Experiencing back pain when breathing can be worrying and disrupt your daily life. While in some cases the cause is relatively benign like a minor muscle strain or stiffness, it can also indicate more serious underlying medical conditions of the lungs, heart, or other internal organs that require prompt diagnosis and treatment from a medical professional.
Knowing the full range of potential reasons for this common symptom is key to determining if it is a medical emergency or something that can be managed with simple at-home care.
This comprehensive guide covers the most common and severe causes of back pain related to breathing, guidelines for when to seek emergency medical attention, and how The Right Spinal Clinic can provide customized treatment to help alleviate pain and restore normal respiratory function.
Common Causes:
More often than not, back pain that occurs or worsens noticeably with breathing is related to muscular or skeletal causes. Understanding the root source of the pain is an important first step toward finding effective relief.
Muscle Strain
Since the act of breathing involves expanding and contracting the rib cage using various upper body muscle groups, strain or tightness in these muscles can translate directly to sharp or achy back pain while breathing.
Poor posture over time such as habitual slouching or hunching over a desk can chronically shorten and tighten muscles in the chest. Traumatic injuries like those suffered in a minor car accident, slip and fall, or repetitive motions during work, sports, or exercise are other common ways the intricate breathing muscles become overly strained.
The sharp pain is often described as an achy or stiff sensation and tends to worsen noticeably when taking deep breaths. Gentle stretching, massage, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, applying hot or cold compresses, and modifying aggravating movements or positions can help alleviate muscular discomfort and promote healing.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis, or abnormal sideways curvature of the spine, is another condition that commonly contributes to severe back pain while breathing. The altered spinal alignment changes normal mechanics and can prevent the rib cage from fully expanding, straining muscles along the spine.
Trying to take full, deep breaths to completely fill the lungs is restricted and limited by the body’s changed physical structure. If left untreated, these misalignments can not only cause breathing problems but permanent nerve damage as well.
Bracing, physical therapy focused on strength and flexibility, chiropractic adjustments, massage, and exploring other conservative treatment options aim to improve spinal positioning and alignment as well as ease acute pain episodes.
Soft Tissue Injuries
The intricate web of muscles, tendons and ligaments between the spine and rib cage is vulnerable to injuries from even minor trauma to the back. Sprains, tears, or inflammation in these soft tissues can occur suddenly from an accident, abrupt fall, physical blow, or repetitive overuse.
The resulting acute or chronic pain then flares up noticeably when breathing deeply as the damaged tissues struggle to handle the expected movements.
Icing, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, sufficient rest, gentle stretching, and modifying activities can help reduce inflammation and promote the healing of these delicate injuries.
Severe Causes:
While most instances of back pain while breathing have straightforward musculoskeletal explanations, some urgent medical emergencies can also initially present with this common symptom. Recognizing potential red flag indicators and getting prompt emergency medical care is essential for the best outcomes.
Heart Attack
Crushing, pressure-like chest pain that radiates to the back, shortness of breath, and pain that sharply worsens with any exertion or attempted deep breathing are classic hallmark signs of a heart attack. This life-threatening medical emergency is caused by a suddenly blocked coronary heart artery preventing oxygenated blood flow to the cardiac muscle.
If you suspect you are having a heart attack, seek immediate medical attention. Heart attack is potentially fatal and early intervention is key to preventing complications like permanent heart damage, cardiac arrest or death. Calling 911 at the first symptoms can greatly improve survivability and recovery.
Lung Problems
Various serious lung conditions like severe pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, pleurisy, COPD, or lung cancer can cause inflammation, irritation and dysfunction in the lung tissue itself as well as the lining of the chest cavity. Since the lungs press directly against the spine and back muscles, any pain or compromised functioning in the pulmonary system translates and can worsen noticeably with deeper breaths. Depending on the specific condition, urgent treatment protocols may include rapidly prescribed medications like antibiotics, steroids or anticoagulants to treat pulmonary embolism as well as supportive therapies like oxygen, breathing exercises or pulmonary rehabilitation. Pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs, requires rapid treatment with blood thinners to prevent permanent damage. Prompt diagnosis of pulmonary embolism allows for quicker treatment and recovery. With conditions like pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, and pleurisy, back pain with breathing should not be ignored as it may indicate a serious lung problem requiring urgent medical care.
Other Contributing Factors
Certain underlying health issues are not direct causes of back pain with breathing but can increase severity or produce other symptoms. Being aware of these factors, such as obesity, provides a fuller clinical picture.
Carrying excess body weight puts a constant strain on the spine, ribs and torso even during normal sedentary activity. Attempting deeper breathing efforts expands the rib cage against this heavier resistant pressure, significantly worsening pain and discomfort. Establishing a healthy weight management regimen and easing into a sustainable exercise program, can reduce mechanical strain on the back and ribs, improving respiratory function and relieving pain over time.
When to Seek Medical Attention
In most cases, acute back pain with breathing will gradually resolve on its own with rest, over-the-counter pain medication and other conservative self-care treatments. However, certain severe or progressive symptoms warrant prompt medical evaluation, ideally within 1-2 days. Severe cases involving sudden, intense pain, breathing difficulties, dizziness, sweating, nausea, radiating pain or high fever require an urgent assessment to rule out dangerous conditions.
- Sudden, severe and debilitating pain
- Shortness of breath, labored breathing or difficulty getting a deep breath
- Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, clammy sweating, nausea
- Pain that radiates into your arm, neck, jaw, shoulders or between the shoulder blades
- Fever over 101°F
Since the range of possible causes spans from benign muscle strain to a life-threatening collapsed lung, pulmonary embolism, or heart attack, it’s crucial to seek professional medical assessment rather than attempting to self-diagnose and treat. A physical examination, imaging tests and other diagnostic workup can pinpoint the underlying condition so proper treatment can begin immediately.
The Right Spinal Clinic Can Help
For back pain caused primarily by common musculoskeletal problems like muscle tightness, strains or spinal joint dysfunction, chiropractic and physical therapy provide effective non-invasive relief without drugs or surgery. Skilled techniques like spinal manipulations and adjustments, muscular release massage, therapeutic stretches and exercises, and more all help directly address the source of the pain and respiratory dysfunction. Improving spinal alignment, posture, core muscular strength and mobility alleviates pressure and strain to provide lasting relief.
If being overweight or obese is contributing to your back pain and difficulty breathing, The Right Spinal Clinic also offers customized medical weight loss guidance. Our multi-disciplinary team develops tailored diet, exercise and lifestyle plans to help you lose excess fat in a steady, sustainable and holistic way.
You don’t have to simply live with and try to ignore ongoing disruptive back pain whenever you breathe. Our compassionate providers will thoroughly assess your condition to determine the underlying cause and create an individualized treatment plan to help relieve pain and restore normal function so you can breathe freely again. Contact us today to schedule a consultation at (813) 392 2164!
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