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Board-certified interventional pain specialist serving New Jersey for nearly 30 years — personalized, minimally invasive care designed to help patients avoid surgery whenever possible.
Upper & Mid Back Pain New Jersey
Upper & Middle Back Pain Relief
Pain in the upper or middle back can make everyday activities uncomfortable, from sitting at a desk and driving to exercising or even getting a good night’s sleep.
Unlike lower back pain, upper and mid-back pain affects the area from around the base of the neck down through the middle of the spine. Pain may stay in one spot, spread across the back, or be felt around the shoulder blades or ribs.
For nearly 30 years, Dr. Todd Koppel has helped patients throughout New Jersey identify the source of their pain and find the right treatment. Rather than simply treating the symptoms, Dr. Koppel focuses on finding the structure actually causing the pain so treatment can be targeted to the problem.
I have been treating back pain in New Jersey for nearly 30 years. The pattern I see most often is not that the pain was untreatable, it’s that nobody took the time to find out exactly where it was coming from. That’s the core of what we do. Before I recommend any treatment, I identify the pain generator — the specific structure causing your pain. That diagnostic precision is why more than 95 percent of my patients improve significantly without surgery, says Dr. Todd Koppel.
What Causes Upper & Mid Back Pain?
There are many possible causes of pain in this part of the back. The key is figuring out which one is responsible for your symptoms.
Muscle and Soft-Tissue Strain
Muscles in the upper and middle back can become irritated from lifting, exercise, repetitive movements, injuries, or simply sitting in the same position for long periods.
Muscle-related pain may feel sore, tight, or tender and can become worse with movement.
Poor Posture and Repetitive Stress
Spending hours at a desk, looking down at a phone, driving, or performing repetitive activities can place added stress on the muscles and joints of the upper back.
Over time, this can lead to ongoing stiffness, muscle fatigue, and pain.
Facet Joint Pain
Small joints called facet joints connect the bones of the spine and allow the back to move.
When these joints become irritated or arthritic, they can cause localized pain and stiffness that may become worse when twisting, bending, or extending the back.
Disc Problems
Although disc problems are more common in the neck and lower back, the discs in the middle or thoracic spine can also become damaged or irritated.
In some cases, a disc problem can irritate nearby nerves and cause pain that travels away from the spine.
Arthritis and Age-Related Changes
The joints and discs of the spine naturally change as we get older.
For some people, these changes cause little or no discomfort. For others, arthritis or degeneration can contribute to chronic upper or middle back pain and stiffness.
Injuries and Accidents
Upper and middle back pain can also develop after a car accident, workplace injury, sports injury, or fall.
Symptoms do not always appear immediately. Pain and stiffness can sometimes develop hours or even days after an injury.
Symptoms of Back Pain
Back pain can feel very different from one person to another.
Common symptoms include:
- Aching or stiffness in the upper or middle back
- Pain between the shoulder blades
- Sharp pain with certain movements
- Muscle tightness or spasms
- Pain that gets worse after sitting for long periods
- Pain when twisting or bending
- Pain that extends around the ribs or chest
- Pain near the neck or shoulders
Where you feel the pain and what makes it better or worse can provide important clues about where the problem is coming from.
Areas of the Spine We Treat
Back pain is a symptom, not a single condition. It can come from dozens of different structures at any level of your spine.
Neck and Upper Back Pain
Neck pain localized to the neck often comes from arthritic facet joints or muscle and ligament strain. But when neck pain travels into your shoulder, down your arm, or into your hand, that’s a sign a nerve root is being compressed, which most patients call a pinched nerve. This responds very well to targeted cervical injections.
Mid-Back Pain
Pain between the shoulder blades or wrapping around the ribcage is less common but just as limiting. The thoracic spine is often overlooked by doctors who focus primarily on the lower back. Dr. Koppel evaluates and treats thoracic facet joint pain, disc conditions, and nerve-related pain in this region.
Lower Back Pain
The lower back is the most common site of spinal pain. Learn more about lower back pain.
In Their Own Words
Real Patients. Real Relief.
No actors, no scripts — just patients describing, in their own words, how their pain went away. Watch dozens of stories like these on Dr. Koppel’s YouTube channel.
Is Your Pain Really Coming From Your Upper Back?
Not always.
Pain felt around the upper back or shoulder blades can sometimes actually begin in the neck.
