Mid Back Pain - Muscular or Spinal / other Cancer - PLEASE HELP!!

[PIGGY]

Hello!

I've been getting (what I hope) is just muscular pain in the middle of my back - the left side near my spine and is aggravated when i twist and turn ( if i cross my arms, raise them to chest height and then twist from side to side) - it sort of cramps up

i'm terrified i've got cancer of the spine or some other type of cancer.

it also twinges sometimes, even when i am sitting down - doesn't bother me at night and appears to be slightly better when i rub deep heat on it.

it's all i can think about at the moment and i can't concentrate on anything.

i've got no breathing difficulities or pains in my chest which i suppose is good.....

does anybody else get this? ANY help would be really appreciated.

[jinglebells]

Hey Piggy, I also experience mid back pain and have done for the last year and a half. When my HA got really bad a few months back I managed to convince myself it must be bone cancer, but guess what??? it wasn't. It was just a sore back that numerous trips to the osteopath has helped impove.

The fact that your back pain is agravated by movement is reassuring. You said deep heat improves it so I am sure it is muscular. If it was cancer, deep heat would make no difference. Many people with HA have back pain, this could have something to do with tensing up. Once you notice it it is hard not to focus on it. It easy to say but really, try not to focus on it :)

[PIGGY]

hi jinglebells!

thanks for your reply - what is HA??!! i do hope it is muscular - i've been googling and they say rest - but with 2 kids a hubby, dogs and cats, it's a bit hard to!

[marfen]

I've been going through exactly the same thought process but with my lower back going into my hip. Like you, deep heat seems to help, certain movements aggravate it and it doesn't bother me at night time. It also feels worse when I'm stressed and thinking about it. My osteopath and doctor didn't even flinch when I mentioned my symptoms and my osteopath said the things I'm worrying about are very very very rare. I'm trying to find comfort in the fact that if it was something to really worry about it would hurt all of the time.

I definitely recommend seeing an osteopath if it's troubling you. I've also suffered with neck and shoulder pain for years. I've seen numerous chiropractors, physios and although they were okay in the short run, I've never been as pain free with my neck since I started going to an osteopath.

[PIGGY]

hiya!

i've been to an osteopath before for sciatica and that was fab, but i've just come back off holiday and i'm totally skint for the next three weeks so can't afford to go!

i've also got lower back pain too where you say but i know that's from lifting and bending but it is painful. i know we are all the same in our thinking - we concentrate on it and it gets worse. i've rubbed deep heat in this morning and i've been thinking about it too so it's not gone entirely.

i've just been bending and twisting putting in and taking out washing out of the machine and then dryer and it's all painful again!

i could really just sit and cry! xx

[PIGGY]

do the muscsles in your back cover your spine - hope i don't sound thick here!! i've just stretched up and then bent over and my spine has ached too next to the main pain on the left :O(

[marfen]

:hugs: I think I may join you in that cry. My hip's been on my mind a lot more this morning. Then again I have just been cleaning the bathroom! I also noticed the other night that when I raise and lower my leg, my hip clicks. Now I'm sure I've noticed that before and didn't really pay any attention to it at the time. Anyway I'm going to see my osteopath tomorrow night about it. I googled clicky hip before and actually found a running forum where they were talking about it and for once my mind was put at ease. I had to stop myself from googling further just in case though! It's so hard not to worry though. It feels as though everytime I feel an ache, it acts like a trigger and sets off my HA.

[marfen]

do the muscsles in your back cover your spine - hope i don't sound thick here!! i've just stretched up and then bent over and my spine has ached too next to the main pain on the left :O(

I'm not sure. It could be referred pain. (I've come across that a lot in all my Googling!) My doctor also told me that when you have a muscle spasm, the muscles tense up so it could be your spine crying out for relief. I'm sure I've had the same sensation though in the past. When my neck and shoulder were at their worst I also pulled a muscle in my upper back lifting something and I'm sure when I stretched it I could feel it in my spine.

[PIGGY]

i've just got an appointment at the docs cos my hubby is really peed off with me. i've been silly and googled spinal tumour and it mentioned leaky bladder which i sometimes have (though not very often thank god) but this has not helped either! i'll be back on - i bet he won't send me for tests to put my mind at rest!

[marfen]

Awww, well if it puts your mind at ease then go and see him. I know exactly how you feel. I'm sure he'll just tell you that it's muscular though and to take painkillers for a few days. (It's amazing how we can reassure others but not ourselves isn't it!)

Let us know how you get on. :hugs:

[PIGGY]

NOTHING! you were right!

just said that all the muscles nad ligaments in the back hang on to your spine and that's why my pain in my spine is there.

he asked if i had a cough or any pain when going for a wee (which i don't) and gave me a sheet on lying down to help my back and recommended walking and swimming and to go back if no better in 2-3 weeks and he would refer me for physio but he did say osteopath and i told him i was skint! lol

now just watch - i will develop a cough which is what he asked or pain when i wee! that's how i go! lurch from one medical problem to another!

at least i'm a little reassured now - thank you for listening!

i've got loads of clicks in my body and loads of joints in my daughter click really noisily! and she's 12 so no age limit there! i get a bad knee when i am due to 'start' - go figure that one!!

let me know how you get on at the osteopath!

[fed_up09]

Hi there :)

How our minds work eh? Your thought process is exactly like mine! If I notice something 'odd' in my body, I focus/prod/squeeze/touch so often that I make the problem 10,000 times worse. I end up going to Dr's, who reassure me. But that reassurance leaves me as soon as I get home!

Hope the pain eases soon :) x

[marfen]

Aww that's good and no worries, that's one of the reasons why we're all here, to listen and reassure each other.

Funny you should mention swimming and walking. I went swimming the week before last and I wasn't troubled by my back at all. Then this morning, my back felt quite stiff but since I've been out to run a few errands the stiffness has gone.

And I know what you mean about going from one thing to another. Remember though we're getting to that time of year where colds etc begin to get rife so if you get a cough it's probably just a bug.

I've been prodding my hip and back quite a lot fed_up09!! And you're right, I think it has made things worse! When will we ever learn ay!