Hello Jenatsky, I will answer your questions and at the same time take this opportunity to vent a little.
Yes, I have had back pain but only in my lower back so I was doing stretches daily before working out (for many years - at least 14), but I was able to work out and do some low weights and repetitions, every now and then I would get pain so bad that I would be down for a week or so couldn't even walk but will do stretches and take pills and Ice and hear and would get better by a week or so. Doctors never explained to me about the spine I always assumed it was something muscular, every now and then would have mid back pain but nothing that would stop me, just Tylenol and move on. Well, last in July 2022 got a Parasite, took 5 weeks to get the test back to tell me it was a parasite, cyclospora, from a bag salad at Publix or Walmart (during all that time going to work and as you can imagine going to the bathroom about 5 times a day, went to a Gastro and she said it might be some acid syndrome or something, don't remember), took antibiotics and back to normal, lost 40 pounds. A month later 09/22 or so while working out, I was doing a crazy set, of 250 pushups and squats and 3 miles, but in sets, went to cut my grass, and two hours later my upper chest and back cramped up, was going to the ER but took some muscle relaxers and was feeling better, a few days later my legs started fasciculation, went to my GP and he sent me to neuro. The neuro said, let me test you for Stiff Person Syndrome, I had no idea what it was till I googled it, so you can imagine the anxiety, all tests including EMG were completed and Thank God everything came back ok. He basically said, don't know what it could be so might need to go to the university hospital, so I decided to go to another neuro 11/2022, he didn't do any tests and said I had Benigng fasciculation Syndrom, Cramp Fasciculation syndrome, and Isaac syndrome, So anxiety again, I even asked how can I be diagnosed with all that and didn't see anything on the EMG, and I only had a cramp the day I worked out when everything started and was told I just have to learn to live with it, then a week later my upper back started killing me, horrible pain 11/2022 that will radiate to my upper chest and under arms, it was rough, so went back to Neuro and he said it most be muscular but that he will send me for MRIs even though he felt I didn't need them, a week later he called me and said all diagnosis are now in questions due to the findings on my MRIs, and all the issues on my back but that I didn't need any surgery just physical therapy. I still went to a great Neuro surgeon and right away and he requested another MRI with contrast 02/2023, and he came back very happy saying no need for surgery to continue physical therapy, he did say, you played football, you were in the ARMY you played soccer, so these are normal findings for a person your age and those activities, keep in mind I could not do much of back exercises because the pain was still horrible, but I was progressing even though the fasciculations were still there all around but mostly in legs, so one day while doing PT (In this clinics is a bingo to see which PT therapist you see each day you go) the guy had me do some wall squats which I have done previously with no issues, but because he saw me not going straight on my legs, he placed a ball between my knees, at that moment I did them with no issue, but when I got home my Hamstring was hurting horrible, the next day my leg cramped up and the pain was unbearable, this was 05/2023 and I had to start walking with a stick and had to stop driving. Went to Pain Management doctor and she said, Well let's just try the Epidurals and see if it helps, for me that was not what I wanted to hear I wanted some type or reassurance, not just a let's try it. So went to another pain doctor, he prescribed me more medication and he didn't want to try any epidurals until another EMG, that is when I got the 2nd EMG (the first one was in November 2022, and this 2nd one was in August 2023 after the hamstring injury or I don't know what it was the hamstring issue was in May 2023), this was a new Neuro at the university, I explained all my pains and she focused on EMG and said leg denervation and follow test three months as they could not discard ALS.
So as you can understand a lot more anxiety and now here sitting and waiting another three months to repeat the test.
I spoke to a friend that lives in a different country that is a neurologist, and he said, rather than have you sitting there waiting, she should have sent you to an Ortho to see what is going on with your leg and back, it has been a year and they are not telling you want is causing the pain, they believe is the findings from MRIs but surgeons say no need for surgery but you are still in pain.
So went to an Ortho and explain all my issues and he basically said one at a time, so will start with another MRI of my Lumbar spine, while reviewing all previous MRIs he said that my herniated and bulge disc are not touching my spine so they are not the source of the problem which then points to a Neurological issue. I still have the pain in my hamstring, but still stretch and try to walk at least 10 minutes every hour, I still have pain in my upper chest, underarms and mid-back.
I sat there and explain to the doctor, why is it that my back pain is NOT on any of the discs that are bulged or herniated, is more towards the upper ones, he said pain radiates and I said yes, from the source, not just appear.
To be honest is super frustrating, disappointment and sometimes I just want to give up, too many doctors, too many pills, and no answers, and now the probability of ALS because of the nerve denervation (based on what the other neuro said) but then my friend said denervation can be caused my injury and your hamstring has been hurting since May, when there are so many other questions unanswered, that probability is there for anyone. I have been reading the internet every day, and I know i need to stop, but what i do is data analysis, now I'm wondering if I might have Pectoralis Minor Syndrome, which no one has looked at my pain from Chest to back and under arms, they go straight to Thoracic MRI which based on their opinion cannot be creating the issues i have.
Is just frustrating, but have to keep pushing forward, have a family to take care of and a little one, but man some days are just rough.