You feel a sharp, burning pain in your chest or upper back. It radiates around your ribcage and makes you pause, wondering if you're having a heart attack. But here's the twist: it's not your heart. It could be thoracic radiculopathy—a condition where a nerve in your mid-back gets irritated or compressed. This can mimic serious cardiac symptoms. That’s why understanding what’s actually going on in your spine matters.

There’s something uniquely rewarding about hiking in Colorado: endless blue skies, challenging terrain, and breathtaking summit views. But, if you’ve ever finished a hike only to be greeted by nagging lower back pain when walking, you’re not alone. At Rise Rehab and Sport Performance, we often work with hikers who experience pain in their lumbar spine after a day on the trail.