Posted on: Thu, 08/14/2008 - 13:57
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Pain between shoulder blades
Hi all,
Went camping last week and the last few day my middle back between the shoulder blades tightened up really bad and now I have pain there daily and it sometimes radiates to the front of my chest.
I have had this on and off in my life, but this is the worst it's been.
I really notice it when I take a deep breath in. Last night I went for an hour walk and the whole time my middle back ached and I felt it in the chest as well. Then I got a headache by the time I got back.
Went to the chiropractor a couple days ago and no relief.
Any ideas of what this could be?
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Hi and welcome. It could be any of a number of things and only your doctor will be able to point you in a direction.
Cervical myelopathy, 15 surgeries to date, Severe OA, bilateral knee replacements, DDD, 13 MRI’s, 4 sets of spinal cortisone procedures and dozens of cortisone shots in other areas for OA. Upcoming scheduled surgeries include laminectomy and removal of synovial cyst located at left facet joint of L4-L5 (may require fusion); Right resection of A-C joint (left was done 12 years ago, by far the most painful of all my surgeries)
I have been to the doctor over the years, said it was from reflux. But I have been on medication for that and now it has happened again. Should I request at CT scan or MRI for diagnosis??
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Cervical myelopathy, 15 surgeries to date, Severe OA, bilateral knee replacements, DDD, 13 MRI’s, 4 sets of spinal cortisone procedures and dozens of cortisone shots in other areas for OA. Upcoming scheduled surgeries include laminectomy and removal of synovial cyst located at left facet joint of L4-L5 (may require fusion); Right resection of A-C joint (left was done 12 years ago, by far the most painful of all my surgeries)
Can you set up an appointment to discuss your concerns that it may be something other than acid reflux and that those meds don't take care of it.
"C"
"I tried to puree a rock...it didn't work..."
I'm going to see my Naturopath in a couple hours, but I may go back to see my physician as well.
Unfortunately, here in Canada, you just can't book an MRI or a Cat Scan without the doctor exhausting the use of drugs to take the pain away...hence the acid med's.
I have asked her to please consider endoscopy and she said no and even if she did...would take over a year to get in.
I feel that going back to her will just end up with another perscription.
BUT when I do go see the naturopath today, I will look at possibly getting an MRI, catscan or endoscopy through a private clinic. ($3000++).
So frustrating.
Sorry to hear how frustrating the system is for you. I hope that your Naturopath can help you out today.
Keep us posted.
"C"
"I tried to puree a rock...it didn't work..."
I went to my NP yesterday. Having told her my symptoms, she said that my spine was in spasm (hence the throbbing stabbing pain). She said when the mid back in particular goes into spasm, the nerves are not functioning properly. She said this can cause reflux, digestive problems, heart palps, etc. (all of which I have).
She gave me six injections of a natural muscle relaxant along the area that is in spasm. Today I have no pain or discomfort! I will continue with these treatments over the next couple of weeks and in the meantime start doing exercises to stregnthen that area so this won't keep happening.
Let's hope this is the end of my pain.
Deb
Hi DG, I am so glad you have got some relief from your spasms. I suffer from horrible spasms in my thoracic spine, and the pain is excruciating. My GP has prescribed me diazepam as a muscle relaxant and it does help.
Calcified invertebral disc at T8/9, vertebral end plate irregularity and anterior osteophyte lipping in the mid thoracic spine due to previous Scheuermann's disease. Spondylosis of thoracic spine.
Meds - Co-dydramol 3-4 times per day. Diclofenac for inflammation and Diazepam to help with spasms.
"I tried to puree a rock...it didn't work..."
Deb,
What was in the injections? I have been suffering middle-upper back pain for over 8 months. Had an MRI and it just showed a slight bulging disc. Doc won't give me anymore pain meds which is okay as they stopped working. Glad you have found some relief.
