mid back pain--worried about cancer

[Rubyrae]

Have upper back pain at bra band level.This pain is pretty much constant but some days not as bad as others. At times feels as if it's in the bone but also away from spine sore & more muscular.  About 2" above is another spot that seems more isolated right next to the spine and is sore to touch.Thoracic back xray then was "normal" At the time was also having some side pain-never had anxiety but started to fear it may be pancreatic cancer. Ended up having ultrasound that showed pancreas, liver, gallbladder normal but picked up something on kidney, then had ct scan of abdomen that for most part normal, Rt kidney "slight calcification", kidney dr said he didn't feel it was anything to worry about at this time, also showed 2 cysts on Left ovary that have since cleared and so has the side pain, assumed to be from cysts.  BUT the back pain remains---also when I first noticed the back pain was recovering from bad cold, about 2 weeks after developed  cough which of course sent my anxiety level up again,lung xray "normal", the dry cough hung on and then turned more productive, yesterday saw dr-full of sinus congestion and started on z-pack, already cough seems to be letting up but not the anxiety,-- will have thoracic/lumb MRI next week, even with these normal tests and bloodwork I am scared-hard to believe I'm not normally full of anxiety.
Can  injury cause such pain for so long?Did do alot of yard work & heavy lifting but keep reading thoracic pain means BAD things.Have lost some weight but also full of anxiety which may be cause. Any info appreciated.

[shebz07]

A related discussion, mid back pain left side was started.

[Redding]

A related discussion, Backpain right side mid was started.

[emzyt0]

I have had pain in this area for pushing two years now and had blood tests and an Cray to show nothing intensive physio and had nothing back finally been sent to a specialist and going for an MRI soon although been told to just carry on 9 out of ten days I have bad pain which makes life difficult let alone any job when I cant sit or stand for more than 30 mins and yeah the docs seem to think little of it oh and I have been suffering since 18 and the bad days progressively get more frequent and more painful and have given up on being scared just more annoyed that I have no help and no way of showing these so called doctors what the pain is like with out being locked up for stabbling them repeatedly!!!

[emzyt0]

I have had pain in this area for pushing two years now and had blood tests and an Cray to show nothing intensive physio and had nothing back finally been sent to a specialist and going for an MRI soon although been told to just carry on 9 out of ten days I have bad pain which makes life difficult let alone any job when I cant sit or stand for more than 30 mins and yeah the docs seem to think little of it oh and I have been suffering since 18 and the bad days progressively get more frequent and more painful and have given up on being scared just more annoyed that I have no help and no way of showing these so called doctors what the pain is like with out being locked up for stabbling them repeatedly!!!

[emzyt0]

I have had pain in this area for pushing two years now and had blood tests and an Cray to show nothing intensive physio and had nothing back finally been sent to a specialist and going for an MRI soon although been told to just carry on 9 out of ten days I have bad pain which makes life difficult let alone any job when I cant sit or stand for more than 30 mins and yeah the docs seem to think little of it oh and I have been suffering since 18 and the bad days progressively get more frequent and more painful and have given up on being scared just more annoyed that I have no help and no way of showing these so called doctors what the pain is like with out being locked up for stabbling them repeatedly!!!

[Ashleebaby]

Ive been dealing with a similar issue but it wasnt too bad until I went to see a chiropractor. I had pain before when I would sit at the computer for hours and esp when I laid down to go to bed- but the pain would usually stop once I laid down in the fetal position. Anyway, the chiro said my low back was really misaligned (without even taking xrays) and seemed like he knew what he was talking about so I trusted him to work his magic. I felt amazing afterward but that night when I went to go to sleep, the pain returned worse than ever. I cant even get relief lying in the fetal position. The only good thing in all this is that the pain isnt bad everyday.. But when it flares up its excruciating! I can't even think of sleeping. Its like a burning/tingling sore-ish, uncomfortable pain up my entire spine. I dont have pain in any of my legs so I know its not sciatica, and its def not a herniated disk bc its not relieved by laying down so????....i have no idea what this could be! Im sure its not cancer - or at least I hope not! - but im thinking it could be rheumatoid arthritis or spinal degeneration? Any updates from previous posters would be very much appreciated!!

