Doctor, You’re Thoughts on Potential Causes of Severe Thoracic Spinal Pain

[Kalvin]

I’m a long time Med-Help member looking for some advice. I have a history of spinal problems, both lumbar and cervical, with the latter ongoing. I have had surgery for both. For the past several years, I’ve been dealing with very persistent and painful mid thoracic back pain. I’ve seen several Doctors about this and have had diagnosis’s ranging from intercostal neuralgia to Costochondritis. I’ve spent months in P.T. with no improvement what so ever.

The pain originates (I think) directly on 2 of the vertebra in my mid-back and radiates out from there, sometimes as low as my left flank and as high as the axilla. At times I experience constant muscles spasms in this area. Additionally, the pain bores right through my chest to my sternum, causing extreme chest tightness and pressure. It also will sometimes follow a rib around to the front. This pain is only on my left side, the same side as all my cervical pain.

I’m not a big fan of Chiropractors however; I began seeing one recently thinking that she might be able to help me with this pain. I won’t let her touch my neck, but I felt it was reasonably safe to allow her to adjust my T-Spine. I never realized until I began seeing her how painful a couple of my vertebra are back there, and when she’s pushing on my spine, I’m getting a lot of tingling and other sensations going down both legs into my feet.

I’m worried these manipulations aren’t safe for me,  I wanted a full spinal x-ray prior to any adjustments, but she seemed to think it wasn’t necessary. Do you have any thoughts as to what could cause the vertebrae to be so painful upon touch? And do you think it’s safe to continue with these adjustments, or should I just see a Doctor? My instincts tell me to see a Doctor.

Thank You for Your Time

[Dr_Nassim]

A double spinal surgery will accent the activity and the ''responsability'' of the middle part (thoracic in your case).
Pain uppon touch means tiredness and local inflammation of the verebrae and their connecting joints. Whats important is to stop all activity including PT because all these can harm your vertebral column.
You may decrease your weight for 3-4 pounds

[Kalvin]

Doctor, Thank you very much for your response.

[lovelyladyone]

TODAY I WENT THROUGH A  DIFFERANT KIND OF PAIN; THEN ANY OTHER DAYS, THIS IS HARD TO DESCRIBE BECAUSE THIS NEVER HAPPEN TO ME LIKE THIS. I SAT UP LIKE NORMAL TO STAND UP LIKE NORMAL; LIKE I DO ALL THE TIME WITH MY WALKER, WHILE I AM IN PAIN , BUT THIS TIME IT WAS HARD TO KNOW WHAT HAPPEN, IT WAS LIKE ALOT OF LITTLE SHOCKS PAINS AND HARD PAIN AND I STARTED  TO HYPERVENTLATE KIND OF FAST  ; IT WAS KIND OF HARD TO BREATH, THEN I HAD A COLD SWEAT. THE ONLY THING I HAVE TAKEN TODAY WAS MY 45MG OF MORPHINE THAT I TAKE EVERY 12 HOURS. THEN MY RIGHT HAND WAS LIKE NEEDLES AND PINS IT DIDN'T LAST BUT IT LASTED A FEW MINS.
.The big question is why am i in so much pain? three months after my surgery on my back, which was suppost to make me better; but now i am ten time worse then before. My doctor tells me over and over that i will heal and some people take longer then other. The type of pain that i am having is unreal. The surgery was march the third. I had a large herniated lumbar disc, lumbar stenosis, spondylolethiasis, and a L4 to S1 fusion. Two days after surgery the doctor sent me to a nursing home i was there for thirty days, then april the third thet kick me out ;  the nursing home the doctor that was in the nursing home and some of the nurses said that i was not ready to leave yet; but because of the insurance company, but it really didn't matter, because they only walk me six times the whole time and it i was suppost walk every day. To make matter worse they had me on every pain meds you could think of and then send me home with nothing. And between the doctors and the pharmacy i had no pain meds for two weeks; it was like being under rubble waiting for help and when i did get it did not work. The pain got so bad i had to go back to the hospital for a week and they only pump me with all kinds of drugs, setroids, iv morphine and pill morphine,vicodin,valium,lortab,tramadol,gabapentin. He was just trying to get me out of pain then send me home. Then two days the pain was back i went to see him and he gave me RX of oxy 60mg twice aday on the other stuff but told me to stop the morphine. this last time that i was in the hospital they did a mri and ct.One doctor said everything looks alright then another doctor said that there is a bluge in between L4 and L5 and that may be causing some of this pain and does not know what else can be making this pain that bad. I think he does know but not telling me i am only 43 years old. And i am so afraid that i am going to be like this for ever. what should i do? HELP PLEASE DIANA