KayeS
31-12-15, 11:42
Looking for some general advice really on what I should do next, as I'm genuinely at a bit of a loss now, and combined with having health anxiety, it's making me pretty miserable.
I've posted a few times lately about ongoing middle back/rib pain I've been having for a few weeks now. I've had x-rays which have come back normal. I've been to my GP about it a few times and they've listened to my chest, I had an ECG done, etc... and they can't seem to figure out the problem.
The pain is in the middle of my back, and on the right side, basically in my ribs, but I can't 'touch' where the pain is. It's deep inside. Applying heat etc makes no difference. Pain killers work a little bit but not much. My main concern is that some days it seems to feel a bit better, but then other days it's bad again. Overall there is little to no improvement. It feels like a pinching pain. As if bones are grinding together or pinching nerves. It doesn't feel like muscular pain. It hurts mainly to take a deep breath, but certain small turning movements will cause the pinching pain.
I really don't know what to do next. I realise I am on an anxiety forum and no body here is a doctor (that I know of lol), but there's absolutely no way I could actually post on a medical forum as I am certain I'd see things that would set off my anxiety. I just don't know what to do. I can feel my anxiety over this building and building. In the past with my multitude of anxieties over health issues. very few to almost none of them have actually caused me pain to the point where it's stopping me doing anything. This really is genuine pain though that has stopped me going to the gym, going out, and doing anything really. The worst part is I didn't actually do anything to warrant this pain. It just came on out of nowhere. I hadn't even been to the gym for the 5 days prior to the pain starting. Also anyone I mention it to finds it really strange that it's MIDDLE back pain and tell me they've never had that before, only upper or lower. Is middle back pain not a thing?? I really feel at a loss.
Just to add, although actually this back pain is definitely NOT just anxiety although it is CAUSING it, I've been having counselling for over a year which I've now stopped as it hasn't helped at all. Instead I've now started CBT and have my second session next week, so we'll see how that goes, but if I'm honest, and I said this a year ago, I really don't think I'm the kind of person that can be helped with therapy... I know it sounds arrogant to say so but I feel like you kind of have to be the type of person quite open to suggestion for that kind of thing to work and I'm really not like that. I'm a sceptic, I'm extremely self aware... I've attempted to be hypnotised twice and have since been told that some people can't be hypnotised and I'm one of them lol. Anyway this also just makes me feel hopeless in regards to the anxiety side of things as the only thing left is medication...
I've posted a few times lately about ongoing middle back/rib pain I've been having for a few weeks now. I've had x-rays which have come back normal. I've been to my GP about it a few times and they've listened to my chest, I had an ECG done, etc... and they can't seem to figure out the problem.
The pain is in the middle of my back, and on the right side, basically in my ribs, but I can't 'touch' where the pain is. It's deep inside. Applying heat etc makes no difference. Pain killers work a little bit but not much. My main concern is that some days it seems to feel a bit better, but then other days it's bad again. Overall there is little to no improvement. It feels like a pinching pain. As if bones are grinding together or pinching nerves. It doesn't feel like muscular pain. It hurts mainly to take a deep breath, but certain small turning movements will cause the pinching pain.
I really don't know what to do next. I realise I am on an anxiety forum and no body here is a doctor (that I know of lol), but there's absolutely no way I could actually post on a medical forum as I am certain I'd see things that would set off my anxiety. I just don't know what to do. I can feel my anxiety over this building and building. In the past with my multitude of anxieties over health issues. very few to almost none of them have actually caused me pain to the point where it's stopping me doing anything. This really is genuine pain though that has stopped me going to the gym, going out, and doing anything really. The worst part is I didn't actually do anything to warrant this pain. It just came on out of nowhere. I hadn't even been to the gym for the 5 days prior to the pain starting. Also anyone I mention it to finds it really strange that it's MIDDLE back pain and tell me they've never had that before, only upper or lower. Is middle back pain not a thing?? I really feel at a loss.
Just to add, although actually this back pain is definitely NOT just anxiety although it is CAUSING it, I've been having counselling for over a year which I've now stopped as it hasn't helped at all. Instead I've now started CBT and have my second session next week, so we'll see how that goes, but if I'm honest, and I said this a year ago, I really don't think I'm the kind of person that can be helped with therapy... I know it sounds arrogant to say so but I feel like you kind of have to be the type of person quite open to suggestion for that kind of thing to work and I'm really not like that. I'm a sceptic, I'm extremely self aware... I've attempted to be hypnotised twice and have since been told that some people can't be hypnotised and I'm one of them lol. Anyway this also just makes me feel hopeless in regards to the anxiety side of things as the only thing left is medication...