The upper body

The upper body is quite differently defined in the language usage. Thus, the term is sometimes used as a synonym for the thorax (chest) use, on the other hand, the entire torso - that is, the body without limbs and head - called upper body. At this point, the term body part between hip and neck is to be understood, including thorax, back and stomach. Protected by the ribs, sternum and thoracic spine, the chest cavity contains the heart and lungs. Furthermore, here the air and esophagus run. Also, some organs such as the liver are at least partially protected behind the lower costal arches. However, they are already exactly in the abdominal cavity, which is delimited by the diaphragm from the chest cavity. In it are housed as organs of the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, the liver, spleen, pancreas and the two kidneys. Forward the abdomen is protected by a relatively pronounced musculature. On the back, the thoracic and abdominal cavities extend to the spine. The spine itself, the back of the ribs and the surrounding muscles are defined as spines. In common usage, however, often the shoulder blades are attributed to the back.

Many of the upper body organs - especially the ribcage - are vital. Accordingly, their illnesses can have serious consequences. In particular, chest pain, which is accompanied by other complaints such as tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, dizziness, abdominal pain or nausea and vomiting, are to be evaluated here as an alarm signal. Because they can be related to a heart attack and other serious heart disease. Acute life-threatening diseases of the lung, such as pulmonary embolism, are often accompanied by a breath-dependent puncture in the chest and respiratory distress. However, significantly fewer dramatic illnesses can also lead to similar symptoms. However, a medical check is appropriate here in any case. The same applies to complaints in the abdominal area such as abdominal pain, stomach pressure or a distended abdomen, especially if at the same time other symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, vomiting and blood in the urine or stool are added. Here are numerous serious illness in the digestive tract as possible causes to consider.

In addition to the organs, the bones and muscles of the upper body can also be damaged. Here are not only acute injuries such as a rib fracture to call, but especially degenerative changes of the spine and tension of the back muscles. Back pain is one of the most common complaints in Germany. The spectrum of possible causes ranges from short-term muscle overloads to herniated discs and other wear-related spinal disorders such as spondylolisthesis (spondylolisthesis). Although a well-trained upper body is generally less vulnerable here, however, an excessive amount of training or incorrect strength training can also be the cause of back pain.

Possible fractures of the upper body bone structure pose a significant risk to both the spine and the bones of the ribcage. In spinal or vertebral fractures threatening injuries to the nerve tracts, which can cause paraplegia and a generally classified as harmless rib fracture in the worst case, the lungs are injured by the bones, which is life-threatening for the patients. Since the different structures in the upper body are relatively close to each other and partially in front of each other, on the one hand the risk of mutual adverse effects in the case of diseases and on the other hand, the symptoms are often difficult to locate. A visit to the doctor is therefore strongly recommended in the case of repeated emergencies. (Fp)

upper body