[baks2310]

...i am 33 years old and suffering from chronic back pain for two weeks now and reading from your experiences, i dont think i can stand having this pain for years....i have my upper abdomen ultrasound and all my organs are clear....i am so stressed because of this and i cant work properly....

[Starchilde]

It is 4 am and I am up reading the internet waiting for the advil to kick in for this exact pain I am reading about here. Mine started 3 months ago after a long 3 day drive in a jeep wrangler. The pain is mid back same area on both sides of spine. It is so intense I cannot sleep or eat or live normally. I went to doc and after many of the same tests, ultrasound, hida scan they found my gallbladder was non functioning even though no tests showed stones. I had it removed 2 weeks ago today. When I woke from surgery I knew that it had not been the problem, the pain was still there and just as bad as ever. My pain does not go away, it is 24/7. Nothing makes it worse or better, it just is. I have been on percodan, percocet, vicodin, dilaudid and advil. The Percocet worked to take the pain away but I had a severe itching reaction that made me have to stop it. I went to the doc yet again yesterday and she put me on straight Morphine time release 15mg but only for nighttime. During the day I am to take advil still. I have a bone scan in 4 hours to check for cancer which she doesnt think it is but is checking anyway and I have a phys therapy appt next week. I have been to a chiropractor and it helped my neck but back pain was the same. I will continue to post here if I have any updates to this condition so as to help anyone else. I thought I was alone and it is nice to find I am not but also sad that you are all in as much pain as I. Please make sure to check for gallbladder, you may be lucky and have that be the cause. Even if no stones show with ultrasound get a HIDA scan. Good luck to all of us and God bless. ~Star

[Supooh501]

Pain symptoms need to be evaluated by a doctor because pain in the back can be a sign of medical diseases. If the doctor finds "nothing" then seek a licensed massage therapist who can check your back for trigger points in muscles supporting the spine. These muscles can be overloaded by coughing, sitting at a computer without back support, twisting while lifting, etc. I see lots of folks who have these trigger points. A simpleback rub will not get rid of trigger points, so find a therapeutic massage person who can help.

[dspfsd]

It sounds like my pain is more common than I thought. Some of you describe my symptoms exactly. I have been having back pain on the right side at bra level since Thanksgiving. It is unbearable at times. The first doctor I saw said that it is inflamed muscles in the chest and back. I got another opinion. The second doctor sent me for an MRI which showed 10 bulging discs. I was sent for epidural steroid injections which did not help. Then I had a trigger spot steroid injection that did not help. Am going back to the doctor tomorrow. I don't think my pain is coming from the spine. It is too isolated on the right side. My pain radiates through from the back to my right breast. Sometimes it is a burning pain and at other times it is a drawing pain - feels like everything in my right side is being pulled out of my body. A heating pad helps. No pain pill has helped much - been on hydrocodone and lortabs. Every morning when I get up, the burning and drawing pain hits me as soon as my feet hit the floor. Sometimes it is unbearable. A hot shower helps. Sitting in any kind of chair, or the seat of the car brings pain. It feels like there is a spot about the sixe of an egg that is so tender in my back and anything that touches it makes it hurt. I don't know what to do, but I am going to keep going to the doctor until I find out what it is. I am 51, and I don't think I can stand this for the rest of my life. At least I know I am not alone. All of you have my sympathy, because I know how you are suffering.

[snowwhite913]

I was in a car accident in 1987. I have a rotated leg that they just fixed. Before that I had several surgeries fixing all the ratated leg had caused one being a cervical fusion one of the others low back surgery...disc decompression.  I have also had knee, hip, ankle, foot, wrist surgeries.  It was after the disc decomression that i noticecd mid to upper back pain that hegged around stomach. It got worse if layed on side. For awhile if I slept leaning forward it helped but now  that makes it worse. I noiw have a high c protein level, hyperthyroid, high blood pressure, extremely high pule even with meds, very runny nose all the time, ringing or fuzziness in ear, bleeding from ear and nose, swelling in neck hands stomach and ankle, inflamed lymph nodes near stomach. I also had a bone infection about 2 1/2 years ago after a serious leg surgery and was put on a pic line(iv antibiotic) for 5 weeks.  I always assume its from my car accident but I am so swolen and in so much pain I think it may either be something caused from the trauma or something totally different....????

