Peace of mind comes first. When something new shows up on the body, a calm look and a clear plan are worth more than worry.
This photo shows a woman in her late thirties with a long dark ponytail and a black sports bra, sitting on an exam table seen from behind, with a red, swollen lump in the middle of her upper back while a nurse’s gloved hand holds gauze beside it.
A lump like this is most likely an inflamed epidermoid cyst. It forms when a blocked follicle creates a small sac under the skin that slowly fills with keratin.
The upper back between the shoulder blades has many oil glands, sweats easily and is hard to see, so a blocked pore there can grow quietly for a long time.
Once the cyst becomes inflamed it can swell to several centimetres, feel warm and tight, and ache when leaning back against a chair or sleeping on the back.
A doctor will look at the lump closely, feel whether it moves under the skin and ask how long it has been there and how quickly it changed.
If it is a cyst, the skin is numbed, a small opening is made so it can drain, and the sac is removed so the swelling does not keep coming back.
The spot is then cleaned and covered with a light dressing, and keeping it dry and free of tight straps for a few days helps it heal.
Showering after workouts, washing sports bras after every use and leaving new bumps alone all help keep new blockages from forming.
Put peace of mind first and let a professional take a look. The videos below show back cysts being treated by professionals.
