View Full Version : Spine pain
So I've been having on and off neck, shoulder, upper/Middle back pain since late October with definite muscle knots. The other day during a massage I noticed my back was sore in the middle really close or on the spine. Well yesterday I noticed it tender to touch. Well of course I freak. It's like a 4 inch spot along my spine in the thoracic region. Apparently this is a "red flag." So naturally freaked it's spinal tumor spread from some other cancer. I touched it a lot yesterday and now it's really sore. Can it still just be muscular? It really feels like it's on the spine. Anyone else ever have a sore spine tender to touch?
So who diagnosed this as a red flag symptom?
Of course:D
Good that you can see the trap you have fallen into! Visits to Dr Google are definitely to be avoided if you want to manage your HA successfully.
Try this for me, get a pen and paper, draw two columns, irrational and rational, under irrational write the scary health problems and thoughts about it and on the rational write what is much more likely and counter rational thoughts for the irrational ones, I found this helpful in the past.
And stay away from Dr Google he’s an idiot
Hope you are feeling better soon
Hi, you've described exactly what I'm experiencing right now. My upper back and shoulders have been bothering me for a few months, and I have a spot on my spine that is sore to the touch. I've googled extensively (I know :weep:) and I haven't seen that come up as a red flag? Now I'm panicking... I have bad health anxiety and I'm scheduled to see my doctor and a therapist next week to address it, but until then, I'm having a hard time.
nomorepanic
12-01-19, 23:27
Sounds postural to me so get that sorted and see how it goes
So I totally forgot that last weekend like two day-ish before my massage I did this exercise to try and strength my muscles back there and I did it a little bit throughout this week. I wonder if it could have caused anything? Even though I'm not totally convinced because it hurts right on the spine. https://imgur.com/a/qrAhRbe
Hi, you've described exactly what I'm experiencing right now. My upper back and shoulders have been bothering me for a few months, and I have a spot on my spine that is sore to the touch. I've googled extensively (I know :weep:) and I haven't seen that come up as a red flag? Now I'm panicking... I have bad health anxiety and I'm scheduled to see my doctor and a therapist next week to address it, but until then, I'm having a hard time.
Oh no, I'm sorry! I think it's more of a red flag when combined with other symptoms. My dad also has tender spots on his spine in that general area, so maybe pain on the spine is more common than you think. Mine is really quite tender now, I think from messing with it. Before I could only feel pain if it was touched and it wasn't that bad. Now, it's to the point where I can feel slight pain laying it and hurts a lot more if touched. Sigh.
Mine is EXACTLY the same. Didn't notice it before unless I touched it but now I can feel it laying down. Also still having a lot of shoulder and upper back soreness. I just wish it would go away :weep:
Mine is EXACTLY the same. Didn't notice it before unless I touched it but now I can feel it laying down. Also still having a lot of shoulder and upper back soreness. I just wish it would go away :weep:
Yeah I think we are just more aware of it and that's why we feel it cause of you think about it. I've been having so much neck and shoulder pain on and off since October that it's driving me crazy. I'm not health anxiety anxious about it but more anxious that it's going to be like this forever. I need to go to a PT. I think it's a weak muscle problem that needs strengthened. And postural. The spine thing idk.
Yes you're probably right. It's reassuring to hear you're not health anxiety anxious about the neck and shoulder pain. Does massage help it? Do you have knots? I have what I think are knots but anything that feels like a lump scares me. My posture isn't great so that could very well be related to mine as well.
Yes you're probably right. It's reassuring to hear you're not health anxiety anxious about the neck and shoulder pain. Does massage help it? Do you have knots? I have what I think are knots but anything that feels like a lump scares me. My posture isn't great so that could very well be related to mine as well.
Oh, I know I have knots. On my right shoulder it can get so bad it feels like a literal boulder. The right side it is further down. And then I'm sure I have little ones elsewhere. I try to take a tennis ball and press against the wall in the bad areas. The massage definitely helps but more temporary, probably because it's not fixing what is causing it (either tension or bad posture). I probably need some yoga or pilates in my life. I just want the spine pain to go away, so I can stop worrying about that. Wish I never pressed on it.
Have a look at some info on myofascial pain and trigger point release.
Have a look at some info on myofascial pain and trigger point release.
Yep, already have. But maybe Cath34 can, it may help her. Actually that's what I try to do with the tennis ball. Try to find my trigger points and hold it there. I ended up on reddit in the chronic pain subreddit reading about people with myofascial pain and freaked myself out that it'll get bad like those people who seem to be in misery all the time. So noped right out of there.
This is just a temporary thing for you, Megan. See a decent massage therapist or a physio to loosen things up?
This is just a temporary thing for you, Megan. See a decent massage therapist or a physio to loosen things up?
Yeah, I'm thinking about a PT. And it's gotten a little better since changing pillows for the 3rd time.
Yeah, I'm thinking about a PT. And it's gotten a little better since changing pillows for the 3rd time.
Thanks both of you for the tip about myofascial pain, I've done a little reading and it sounds similar to what I'm experiencing as well. I think I may have trigger points in my ribs too.
The sore spot on my spine feels different, more like pushing on a bruise or something (but there's no bruise) I have an appointment tomorrow so I'm going to bring it up and see what my doctor says, megan I will let you know if she has any insight.