[jellybeanninja]

i have also have almost all the symptoms, mid back pains at bra level on and just to the left of my spine. my muscles there are also a little swollen. i also have pain in my lower back where it hurt to straighten my back out and twist and both my legs hurt whenever either part of my back hurts. i'v had days where i can hardly walk and days when i hardly notice it..its hurt for about a month now......but the thing that scares me is that im only 15......my mother says im fine maybe a pinched nerve and i hope shes right but then again she didnt think anything was wrong when i broke my nose...

[KimC30]

Hi there!

I'm new here. I have been dealing with the mid/upper back pain for nearly a year now.
Was diagnosed once for pleurisy took the antibiotics, it never went away. Decided to go to a chiropractor and he had said i popped a rib out and would need PT. Did that and nothing. Went back to my doctor and she sent me to a neck and back dr. who did nothing for me but send me back to PT which didn't work. i've settled on the fact that i'm crazy. It hurts to lay flat on my stomach or back.
I've finally decided to just deal. Until here recently when i've noticed that there's a bit of a popping when i take a deep breath. I sit up right in my chairs and have relatively decent posture.
I can't touch where it hurts and no one can rub it out it feels so deep.

does ANYONE have ANY insight?  

[lunasmom96]

Have you ever been thoroughly evaluated for a gallbladder issue?  sometimes ultrasound alone will not "catch" gallstones or sludging in the gallbladder.  It kind of has to be timed just right.  There is something called a HIDA scan that you can ask your doctor about.  If the pain is colicky, mostly on the right side, and radiates around your back and side, it could very well be gallbladder related.  I almost always recommend to my patients, with any pain, to keep a symptom diary.  That way you can see correlations between pain and things like foods you have eaten, activities, sleep, etc.  (im a nurse btw)

[mindyharry1331]

Just in the past 2-3 days I have started to notice this pain when I swallow in my mid back just around the bra line area.  No other pain exists except in this spot.  It makes no since, just out of the blue.  Only when I swallow and liquid or solid food.  I don't remember pulling a muscle.  Anyone have any recommendations....?  Please...

[babyface12xx]

Stumbled upon this thread...when doing some research concerning the "CHRONIC BACK PAIN" I've been experiencing for about 3-4 yrs now, was at the hospital sometime  in Feb. this year, I was diagnosed for "ULCER", was told, the pain sometimes appears as if it's coming form the "MID BACK BONE" but  it's not exactly coming from there, finished ulcer medications since Feb. this year,but nothing has changed, the  pain persists, it gets  noticeably severe anytime I notice, I Sat Up straight for a  long while, without resting my back on some kinda support. pondering over the pains possible cause, really gives me the Creeps...WOULD BE MIGHTY THANKFUL,I'm 28 now,and remember battling with a "Liver Hepatitis B" problem. when I was about 21, hope it's got noting to do with the back pain I've been experiencing? If anyone here could  give a helpful hint on what could be wrong with me.thanks in anticipation.

[babyface12xx]

Stumbled upon this thread...when doing some research concerning the "CHRONIC BACK PAIN" I've been experiencing for about 3-4 yrs now, was at the hospital sometime  in Feb. this year, I was diagnosed for "ULCER", was told, the pain sometimes appears as if it's coming form the "MID BACK BONE" but  it's not exactly coming from there, finished ulcer medications since Feb. this year,but nothing has changed, the  pain persists, it gets  noticeably severe anytime I notice, I Sat Up straight for a  long while, without resting my back on some kinda support. pondering over the pains possible cause, really gives me the Creeps...WOULD BE MIGHTY THANKFUL, If anyone here could  give a helpful hint on what could be wrong with me.thanks in anticipation.

