When your upper back and chest hurt it sometimes signals and indicates a serious condition that involves your heart, lungs or biliary system.
Although in some cases the upper back and chest hurting can also be less serious issues like poor posture, muscle strain, herniated discs, pinched nerves, spinal issues or even anxiety and GERD.
If the upper back and chest continue to hurt or get worse you should seek medical attention to determine the exact cause.
If the pain is sudden, severe or crushing or is accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness or pain that spreads to the arms and jaw you should go to the ER immediately or call 911.
Common causes of upper back pain and chest pain are muscle strains from injury, overuse, poor posture or even a result of conditions like costochondritis, also known as inflamed cartilage.
Spinal issues like herniated discs or pinched nerves in your thoracic spine can also radiate pain to your chest.
Anxiety and panic attacks can also mimic serious symptoms and can cause chest tightness and back pain.
Angina or a heart attack can also present itself as pressure and squeezing in your chest, radiating to your back, arms, jaw or neck.
Lung conditions like pneumonia, pleurisy, "lung lining inflammation or a blood clot "pulmonary embolism" can also cause chest pain and back pain.
And even gastrointestinal issues like acid reflux also known as GERD or even gallbladder problems like gallstones can cause pain in your chest and may also cause back pain including your upper back.
Not all cases of upper back pain and chest hurting are serious, but you should seek medical attention to get properly diagnosed and treated.
You should always seek medical attention immediately and call 911 or get to the hospital if you have sudden, severe, crushing or squeezing chest pain, pain that spreads to the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back or shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting or sweating, nausea, vomiting with chest pain.
When you should still see a doctor, when it's not an emergency is if you have pain that gets worse with movement or deep breaths, tenderness when touching the area and pain that's persistent but not acute.
The doctor will ask you about the pain's nature, duration and any other symptoms to pinpoint the cause of the upper back and chest pain.