Question:
My upper back, neck and shoulders have been giving me a lot of strife for 8 years now. Basically it started when I was studying for exams in my final year at high school (1993). That year I saw a physiotherapist and he gave me a few exercises to do. However this did not cure or relieve my pain.

Then in 1995 while I was in university I went to a chiropractor. He assured me that he could fix my problem. The problem he diagnosed was that I was not using the left side of my body. Initially the pain was only on the right side. So the chiro got to work on the left side. 7 months down the track and around $1000 poorer I realised that the treatment was not working for me and if anything had made it a lot lot worse!

In 1998 out of frustration I went to see my GP who diagnosed me as having a slight case of scoliosis (crooked spine). He sent me to a specialist who relieved me of around $200 and told me there was nothing he could do for me. Over the last year my upper back, neck and shoulders have started hurting a lot. Before the pain was merely nuisance value but now it's starting to really hurt. I fear that I will not be able to work in my field (software engineering) for much longer because of this problem.

The only way I can get any relief is a massage (very temporary) or by stretching my neck and back (even more temporary). For this reason I am consistenly flexing my back and neck and I am sure I look like a total idiot for doing this. Unfortunately I have no choice. As I have said I have tried many forms of treatment and am now very wary of trying anything else. I am very concerned about what will happen to me in a few years time when I start getting a little older and my youth isn't there to prop me up.

I hope that someone can suggest some "magical" cure or someway in which I can try to manage my pain.

Answer:

A lot of neck and upper back pain can be simply stress. Many folks who work at a keyboard complain of it. Sometimes exercises of the neck and shoulders can help. A little relaxation procedures might help. I'm not giving medical advice here, just telling you what I have observed.

this sound familiar to me! I've been going though the same thing for about 26 years now. You may be dealing with fibromyalgia and/or chronic myofascial pain syndrome and, unfortunately there is no cure. There are some treatments that can help reduce the pain. Check out http://www.fmnetnews.com/pages/ which gives a pretty good description of the symptoms and diagnostic criteria. You should also check out http://www.sover.net/~devstar/ which has lots of good information for you and your doctor and more info on myofascial pain.

I hope that's not what you have, 'cause it's no fun. Not many Drs. know much about these syndromes and some don't even believe in them. A lot of us have had to do a lot of our own research and try to educate our Drs. and even if you do find one that knows about them it can still take many months to find a treatment that works for you.

I had the operation for scioliosis when i was 17, now 55, it did not hurt before the operaion(lower back, well most of back, i have two or three vertebraes that move in the lower back). first it was the pain of learning how to walk again, i was off my feet for about 2 years, then they put me on a table, old time, like frankenstien, with a crank on it and at a higher level for a few days until i could be all the way up. the legs finally got some strength back and it was walking pretty good, but i guess it was not too pleasant as i had a half body cast on now from the hips to just under arms, i had to wear pants that were four sizes too big for me, but it did not matter as i was skinny line a rail. the back was still weak, would sit down on the sofa and watch the late late show and when it was time to go to bed i would get up and could not straighten up, was just bendt over similar to an old man walking. would walk it off and then could straighten up. well i went on with my life and did some pretty rough things, jumping off of bacconys into the fire rescue nets. part of the fire dept training, sat in cars all day riding around, no go exercise, just givng the old back some shock.

I would thing nothing of working on the car all day with my back bendt over for hours at a time and the twisting and turning. when i was finsihsed i would then take a hot bath and the wife would rub the back down, it seemed that the thing to do was when it hurt was a good back rub. well one day it hit me, sciatic nerve from back to leg. now no rubbing will help. nothing, i think the inflamation is gone in the spinal column, but the pinching of a nerve must be present, seems like i have a pulled muscle or spasms on the right leg behind the calf and the knee are. it used to be in the butt area, could never locate the exact spot. I got alot of books on backs, etc. and did remember that one doctor writing that you have to protect your back,, exercise it and dont put too much strain on it. i think i had alot of strain for years of improper sitting with the lower back being pushed out and not supported. I then attempted to keep the lower back in an upright position and not let it buldge out. it feels alot better, but i guess when i sleep it comes back, well at not the extent that it once was.

Y ou might try to get some exercises for your back, you might try a chiropractor and tell him what you want, or a physical therapist, i once went to one to have my back checked out for a job physical, had to do alot of sit ups. i then told her that my right leg was hurting so bad i dont think i can walk on it. she said, oh you want me to take care of it. she took her fingers and poked the spot and rubbed it for a few minutes and said, now how does that feel, it was great like it did not ever hurt? i guess she knows what to do, i tried to duplicate her movements later and could not do it.

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