[thewarringtons]

I have a very bad back pain between my spine and my side on the middle left side. It hurts very bad when I bend or move a certain way but is excruciating when I breathe very deep either in or out. I havent been to the doc yet, this has been goin on for a while but not so bad that I cant leave the house, like today and yesterday. Wonder what that is?

[santafay79]

i have very bad back pain from the top of my spine to the botterm the pain is 24/7 and is very bad also  my hip bones hert as well i carnt sleep some times find it hard to walk my skin herts to touch on the whole of my back and hips i also get a burning feeling in my spine with the pain ive had this for years and has got worse from last year ive got am m.i.r scan booked but im worryed

[santafay79]

i have very bad back pain from the top of my spine to the botterm the pain is 24/7 and is very bad also  my hip bones hert as well i carnt sleep some times find it hard to walk my skin herts to touch on the whole of my back and hips i also get a burning feeling in my spine with the pain ive had this for years and has got worse from last year ive got am m.i.r scan booked but im worryed

[santafay79]

i have very bad back pain from the top of my spine to the botterm the pain is 24/7 and is very bad also  my hip bones hert as well i carnt sleep some times find it hard to walk my skin herts to touch on the whole of my back and hips i also get a burning feeling in my spine with the pain ive had this for years and has got worse from last year ive got am m.i.r scan booked but im worryed

[Aame]

I came across this post when I was looking for symptoms and causes of middle/upper back pain.  I have had constant back pain for a week as of today.  However, I have had back problems in the past. I am 28 years old, but when I was 12 I had done a back flip on a trampoline and my back had landed on the bar.  For a week straight, I couldn't lay anywhere but the floor.  Ever since then, I can sneeze or lift a window open, and pull my lower back out.  For a few days to a week, I cannot stand straight.  If I sleep on a soft surface, my lower back will hurt when I wake up.  However, this time, I was driving home to Kentucky from Oklahoma, and my upper back began hurting very badly.  Then it seemed to travel to my lower back, and then back up again.  This pain has been extremely bad at times, and then other times, it seems like it is easing up.  It also feels like it is in my muscles of my upper back and in my spine as well. It just hurts all over.  I have tried cold packs, heat packs, ibuprofren, and get a little relief, but it is still there.  Reading all of the above comments, it sounds similiar to mine, but I'm still concerned.  So far, it isn't anything I can't live with, but it is terribly uncomfortable, and just wondering if it is going to get worse.  I don't have insurance right now so I have not been to see a doctor yet.  If anyone has any other information to share, I'd appreciate it. Thanks so much.

[Flourpower]

I also have awful mid-back pain (feels like I'm being punched at times) that comes and goes and it frightens me. Have been to numerous specialists over the years (every blood test, ultrasound and xray is negative) but when I get that horrible sharp pain under the shoulder blades, it feels like something is really wrong. I get these bouts of pain every few months or so that last for a couple of weeks and then get better, so that consoles me. Have had MRIs or my entire spine...there is a narrowing of the T8-T9 disc so perhaps a nerve gets pinched. However, whenever I get this pain, I also seem to get headaches, nausea, and a sick feeling hunger so I start to worry that this is not spine-related.Anyone else?

[lovely13675]

I also have mid back pain issues. I also worried about cancer but a MRI 2 ys ago diagnosed me with 5 thoracic disc ruptures, 3 bulging lumbar  discs and a bone spur. 15 yrs ago I had 2 lumbar ruptured discs repaired with great success. I saw a therapist for 12 weeks of treatment {2 yrs ago} for shoulder/upper back blade pain and I still do the daily exercises. I also walk briskly about 6 days a week {30 min average}. I had to give up hiking and can only kayak in calm weather for short periods of time. I take 2 Tylenol Arthritis tabs every am. On days like today where the pain is fairly nasty I take a Ultram tab {wallpapered a bedroom on Friday/Sat}. I hold down a 4 day work week. I feel pretty good overall but I work hard to maintain strength and a normal body weight. Life with a bad back is not always fun!