Burning Sensation In Your Upper Back: 8 Causes And Treatments

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Back Pain

Burning Sensation in Upper Back: What Could It Be?

Medically reviewed by Gregory Minnis, DPT — Written by Valencia Higuera — Updated on October 1, 2025

Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Home remedies
When to call a doctor
Takeaway

A burning sensation in the back can be caused by an injury, inflammation, or another medical condition. It may even be caused by stress. The treatment will depend on the cause.

Back pain is one of the most common health complaints globally, and a top reason for doctor visits and missing days from work. Some people have aches that are either:

dull
constant
shooting pains

Yet others feel a burning sensation in their upper back due to:

an injury
inflammation
muscle strain
other causes

Here’s what you need to know about a burning sensation in your upper back, including causes and treatment options.

Symptoms

A burning pain is different from other types of back pain. Some people describe it as a prickly, stinging sensation, or an electrical shock felt between your shoulder blades or on the right or left side of your spine.

Other symptoms can accompany a burning sensation in your upper back too. You might also experience neck pain, or pain that radiates to:

your arms
chest
down your leg

Upper back pain can even limit your range of motion and mobility.

Causes

Here’s a look at a few common causes of a burning, stinging sensation in your upper back.

Stress

Different factors can trigger stress such as:

work
family
health
financial pressure

But stress doesn’t only cause emotional distress, it can also affect you physically.

Stress can also cause muscle tension. This can lead to a constant ache or burning sensation between your shoulder blades and around your neck.

Muscle strain

A back injury or overuse of back muscles can also cause a burning, stinging sensation in your upper back. This can happen after:

lifting heavy objects
sudden movements
exercise
playing sports
other back injuries

Muscle strains can occur anywhere in your back, such as between your shoulder blades or on the right or left side of your spine.

Sometimes, a muscle strain can radiate to your chest. This type of pain often develops after a back injury or other strenuous activity, and symptoms might worsen with repeated strain.

Spinal misalignment

Spinal misalignment is another possible cause of a burning, stinging sensation in your upper back. Factors contributing to spinal misalignment include:

an injury like a fall or car accident
improper posture
sleeping in an incorrect position
repetitive motions

You may feel pain from spinal misalignment in between your shoulder blades or neck.

Herniated disc

Discs are rubbery cushions in between your vertebrae (bones) in your spine. These discs become herniated when they move out of position and compress a nerve.

Nerve compression in the neck or upper back is a common cause of upper back pain. You can feel pain on the right or left side of your back and a burning sensation around your neck.

You might have other symptoms too, like muscle weakness and muscle spasms. Some herniated discs occur after trauma like:

a fall
an accident
moving the wrong way

But herniated discs can also develop for no apparent reason due to age and wear and tear.

Rheumatic conditions

The following rheumatic conditions can affect your back pain:

arthritis
osteoarthritis
lupus

Other auto-inflammatory diseases can affect your:

joints
tendons
muscles
bones throughout your body — including your back

An overactive immune system triggers the above conditions. In this case, the immune system mistakenly targets the body’s healthy tissue, which causes a chronic inflammatory response.

Inflammation can cause stabbing, sharp pains, as well as a burning sensation on the right or left side of your upper back, and between your shoulder blades.

Spinal tumors

Tumors that develop on your spine can also cause a stinging, burning sensation in your upper back between your shoulder blades. Depending on the location of a tumor, you might also feel pain in your neck.

Spinal tumors can be malignant or benign, and cause other symptoms too. These include:

muscle weakness
difficulty walking
an inability to feel heat or cold

How to treat upper back pain

There are several ways to treat a burning pain in your upper back, depending on the condition.

OTC medications

The following over-the-counter pain reliever options may help reduce inflammation and stop the burning sensation:

nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
ibuprofen
naproxen sodium

Prescription medications

If your pain doesn’t respond to over-the-counter meds, your doctor might recommend other medications, either a prescription medication or a topical cream. Prescription medications can include:

muscle relaxants
opioids
corticosteroids

Prescription medications and topical creams can relieve upper back pain caused by:

injuries
muscle sprains
herniated discs
spinal stenosis
arthritic conditions
bone spurs

Your doctor can administer corticosteroids by injection, or prescribe an oral steroid.

Physical therapy

While medication can relieve inflammation and the burning sensation, you might require other therapies depending on the underlying condition. For example, physical therapy can assist with improving your:

flexibility
strength in your back
range of motion

Improving the physical abilities above may help ease pain associated with:

herniated discs
spinal stenosis
arthritic conditions
spinal misalignment

Surgery

If you have a spinal tumor, a doctor will likely recommend the following treatments to shrink or destroy cancerous cells:

surgery
radiation
chemotherapy

It’s important to know that nonsurgical therapies may not improve the following conditions:

herniated discs
spinal stenosis
bone spurs

In the above scenario, you may need surgery to relieve nerve compression and ease back pain symptoms.

Relaxation

If stress is causing your upper back and neck pain, learning how to manage stress may bring relief. This includes:

setting realistic expectations
knowing your limitations
increasing physical activity
taking mental breaks
getting enough rest

If you’re unable to reduce stress naturally, consider talking with a doctor. They can work with you to create a treatment plan to help you manage your symptoms.

»Learn more:Tips to Reduce Stress and Anxiety.

Home remedies for upper back pain

Although over-the-counter and prescription medication can relieve a burning sensation in your upper back, home remedies can also help.

Hot or cold therapy. For acute pain due to injury or muscle strain, cold therapy may help reduce inflammation. Wrap an ice pack in a towel, and then apply the towel to your back and neck. Apply cold therapy for no more than 20 minutes at a time. If you have chronic upper back pain, heat therapy might be more effective. It can calm and relax your muscles, and increase blood circulation. Apply a heating pad for no more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time.
Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can increase your stress levels and make back pain worse. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep each night. Create a comfortable sleep environment and avoid stimulating activities before bed, such as exercising or playing video games.
Exercise. Increasing physical activity can improve blood circulation, strengthen your back, and reduce inflammation, which can ease mild to moderate back pain. Aim for 30 minutes of light physical activity at least five days a week.

When to speak with a doctor

Some upper back pain might improve on its own with home remedies and over-the-counter medication within a few days or weeks.

However, if your back pain doesn’t improve or worsens, you should speak with a doctor. They can use diagnostic tests such as X-rays or MRIs to determine the underlying cause of pain and then recommend an effective treatment course.

»FIND CARE:Find a primary care doctor near you.

Takeaway

Back pain can be debilitating, impacting your quality of life and causing you to miss work.

Pain relief is available, though. Whether you’re experiencing an injury, an inflammatory condition, or nerve problems, talk with a doctor. The right therapy can reduce inflammation and stop the pain.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

About sleep. (2024).https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html
Du S-H, et al. (2023). Spinal posture assessment and low back pain.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10548303/
Global, regional, and national burden of low back pain, 1990–2020, its attributable risk factors, and projections to 2050: A systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. (2023).https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(23)00098-X/fulltext
National Health Service. (n.d.).https://www.nhs.uk/
Spinal cord tumours. (2023).https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/brain-tumours/types/treatment-spinal-cord-tumours

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Medically reviewed by Gregory Minnis, DPT — Written by Valencia Higuera — Updated on October 1, 2025

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