Angel,
At my last doctors appointment I got in to an arguement with my doctor over whether diazepan helped muscle spasm's. He said no it did not and I said yes it did. I told him it was a muscle relaxant. He said well maybe it might help because you have dulled the brains senses but it is not used as a muscle relaxant. Jeez he pissed me off.
He won't even let me start physical therapy untill I am totaly off of valium. I think that's riduculous. He thinks my head is clouded from the valium. I wasn't taking that much to begin with and I am down to 10 mg a day and the only reason I don't quit completely, which I could, is that it does help with the back spasms.
This whole thing is making me crazy.
Hi Suziee,
Well, at least my GP got that right. It is a muscle relaxant, though it does cloud your head a bit, but it does help.
Living with this pain makes me crazy too.
Calcified invertebral disc at T8/9, vertebral end plate irregularity and anterior osteophyte lipping in the mid thoracic spine due to previous Scheuermann's disease. Spondylosis of thoracic spine.
Meds - Co-dydramol 3-4 times per day. Diclofenac for inflammation and Diazepam to help with spasms.
Actually, I'd be interested to know what's in these too.
Calcified invertebral disc at T8/9, vertebral end plate irregularity and anterior osteophyte lipping in the mid thoracic spine due to previous Scheuermann's disease. Spondylosis of thoracic spine.
Meds - Co-dydramol 3-4 times per day. Diclofenac for inflammation and Diazepam to help with spasms.
Going back for another injection on Monday, I'll ask my NP and let you know!
I would have to think that because of the sheer number of injections that has been give, they would have to be trigger point injections, which is basically a lidocaine type of treatment. I have had good luck with these and I think many times I have had better luck with trigger point injections then I did have with Epidural Spinal injections (ESI)
Anything that can help reduce the flare up or immediate pain is so important. That can give your body some time to start to repair itself. These injections may not be the cure all, but if they provide you with enough relief they are valuable.
Ron DiLauro
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I would think that's more likely with a naturopath. My naturopath in Vancouver, B.C. specializes in chronic pain control, and he was well trained in prolo. It can give some drastic improvement, depending on the situation, and is a combination of dextrose and lidocaine; sometimes they use a bit of cod liver oil as an extra "irritant", as the irritation is what makes the process work and start creating scar tissue.
I can sympathize with you, DG....my spine has been in spasm for about five days now, so I know that awful stabbing when trying to take a deep breath, etc....it's NOT pleasant!! I've been laying on tennis balls, magic balls, getting massages from anyone who will give me one...but it just won't go away.
I have had to take extra muscle relaxants over the past few days to try and keep them at bay, and am going for physiotherapy again. I have a lot of my joint pain under control, but the muscle pain can be miserable.
Take care, and hopefully you can step back for a couple of days and see if those muscles relax for you. Glad to hear you had such success with your NP!
Tracy
P.S. I don't know where you live, but when I paid for my own lumbar MRI, including SI joints, it was only $1,000.00 in Kelowna, B.C.
This is through experience only; I have NO medical background!
20+ years of chronic pain:- myofascial pain, SI joint problems, DDD, facet joint issues, spondyloarthritis and enthesitis (inflammation at each tissue connection to bone). Three rhizotomies at various levels, as well as every other treatment and medication known to man!
"When you're going through hell.....keep going!
Injection ingredients:
Vitamin B12
Procaine (dental anesthetic)
Spascupreel (homeopathic antispasmadic)
I start off great in the morning with no mid-spine pain and then as the day progresses it starts to build up and by evening its the worst.
Anybody else?
I start off great in the morning but it only lasts an hour or so. It seems that after I have had my shower is when the pain starts. The shower feels wonderful but I hurt afterwards. I'm not sure if this is because of the shower or it is because thats when I am doing my hair and makeup.
I also have good days and bad days. Like yesterday was a pretty good day, pain stayed down to a 2 or 3 and now today I would have to say its a 7 or 8. Maybe I just to much on my good days.