Upper back pain - starting to get worried :(

[GingerFish]

I'm one of those people who carry all their stress and tension on their back and shoulders, so I'm constantly sitting, standing or walking hunched and don't even realise it. To me, that stance feels 'relaxed'.

I've been bothered with upper back pain on and off for years but the last week or so, it's been really bad. I must sat, it's the worst I've been with anxiety and panic attacks for a while too sadly.

The pain is right in the middle of my upper back, feels like it's my spine but it's probably my shoulder blade/muscles. It doesn't hurt at all to breathe, I can breathe in deeply and it's fine. It onlt hurts when I move certain ways such as rolling over in bed, movers that involve moving my shoulder blades, if I touch my chin to my chest and sometimes when I lie or sit down. The pain is a dull but sharp pain which goes away as soon as I get into a comfy position or if I walk. I often forget it's there during the day and only notice it at night when I'm trying to sleep. I have noticed it comes and goes some nights. I didn't have it yesterday and I was quite calm yesterday but today I went for a long walk and panicked and got agitated before bed and after a short nap, I woke up with it.

I keep trying to tell myself it's probably caused by stress and tension and it's bad muscular pain but me being me, "oh it's a blood clot!", "oh you're damaged your spine!", "oh you've got cancer!". You know the drill.

Has anyone else had this kind of pain? I've made an appt to discuss it with my doc but soonest date I could get was mid March. I'm dealing with it atm with just painkillers.

[doglover1967]

I went through this last year with my neck. I was convinced I had some horrible cancer or ms. My dr finally sent me for physical therapy and after several sessions I was all fixed. I still have to do the exercises to keep my neck muscles in alignment and strengthened. When I stop, the pain and tenderness comes right back. I was in such a state for so long, I had to go to PT for quite a wile longer than was expected in order to see results. It was all about my bad posture! :rolleyes:

[Shivmarie]

Hey! i posted about this earlier, but mine is the same. Its driving me insane!

[GingerFish]

Hi guys sorry for the late reply. Is your pain the exact same, OK when moving and breathing but painful at night when lying down and when your chin touches your chest?

My pain had went away for a few days but flared up tonigjt when I was stressed over not being able to sleep - not because of the pain, because of restlessness but when I woke up a few hours later from my cats fighting, I was stressed and the pain full on started.

[Phuzella]

I think you summed it all up in the very first sentence of this thread :)

[GingerFish]

I think you summed it all up in the very first sentence of this thread :)

Deep down I think even the most anxious part of me agrees it's tension but it's so hard to believe that's all it could be when it's so painful, if that makes sense?

[Phuzella]

Yes I know what you mean but it's worse because you're focusing on it

[jrcoleman]

Try tensing up your bicep and hold it for as long as you can. Eventually it is going to hurt like hell. Same thing with your back. You keep tensing it and the more you fear the tension the more you tense it. Eventually it will turn from tension to pain. Try to continue focusing on your back, neck and especially shoulders, if you notice they are tense, try to keep them relaxed. It will take some time, but eventually you will start feeling the tension and be able to beat it before it becomes severe pain.