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← Return to Unexplained upper back pain
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Hello there. I'm so very sorry that you are suffering, for so long, what I have been suffering for 5 weeks now. Out of nowhere I developed a 'hot spot' right of my spine, upper back that felt as though it could be a 'crick' of some kind. It wasn't a crick. It has increasingly become overwhelmingly painful, radiating upwards and outwards to the right, even wrapping around to the right of my right breast and down the back of my arm to my elbow, and now involves regular tingling in my right hand. It feels as though someone has plunged a knife into my back and left it there. The pain is constant, but can increase, as though the metaphorical knife is being twisted, several times a minute. It hurts more when I bend forward, roll my shoulders forward, but actually hurts constantly. I have had chest and back xrays and blood tests, there is nothing wrong with me. It must be muscular, but my quest is to discover what caused it and why is it getting worse, not better. I'm taking Codeine, Paracetamol and Diclofenac and Lidocaine Patches, but they take no more than approximately 20% of the pain away. It doesn't matter if I sit or rest, move or stretch, the pain is the same. I'm at a loss. Returning to the Physio tomorrow. How has your situation developed? Any new ideas or treatments?
Replies to "Hello there. I'm so very sorry that you are suffering, for so long, what I have..."
pastordonna, it does rather sound like a vertebral fracture, often not depicted on xray. And MRI would be helpful. It would also detect disc herniation. Hope it's a muscle. Best not wait.
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Im sorry you're having such a hard time. This sort of thing is so stressful. I have had some luck with dry needling. I dont know about you, but I had a lot of knots in my traps and all around my shoulder blade. While the worst knot isn't completely gone, its smaller and I can do some things I didn't use to. I have been going to physical therapy for 8 months at this point. It still gets activated when I sit for long periods of time and do anything on my hands and knees. Im considering acupuncture. Ive read that trigger points tend to refer pain along acupuncture meridians, so Im hoping that might help. Im also using a red light belt regularly and taking supplements to help with muscle cramps. Never got a true diagnosis and Im definitely not cured, but much more functional now. I hope your PT helps. I would definitely try dry needling. Give it multiple tries before deciding whether it helps. It took me a few appointments before I noticed the difference.