Medicine we will often add other treatments such as acupuncture to help speed up the recovery process.