Upper Back pain

[gdwork2001]

Hello, I stumbled onto this website today as i was looking for an answer for my chronic burning uper back pain. It started 3 weeks ago when I was at work and a 5ft. 4 drawer file cabinet fell on to my right side as I was in a squatted position and opened the 1 and third drawer and it fell onto my right side. I had to use my right arm and right side of my body to upright the file cabinet.
I have been to 2 different doctors and had an MRI and there seems to be no cause for my severe burning pain in my upper back in my scapula area. The pain meds do not even take all the pain away and the Dr. says I have a pulled muscle and wants me to do physical therapy. My MRI says I have C4-C5 Subtle disc bulge, C5-C6 Unicate hypertrophy and C6-C7 Disc bulge. The Dr. said my MRI was fine but my report says different. Why would he say I am fine when I am clearly in severe pain...I do not know what to do. Should I go to see a neurologist, go to physical therapy or get another opinion.
Hurting all the time is no fun, especially when the doctor seems to
dismiss my pain and symptoms so easily. My upper back pain is a constant burning all the time with tingling at times. One day I woke up with no pain at all, only to find it coming back as I do small chores around the house. Now it is constant...If there is someone with similar pain...please answer as I am desperate for an answer. Thank you for leting me post my symptoms.

[dorbs]

please help!! i have had upper back pain for about 8months that is worse in the morning and in my side over the day i had no injury to cause the pain it started 1 morning i have tried everything i am going for a mri scan next week i am very worried about it...any ideas??

[Annie62]

You should just go back to your primary care physician and tell him exactly what you told this forum, that you are afraid you will not be taken seriously and brushed aside, but that the pain has became constant and it is hard for you to function at work, etc., and you need to find out what's causing it and get treatment for it.  I know how hard it is to communicate with doctors, they are always in a hurry and aren't always the best listeners, and sometimes patients (myself included) aren't as articulate once they get in that little examining room where you have to tell them what is going on (you minimize your symptoms, can't remember what you wanted to say, are intimidated and afraid they will think you are crazy, etc.).  What I finally did was make a list of all my symptoms (you should be very concrete and descriptive) listing when they started, what part of the body was involved, and what they felt like, and gave it to my doctor to read.  After years of symptoms that helped me to finally be taken seriously and now I have a referral for further work-up.  

Good luck to you.  Maybe someone on this board will have an idea what is going on with you, but I think you probably should just go back to your PCP to see what he/she thinks.

[lossy4]

im 30 year old male. Id say  when i was bout 21 i started to get pains in my  upper back. Between the shoulder blades around the spine. I went to the doctor way  back then and they seem to be convinced that is was just weak muscles. Told me to work out strenthen those muscles. That helped a little bit. so over the the last 9 years. The pain has become more persitant. with little down time. Where as before i had good days and bad days with the pain. now im pertty much just liveing with it everyday. I also have chest pain with my back pain. Seems like the muscles in my chest are tight  and sharp pains go threw them when i move certain ways (but not all the time and not every day). Seems like the only thing that helps the pain is sitting on my recliner or keeping my arms supported, aleve also help somewhat for a couple of hours. The pain worsens when i stand for a period of a time (especially standing still)when i hold my 1 year old daughter for more than bout 5 mins.
      Basiclly im turning into a crippled at a very slow rate. This effects my job everyday, just seem to put up with it. But its getting harder and harder cause the pain seems to be worseing. Havent goen back to the doctors cause im affraid of just being brushed aside and not taken seriously. But in the same token im getting desperate. Not even shue what  kinda doctor could help me with my problem. Anyway if anyone have any info  to share with me it would be so gratefull and helpfull.......please help me ?

[gdwork2001]

Thanks Jane for answering my question. My MRI showed that I had
a mild bulge in C-4/C/5 and Spondolysis. But the doctor did not seemed concerned with it at all. I went to another doctor yesterday and tomorrow I am going to hospital for a series of Thorasic spinal series and a sonogram of my liver and pancreas and X-rays of my upper right chest wall, the pain and burning are constant now and never go away. My life is truly miserable sith the pain all the time, I never realized that pain could be so debilitating and preventing me from doing normal thing around the house. I have not worked in 21 days and I am getting depressed. But it could be worse and I am trying to keep a positive attitude. Thanks again

[janedough]

i had mid back pain and burning which are not typical syptoms of bulging dics in the neck but turns out after a few years of pain i needed a neck fussion. get an mri of your neck if you havent.