I've been suffering from undiagnosed chronic pain for the last 14 years and I'm only in my mid twenties. I was the passenger of many car accidents as a child and I think that's where it all stems from.
The muscles through my shoulders and neck are very tense and knotted. It's spread to the front of my neck, collar bone, and chest. I've been seeing a pain management doctor for the last 4 years. Before that I tried many treatments such as various chiropractors, physical therapists, cranialsacral therapy, and acupuncture.
My pain responds to treatment/meds initially quite well then it just stops working after a few weeks. I wish I knew why. My x-rays and MRI's come back completely normal. The doctors can feel how messed up my muscles are just by barely touching my neck/shoulders and I've been told I just have chronic muscle knots.
It's not fibro because it's so localized and I don't identify with many of the other symptoms of it. I've tried LOTS of different meds and patches. Either the pain didn't respond to them or it did and then the pain came back after a few weeks.
My doctor mentioned that a breast reduction may help. I'm 5'6", 145 lbs and I'm a 34DD. Insurance considers breast reduction a cosmetic surgery (can't afford that) and it's not guaranteed that will work. I know that my breasts definitely exacerbates the problem though.
The weird part is that a few days a month I feel almost no pain. The muscles feel just as messed up to the touch but somehow there's no pain. Otherwise I'm in a good amount of pain. I have not been able to figure out what factor(s) control the amount of pain I experience. I'm keeping a pain journal right now to help with this.
About a year and a half ago I started having VERY high pain one week before my period. I recently told my regular doctor and she said there's no use testing my hormones for that (????).
I was using a lacrosse type ball to lay on and roll out the muscle tension. That worked amazingly for awhile and now it causes me more pain (tender in addition to my regular tight dull achy feeling).
Right now I'm on vicodin. Some days it wipes out the pain, other days it does nothing. I honestly need something stronger but there's no way I could keep working on anything stronger. I'm posting this because my pain has been so out of control these last 2 weeks that it's negatively affecting me at work. I can't focus, remember anything, and I feel exhausted all the time. I want to keep my job but at this rate it's not looking good. I highly doubt I could get on disability and I'd much rather resolve this pain and keep my job. That's why I'm reaching out to you guys.
Please help!!!