Widespread back pain -- trigger point?

I've been having back pain for several months now. I'm not sure exactly when it started because it came on very gradually, but it was around the middle of last year. I've been to the doctor a few times, and the ER once, and I haven't gotten any answers! I haven't had any diagnostic tests done yet, which (I think) is because my doctor thinks I'm full of it. I would too. The pain is erratic. One day I'll feel completely fine, and the next I'm in so much pain I want to cry. Sometimes it's only on the left, sometimes the right, sometimes the chest is involved, and so on. It's generally the right side, and the pain is always in a medium sized area right below my shoulder blades. The shoulder blades themselves have never hurt, but the top of my shoulders have. The pain can cover pretty much my entire upper and middle torso, like my entire rib cage has been beaten in, and it ranges from a 5-9.5 on the painometer. My fiancee's sister is going to school to be a massage therapist and said I might have a "trigger point" causing my back pain. After poking around a bit I found a spot on a rib between my shoulder blade and spine that when poked caused a shooting pain that went through to the area directly below where my collar bone and arm meet (then I poked that spot and it hurt my neck, so I figured I should stop there). That was on the right side. The left did the same thing, albeit not as bad. That seems to make sense, because the left side of my back never hurts as bad or as often as the right.

So, my question is, is it possible that ONE (OK, actually two) little spots on my back could be causing all of this? The two spots aren't in any place that I ever touch or put a lot of stress on, and the pain usually comes on when I'm asleep so I doubt "taking it easy" would help. I just need to know where to go, what to do to fix this. I've been on prednisone, which didn't help, and I've taken every combination of OTC pain medication that I can. Even 800mg ibuprofens don't make a dent in the pain. The heat pad helps, but when I use it on my back I'm more aware of my chest pain! The moment I take the heat off it starts hurting again, just as bad as before. What's wrong with me?!

[danrad01]

Wow sounds a lot like my case! I have been going to an Orthopedic doctor for years and all he did was miniplute "crack" my back and give me shots. My lower back and mid back hurt but my shoulder was killing me and was tingling and felt numb. It wasn't until I went to my PCP that he ordered a MRI on my Cervical and Thorastic back and they found a pinched nerve in my neck. My neck doesn't hurt though put doc said that is possible as nerves can do that.

My suggestion is that if it really hurts to lay it on thick and ask for MRI of Cervical and Thorastic back. Good luck