Upper back pain with more pain when swallowing

[JustineB]

I am a hairstylist, age 41 and female. I have been doing hair 23 years, but recently purchased the salon I have been working at and my workload tripled.

Anyway....my upper back is always in pain from keeping my arms elevated when cutting hair and also using a very heavy blowdryer in my left hand.  
Recently (about a month ago) my neck began to do a weird snap, crackle, pop as I turned my head slowly, kind of like if you were checking traffic before pulling out, or just turning your head to talk to someone etc. It would only do it maybe a couple times a day, or skip a couple days and then happen again.  Shortly after that I began to expericence some neck pain, and upper back pain.

Within a few days of that, I began to feel pain in that region (upper back by shoulder blades) when I swallow food. As the food passes that area where my back hurts it sort of intensifies that pain I already felt. I tried to blow it off thinking it was a pulled muscle, that I had slept wrong, or it was from my new hairdryer that weighs a ton. I kept waiting for it to stop, but it still has not gone away.  I then began to worry and looking up stuff on the internet. All of the people I talk to whether friends, family, or clients have never heard upper back pain and then pain in back when swallowing.
So if any of you have had this or have known someone who had this I would be interested in hearing from you. I went to Urgent Care and they took a Chest X-ray and and EKG and were normal.   So it's not my lungs, chest or heart. I think it has something to do with my neck popping and then the pain I already have in my shoulder area all the time.
Does anyone know if this could be a nerve?

Please send me a private message or comments here. thank you! JB

[lewismacloy]

Hi.
I had the same problem today after taking a lot of acidic fluids like tea,lime,shots of viceroy and pineapple blended cocktail.ad also taken spicy beef stew mixed with beans for lunch.the acidity burnt my oesophagus.take  a combined dose of omeprazole and meloxicam.hope it helps.

[yankeestonk]

how did you make out? Did it ever go away?

[JustineB]

Yep went away entirely.

[jhoughton1]

Very relieved to read this thread. I've been feeling this same symptom for some time, off and on. I've had lots of back problems so thought this was just a new twist on an old theme. But then my imagination started to run away with me -- you know you hear those stories: "He thought he just had a back-ache and by the time he went to a doctor, the tumor was as big as a grapefruit and that was it for him!" So, at least no one has horror stories to tell here, so I'll go back to putting ice-packs between my shoulder blades and tell my imagination to take a rest, too.

[jhoughton1]

Very relieved to read this thread. I've been feeling this same symptom for some time, off and on. I've had lots of back problems so thought this was just a new twist on an old theme. But then my imagination started to run away with me -- you know you hear those stories: "He thought he just had a back-ache and by the time he went to a doctor, the tumor was as big as a grapefruit and that was it for him!" So, at least no one has horror stories to tell here, so I'll go back to putting ice-packs between my shoulder blades and tell my imagination to take a rest, too.

[jacqui1810]

I woke in the night with agonising back pain between my shoulder blades. I could not get comfy and was so hot. I found the following morning that when I swallowed the pain ten folded. I had not done any strenuous exercise or moved any furniture ect. I thought that I may have slept awkwardly or twisted in bed but cant ease this pain. I'm scared I have something more serious than a strained muscle. please can anyone help.

[4433Nancy]

I too woke up to excruciating pain in my collarbone which escalated while swallowing even my own salvia.  The following day it traveled to my shoulder blades and worsened.  The third night I rolled on a heavy dose of Biofreeze over the entire area. The next morning my pain level was next to nothing and my swallowing was normal. Buy Biofreeze on line for sure or from some Chiropractic offices I believe. The roll on application gives you great control. It was a miracle for me. Hope others have the same success.

[Michele4856]

I have been experiencing a back twinge, almost a slight burning sensation when I swallow.  It's not painful just very annoying. It is just under my left shoulder blade between my spine and the side of my back - closer to the spine. I never realized how many times a day I swallowed when not specifically eating until this annoyance started getting my attention.

I've been reading the posts to see if any one has this specific type sensation.  Sometimes if I sit in a specific position, I can rouse that twing/burn feeling.

I'm as anxious as every one else to see what the correlation is between swallowing and this irritation.  

[omair]

i have the exact same thing
did u find out the solution?