Upper/mid back and shoulder pain - Help

[Bouncer]

Already spoke to FB and turbo about this since this is sort of their field but I figured the more minds and ideas on this the better. Been dealing with this for years and just sort of swallowing it but I'm tired of being in pain so I need to do something more.

Basically I have pain and tightness that seems to start at the left side of my spine right where the upper back curves. I also have pain in my scapula area that radiates down the back of my arm and into my pinky area, that hand can sometimes be colder then the other.

This is obviously some kind of pinched nerve but the question is where?

I've taken nerve relaxers, muscle relaxers, anti inflammatorys etc.. nothing seems to help. I've tried all kinds of stretching and foam rollers and again, I get a tiny bit of relief but the pain comes right back within minutes. I went to chiropractors and all that and I don't mean to offend anyone but they are worthless. lol

I had MRI and scans on my spine and shoulder years ago that didnt really show much so I kind of got discouraged and have just delt with the pain ever since. I can't do this anymore as it's really effecting my day to day life.

I don't have health insurance at the moment as I just cannot afford it right now. Do I have any options in terms of health care or no?

Any thoughts or opinions are welcome. Thanks guys

[blm]

May not be pinched nerve. Could all be muscle related.

I went undiagnosed/misdiagnosed with my piriformis syndrome for years until I found a great orthopedic doctor who set me on the right path. I was told it was herniated discs, slipped discs, pinched nerves, etc. Given the buffet of pill therapy. Now after months of physical therapy and a new approach to working out and my lifestyle I'm nearly pain free. I lived at an 8-9 (out of 10) and now I rarely exceed 1.

[Bouncer]

May not be pinched nerve. Could all be muscle related.

I went undiagnosed/misdiagnosed with my piriformis syndrome for years until I found a great orthopedic doctor who set me on the right path. I was told it was herniated discs, slipped discs, pinched nerves, etc. Given the buffet of pill therapy. Now after months of physical therapy and a new approach to working out and my lifestyle I'm nearly pain free. I lived at an 8-9 (out of 10) and now I rarely exceed 1.

More info please. What do you mean by muscle related?

[blm]

I mean just that. It could be all an issue with the specific muscles in those areas. Inflamed and putting pressure on nerves. So yes, pinched nerves, so to say but sometimes bone impinges nerves as well.

That is what piriformis syndrome is; the piriformis muscle gets so inflamed it puts pressure on the sciatic nerve causing debilitating pain and lack of mobility.

You have to stretch those muscles and retrain them with proper technique and posture to release the tension. THEN regular stretching and foam rollers help for management. But not until you get it under control with aggressive and down right painful physical therapy.

I learned that a properly trained and experienced sports physical therapist is worth their weight in gold.

[Bouncer]

So basically could be a pinched nerve but the root cause is a tight inflamed muscle pulling on something to impinge the nerve. That would never show up in an mri or xray.

How did you find the right doc and what do you think my options would be without insurance.

[BEAST]

Blm, since your problem was inflamed muscle, did you ask your doctor why anti inflammatory drugs didn't help?

[blm]

They helped very little. Once the muscle becomes that inflamed and in spasm to that point all the muscle relaxers and naproxen I could ingest were fighting an uphill battle. NOW if I feel the triggers I can take a naproxen and get relief.

[blm]

So basically could be a pinched nerve but the root cause is a tight inflamed muscle pulling on something to impinge the nerve. That would never show up in an mri or xray.

How did you find the right doc and what do you think my options would be without insurance.

Could be.

I had a coworker that had similar issues recommend the sports doctor that takes care of a lot of the Buccaneers and tennis players from IMG academy.

Without insurance? I don't know bro. I would not have had the success that I did if I didn't have access to those Dr's that I dealt with, IMO.

[Bouncer]

I was going to a doc in Chicago that worked with the bears. Never really got anywhere though. He prescribed me tramadol and that was pretty much it. Helps a tiny bit but it's not a solution.

[blm]

That's the problem with the medical field; trying to find the right Dr(s) to acknowledge your specific issue, take the time to find the root cause or refer your to those who can. All too often it's "here take these" let me know how it feels in a few weeks.

[Bouncer]

yea and i always felt rushed. like he had 70 other people to see so lets make this quick..

[FitnessBrat]

When I spoke with you earlier, I thought you mean the pain was relatively new. As BLM said, it's very possible it's all muscle related. I have no natural curvature in my neck, which causes my muscles to knot up and the surrounding muscles to compensate, and next thing you know it's a big tangled mess. It's pretty much something I deal with on a daily basis - my neck and shoulder blades hurting. Massage helps a lot, but it has to be consistent (which is something I just haven't been able to do). Have you tried any deep tissue massage therapy?

[Bouncer]

Yea I've had deep tissue, never seemed to do much. Felt relief while it was being done but within hours it was back and tight.

[redback]

Move to Australia. Free healthcare.

[FitnessBrat]

Yea I've had deep tissue, never seemed to do much. Felt relief while it was being done but within hours it was back and tight.

I think you should try it consistently (weekly) and see if it helps.