Can I ask what type of pillow you're using that helps?
Thanks both of you for the tip about myofascial pain, I've done a little reading and it sounds similar to what I'm experiencing as well. I think I may have trigger points in my ribs too.
The sore spot on my spine feels different, more like pushing on a bruise or something (but there's no bruise) I have an appointment tomorrow so I'm going to bring it up and see what my doctor says, megan I will let you know if she has any insight.
Can I ask what type of pillow you're using that helps?
That's how my spine feels too, bruised like. It's really tender whereas my knots you have to press on a good amount and it's different feeling. I'm a side sleeper so idk how you sleep but I use this pillow from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EINBSEW?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title You can take out the stuffing to adjust.
[QUOTE=megan91;1850039]That's how my spine feels too, bruised like. It's really tender whereas my knots you have to press on a good amount and it's different feeling. I'm a side sleeper so idk how you sleep but I use this pillow from Amazon.
Weird I posted a reply earlier today but I don't see my post here? I just wanted to thank you for the link to the pillow! It looks amazing :) Also, in my post I mentioned that I had seen my doctor today - she doesn't seem worried about the pain on the spine thing. She said it was probably related to the other back pain I've been having (the muscle soreness etc.) and the fact that I didn't "jump" when she pressed on my spine was a good sign, as well as the fact that I have full range of motion when moving my back and neck etc. She didn't feel the need to order an x-ray so I did my best to accept that and not question it although it's hard :) Anyway not that I'm not telling you this so you don't go get yours checked out if you want, but it sounds so similar to mine so I wanted to let you know.
livethelife
24-01-19, 16:21
Hi Cath
I am having similar back pain to yours (I think) - how are you doing now and how long have you had it? Mine started December 8th - I remember feeling the pain on my spine the first time. At first it would come and go and now it's there most days. I've tried massage and physio but they don't help. I'm so worried about bone cancer or a tumor of some kind.
I'm just looking to connect with someone because I'm freaking out.
My name is Heather and I'm 53 years old
Hi Heather,
Hope you're feeling OK today.
My back is still bothering me a lot, but it sounds like it may be a bit different from yours. I do have a spot on my mid-spine that is a bit sore to the touch but it's not really that bad - like when I press on it it's more tender than painful. What is really bothering me is my muscle pain, seems like all the muscles in my back are tight and sore, especially the upper back/shoulders/neck area but also my lower back as well. I'm trying hard not to let myself worry too much that it's something "sinister" though, here are the reasons:
1) My doctor thinks it's stress-related and since I just experienced a two-month bout of health anxiety related to digestive issues, that seems a plausible reason. She also said she isn't worried about something like a tumour at all.
2) It's not constantly bad - like yours it comes and goes, and I have days where it doesn't bother me much
3) For the most part, it doesn't bother me at night
4) I have bad posture :D
5) I've experienced upper back muscle pain before in my life and it's gone away eventually.
This is not to say I'm not worrying at all, I can't help it, but it helps to tell myself these things. I hope it helps you a bit. Did you go to your doctor? Mine didn't think an x-ray was necessary, so I'm going with that for now.
Good luck and hope you feel better soon.
I've had chronic thoracic and cervical spinal pain for 13 months now. It started after I had pleurisy and has been diagnosed as chronic spinal nerve root irritation by the Pain Clinic Consultant. The pain is like my upper back is on fire with constant pins and needles/dysaesthisia. I'm hoping to have some trigger point injections very soon.
Just telling you this because I haven't got cancer of my spine or bones or anything like that. It's possible to be in a lot of pain because of irritated nerves or myofascial issues-pain doesn't mean cancer. It's far more likely to be something short-lived and mechanical.
My pain went away. I think it was those exercises I posted about earlier in the thread that caused it. It felt like it was literally on the bone. But it apparently had to be the muscles very close to the bone causing the soreness. So it is entirely possible your muscles are just sore and it may feel like bone pain but it is muscle pain.
Yep it definitely sounds postural. It is NOT a red flag. I suffer with it when I carry a heavy backpack. A red flag would be something like constant severe pain which doesn't ease no matter what you do.
My pain went away. I think it was those exercises I posted about earlier in the thread that caused it. It felt like it was literally on the bone. But it apparently had to be the muscles very close to the bone causing the soreness. So it is entirely possible your muscles are just sore and it may feel like bone pain but it is muscle pain.
Megan91, just curious is it just the pain where you pressed on the spine that went away? Or all your upper back/muscle pain as well? You had mentioned that you had lots of knots etc. Just wondering if there was anything specific you did that helped get rid of it!
Megan91, just curious is it just the pain where you pressed on the spine that went away? Or all your upper back/muscle pain as well? You had mentioned that you had lots of knots etc. Just wondering if there was anything specific you did that helped get rid of it! spine pain. That went away on its own. The muscle pain that are knots still come and go. Had some pain on Wednesday. It's so annoying. I carried my 19 month old a lot the day before so I think that's what caused it that day. I never know! I believe it's all tension/postural.
Sorry to revisit this thread! But did you ever find out what caused your spine pain and how long was the complete recovery. Very similar symptoms, pain on one vertebrae, as well as aching upper back and shoulders when shrugging. Pain disappears over night and doesn’t reappear until late morning….
Many thanks in advance!
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