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Unexplained upper back pain
I've had chronic pain in my upper back, around my shoulder blade (but not the shoulder itself) for years. It seems concentrated between my spine and shoulder blade, but can spread to my elbow, my pectoral muscle and muscle below my shoulder blade. It's like a loop around my actual shoulder. Xrays and MRI don't show anything. Typical blood work was normal. I'm on my 4th round of PT. I go to a chiropractor and get massages regularly. Dry needling seems to help a little. When the pain gets bad, it's sharp and sort of pulsing. Then the muscles can be sore for a few days after. It almost feels like if I use the angry muscle or turn the wrong way it's like pulling on a tight string. Sometimes massage can make it worse. Ibuprofen helps sometimes but ice can make it worse. Heat doesn't always help either. Muscle relaxers don't help much besides helping me sleep. It's worse at night, especially after sitting at my desk, driving, or sitting on the couch and when I first lay down. I'm wondering if anyone has had similar pain or has suggestions of what other kind of doctor or test to try? Everywhere I go I just seem to get told "I don't know." And given the same exercises that didn't help the first time. I don't know what else to try and my doctors aren't giving me any other suggestions.
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I am having this experience now after surgery for breast cancer, then radiation treatment. Radiologist denied I can have these symptoms from radiation. Had blood panel
Work up which came back ANATiter positive. Apparently means could have rheumatoid arthritis. I am going to see a Gynecologist to inquire whether it could be a possibility for me to go back on bio identical hormones. I had to stop taking them when diagnosed with hormone driven cancer. This is when all these odd symptoms started happening. After a hysterectomy 18 years ago, I suffered with so many symptoms for 3 years. Doctors did not know what to do with me. When I discovered bio identical hormones all my symptoms went away upon days of taking them. It was like a miracle for me! I have been researching this topic and have discovered there is a link between autoimmune diseases and hormonal imbalance. So my suggestion to you is get your thyroid and hormones checked by a doctor who knows bio identical hormones. Hope this helps.
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1 Reaction@catlady87
Did you get an MRI of your cervical spine? Did you read the results in detail? Are you working with an orthopedic spine specialist and neurologist? Did you get an EMG/nerve conduction study of your upper limbs?
I had neck and shoulder/shoulder blade pain and knots with daily headaches plus radiating pain in arms and chest. It ended up being tied to my cervical spine and bone spurs/disc bulge compressing spinal cord and nerve roots. I had ACDF surgery on c5-c6 and it helped relieve the symptoms.
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1 ReactionI love walking and at age 73 I start to get a pain in that same area especially on long walks of five plus miles. I attribute it to not stretching enough because by the next morning my back feels fine.
Does anyone else have this problem and if so do you have any suggestions?
I look forward to hearing from people on this site.
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1 ReactionI did go to an orthopedic spine specialist who told me he didn't see anything wrong. I don't have a full MRI of my cervical spine, but a whole body scan image that apparently showed enough of my cervical spine that he didn't think a new one was necessary. He sent me to an orthopedic shoulder specialist who also didn't see anything wrong with my shoulder, aside from tight muscles around my shoulder blade and sent me to PT. I generally don't have neck pain though, and none of the physical tests where they bend your neck different ways caused pain, so I think no one has felt the need to send me back for a better MRI of my cervical spine.
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1 Reaction@catlady87 It's nice to meet you! I am a cat lady too, and a horse lady and I love my critters.
I do have similar symptoms to those you describe and they are caused in my case by thoracic outlet syndrome. This is something that most doctors miss unless they are a specialist in this area. Mine was misdiagnosed for several years, and even after I had a diagnosis, some of my other doctors wouldn't believe me. I was given a Doppler ultrasound exam for circulation in my arms with changing arm position. When it cut off my circulation, they had no explanation, but wouldn't listen to me.
The key is to go to medical center that lists TOS as a condition that they treat and you will find specialists there who may be thoracic vascular surgeons who can understand it and diagnose it. There are many variations of TOS with different compression points in the shoulder and neck. Mayo is a good place for this. I came to Mayo as a spine patient in need of cervical fusion, but also with TOS at the same time and I was also evaluated there for TOS.
I gathered several discussions with lots of information for you. Also of note, is that usually the best treatment for TOS is not surgery, but myofascial release to work on the overly tight muscles and scar tissue. I've been doing this for years and it really does help. I have included our MFR discussion as well. When you get through looking at this information, I'll be happy to answer questions you may have.
Thoracic outlet syndrome
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/thoracic-outlet-syndrome-1/
Surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/surgery-for-thoracic-outlet-syndrome/
Help finding care for Arterial Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/help-finding-care-for-arterial-thoracic-outlet-syndrome/
Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) for treating compression and pain
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
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2 ReactionsAre you going to the same PT practice for therapy? Is the therapist a PhD? I’ve been doing PT about every 6 months as my OA continues destroying my spine. I’ve found that a PhD therapists has a whole bunch more tricks in their arsenal of treatments. The other thing to consider is thinking outside the box and try acupuncture too. I have similar issues as my spine twists from scoliosis and PT has helped me tremendously. I hope you find relief.