Severe Back Pain, "Banding" Pain, please help or advise...?
My doctors can't seem to figure out my specific condition, so I'm asking around to find out if anyone's had this problem, and/or knows viable treatment methods to deal with it. I'm 37 and frankly some days I hope I don't live to be 38. I work a work-from-home job where I have to sit a lot (tech support). I exercise when I can. I have been checked this year via detailed stress test and have been found to have an extra healthy, fully oxygenated heart. I had a slipped L5/S1 disc in my lower back in 2004, and have been dealing with chronic back pain ever since. I have pain in my shoulder blades all the time, and I get lower back pain if I lift too much. But what I'm about to describe is a separate type of pain, and very different.
My problem is this, and it's hard to describe. It starts with a non-specific pain in my upper back, sometimes it feels like it's in my throat, sometimes it feels like it's in my upper back, or sometimes both. I've found no specific triggers for it except it seems to happen when I'm working (sitting at my desk chair). Gradually it gets worse, the pain in my rear ribcage, and it will radiate to my front side, to the point where even breathing hurts. I can get up and walk around, try and rub my own back against a corner, it gets some of what FEELS like tension out, but it just comes back in a few seconds after I sit back down or lie back down (and be still). At this point it's disturbingly bad. Painkillers don't stop it, at all. Sleep would stop it, but it's usually too bad at this point to even sleep if I do nothing about it. The only thing that stops it is prescription diazepam, which my doctor says can act as a muscle relaxant. But to be honest, I don't want to have to take this substance every day.
The problem has evolved over the last several years from occuring once every half year to once every month to once a week...and in the last two weeks, it's been happening every other day and is beginning to worry me. The pattern is the same...much like a migraine sufferer, if I don't kill it early with the diazepam, it usually just spirals out of control until I sleep from exhaustion or self-medicate. All my doctor can tell me based on the evidence is: Sounds like muscle spasms to me. Well, yes, that's pretty obvious, but the question is why is it happening, is there a commonly associated medical condition with this, and when can I get myself out of it?
I also have Type 2 diabetes, suffer from frequent morning cramps in my legs and feet (I always figured due to the injury). I also have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder (used to have panic attacks, that is what the prescription diazepam is for). I have thought maybe Fibromyalgia, but I think muscle groups are becoming involved in these events when they occur, and I don't know enough about Fibromyalgia to be sure.
Advice from anyone would be appreciated, or even links to other discussion groups on this topic. Doctors are having problems figuring out what's wrong with me, and I don't want to keep living like this.
Public Comments
1. It sounds like Upper and Lower Cross Syndrome. This is due to bad posture from years and years of sitting. You can google these for a little more info. Your muscles are designed to work at a specific length. This is not only important for the muscle but it also keeps from adding stress to a joint that a muscle crosses. When you have bad posture, say your shoulders are too far forward or your chin juts forward this makes some muscles longer than they are suppose to be and others shorter. This alters the forces the muscles apply to the joint leading to added stress on the joint they cross. The problem with this is that years and years of these imbalances create wear and tear on the joints.I hope this is making sense.
The good news is these imbalances can be fixed fairly easily if you can find someone that knows what they are doing. Find someone in your area that specializes in Functional Rehabilitation or functional movement. There are chiros, PT's and trainers that specialize in this type of stuff. Check out the sources below for more info.
Your doc can load you up with meds, and you can try heat and ice but until you correct the cause of the problem the pain will never cease. Take a look at the sources and maybe you can find someone who can help.
2. Kidney problems from diabetes? Avoid sweet food, soda and fruit juice.
get tested by a doctor familiar with diabetes.
3. look up gall stones
fms is highly doubtful--be careful idiot docs use it as a general label for pain..most people diagnosed with it actually have something else
4. S.B.,
Sure sounds to me like you need to get examined by a good chiropractor. Most general practitioners are too busy and haven't been trained to diagnose or treat back issues. What you describe is a dysfunctional spine. Something caused your "slipped disc" years ago and hasn't been corrected. The spine is dynamic and will shift the pain to other structurally weak areas attempting to correct the problem. I've seen this many times over the 30+ years I've worked as a chiropractor.
Your condition is complicated by postural stress no doubt and you should get educated about your spine and how muscle imbalances can be corrected at home. Pain is the body's alarm system telling you something is wrong and needs correcting. This type of stress will even affect your blood sugars. Painkillers might help temporarily but won't fix the cause of your pain.
Do some research and don't wait for someone else to fix you. There are things you can do to help yourself. Start stretching at home to counteract postural stresses and keep seeking and you will find answers. I wish you well! Dr Tim
