pain

[jody880]

I am 37 years old and I am having terrible upper back pain on my shoulders and it's leading all the way to my left side of my breast. I noticed that I am not sleeping comfortably and maybe this could be the cause. there are no history of breast cancer in my family. i massage myself with pain relieving ointments but it's like the pain won't go away especially in left breast to the side and under my left arm. do you know how to help?

[Soggymoggy]

Hi there.

How long have you been experiencing this pain?  I would certainly get your breasts checked to put your mind at ease, but to me what you describe sounds more like an issue with your neck - I don't mean anything serious though.  Based on the site of the pain, I would expect that perhaps something is impinging on the radial nerve, but that's only one possibility - and you can also have triggers causing pain in apparently unrelated areas, so I would get it checked.

It might be worth seeing a good physiotherapist who can manipulate your neck and carry out some deep tissue massage (that SHOULD hurt - if it doesn't, find another physio. Ditto if they use ultrasound).  You may find you have a simple trapped nerve, muscle spasm or locked facet, in which case a good physio should be able diagnose you and provide real relief within four-ish treatment sessions - maybe a few more to sort the problem completely.  See if there are any sensitive or tender spots on your neck or shoulder, or if there are any movements that cause particularly sharp pain - if so, be sure to tell the physio.

In the meantime avoid heavy painkillers if you can (again, don't know how long you've had the issue, but if you don't have a chronic pain problem now persistent opioid use is a good way to develop one) - stick to ibruprofen as it is an anti-inflammatory, but don't take it on an empty stomach.

Let us know how you get on! :)

[namnam46]

Hi Jody,

Welcome to the Pain Management Forum! We want you to know how glad we are that you have found this Forum. Please understand that there are NO Doctors on this Forum ONLY CP (Chronic Pain) Patients that help each other with our accumulated knowledge and expertise with our OWN Pain.

I'm so terribly sorry that you are having these problems with your upper back and shoulders.

Have you EVER had an MRI or EVEN an X-ray of your spine especially around your upper back and neck? Many times a herniated disc or arthritis in your spine and back can cause such pain. It can even radiate DOWN your arms and legs. It's amazing what back problems can do to your health. By the time I was 35 years old I had ALREADY had a left hip implant put in. So if you are thinking that you are too young for this type of problem, unfortunately you're not!!

Of course you should ALWAYS have a Mammogram to rule out early problems with you breast.

You really need to make an appointment to see  your Dr. and get some tests started so that you can begin to solve your pain problem.

I hope and Pray that you get some answers and will PLEASE keep us updated as we are VERY concerned for you....Sherry