A problem involving the cervical spine or an irritated nerve may cause pain that travels from the neck into the shoulder, shoulder blade, arm, or hand.
That is why identifying the actual source of the pain is so important before deciding how to treat it.
Finding the True Cause of Your Pain
Dr. Koppel starts by listening to where you feel the pain, when it started, what makes it worse, and whether you have other symptoms such as numbness, tingling, or weakness.
He may also review imaging studies and perform a physical examination to help determine whether the pain is coming from a muscle, joint, disc, nerve, or another structure.
When necessary, diagnostic injections may also be used to help confirm the source of the pain.
The goal is simple: find what is actually causing the pain before deciding how to treat it.
Treatment Options
Your back pain treatment is matched to the confirmed diagnosis. Options at Garden State Pain Management include:
- Epidural steroid injections: for nerve inflammation from disc herniation or stenosis
- Lumbar and cervical targeted injection therapy
- Radiofrequency ablation: for facet joint and sacroiliac joint pain
- Minimally invasive discectomy: for disc herniations not responding to injections
- PRP and regenerative cell therapy: to promote actual tissue healing
- Spinal cord stimulation: for chronic pain not responding to other treatments
Upper & Mid Back Pain After an Accident
Car accidents, workplace injuries, falls, and other types of trauma can injure the muscles, joints, discs, and other structures of the upper and middle back.
Even if you feel relatively normal immediately after an accident, pain and stiffness can develop later.
Dr. Koppel treats patients with accident-related back pain and accepts PIP insurance and workers’ compensation cases throughout New Jersey.
When Should You See a Doctor?
You should consider having upper or middle back pain evaluated if:
- The pain continues for several weeks
- The pain keeps coming back
- Pain interferes with sleep or normal activities
- The pain is getting worse
- You experience numbness or tingling
- You develop weakness
- Pain travels into your shoulder, arm, ribs, or chest
- The pain began after an accident or injury
Severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, sudden weakness, or other serious symptoms should be evaluated immediately, since not all pain felt in the upper back comes from the spine.
Why Choose Dr. Todd Koppel?
Successful pain treatment starts with identifying the source of the problem.
Dr. Todd Koppel has spent nearly 30 years helping patients throughout New Jersey find the cause of their pain and explore non-surgical and minimally invasive treatment options.
Patients choose Dr. Koppel because he offers:
- Nearly 30 years of experience treating spine conditions
- 1,000+ five-star patient reviews across trusted review platforms
- Board Certified in Pain Medicine by the American Board of Anesthesiology
- Board Certified in Anesthesiology by the American Board of Anesthesiology
- Fellowship Trained in Interventional Pain Management
- Earned his medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College
- Fellowship training at The New York Hospital and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS)
- Advanced expertise in image guided, minimally invasive pain procedures
- Personalized treatment plans
- Conservative care before surgery
- Comprehensive treatment for neck, upper & mid and low back pain
At Garden State Pain Management, every treatment plan is designed around your diagnosis, symptoms, and goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Todd Koppel, MD
“After seeing two previous doctors without results, Dr. Koppel helped me get my life back. I’m now more mobile and no longer in pain 24/7.” ✓ Verified Patient Review
Contact Our Pain Management Clinic
Living with pain can affect every part of your life, but you don’t have to face it alone.
At Garden State Pain Management, Dr. Todd Koppel takes the time to understand your symptoms, identify the source of your pain, and develop a personalized treatment plan focused on lasting relief and restoring function.
Whether you’re dealing with neck pain, back pain, joint pain, or another chronic pain condition, we’re here to help you take the next step toward feeling better.
Call (973) 473-5752 today to schedule your consultation.
Verified Google Reviews
5-Star Reviews. Real Results.
From first visit to full recovery — here’s what patients are saying about their care at Garden State Pain Management.
★★★★★“I feel so much better after having to deal with an accident that caused my lower back to have a herniated disc. I’ve gotten so much treatment — the procedures and check-ups were outstanding!”
Google Review
★★★★★“I am very appreciative of being taken care of by Dr. Koppel. I would definitely recommend being taken care of here. Fantastic job!”
Google Review
★★★★★“Doctor was amazing and always helpful. Made sure to communicate well and that I felt safe and comfortable in each visit.”
Google Review
