Expert: J.R. Strecker, B.S., D.C. - 4/26/2008

Question
I have had back pain in my upper back for the last few years. It is a burning pain in my mid back and comes on when I sit down usually after sports. My therapist told me my hips are a half inch off. My right leg is shorter and that is the side the pain was on. I have worn a heel lift for the last 2 months and it seemed to be shifting from my right side to my left side. It just recently came back worse more in my right side. It really only comes on when I sit down and it comes on in minutes. I have also had lower back pain and have been recovering from acl surgery. I am a extremely active athlete and i strecth a lot and have been doing a lot of core exercises. I am extremely frustrated and seeing if anyone has any ideas.

Thank You

Answer
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Hello G.,

Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible for me to know what is causing your condition without examining you, taking a history, etc...  Upper back burning sensation provoked by sitting after exercise is too broad for me to know.  There are too many things that can cause this.  Personally, I would not immediately suspect your pain comes from a short leg.  Lots of people have short legs, myself included, but it does not typically cause a burning sensation in the upper back.  Your symptoms are too unique, but when it comes to treating the body, anything is possible.  The other reason why I suspect it could be from something else, is because the pain shifted after you started wearing the heel lift.  If the pain came from having a short leg, then logically the pain should resolve when you level the legs out.  If the pain shifts to the other side, it tells me it may not have much to do with the length of your legs.  This is not to discredit your therapist, however.  Anything is possible.  And I wasn't there when your therapist evaluated you.  He/she may have seen something that I didn't that neither of us are aware of to lead him or her to the conclusion.  So let me emphasize to not lose faith in your therapist.  However, if you feel your treatments are not improving, I would strongly recommend a second opinion.  Sometimes the art of treating patients is much stronger than the science of treating patients.  You also didn't mention any treatment to the area of the pain, or maybe that goes without saying.  But if you are not getting any treatment in the area you are having trouble with, perhaps you should consider a chiropractor adjusting the area of the pain or a massage therapist massaging the muscles.  Also, an x-ray may be needed if the chiropractor questions the problematic area after examining you.  The burning sensation may be a biochemical problem or nutritional deficiency.  Really, there are a lot of possibilities, so it's tough to know what the problem is.  Bottom line, if your treatments are not improving the pain, consider seeing another doctor for another opinion.

Best of luck and I hope this helps a bit!

Dr. J.R. Strecker, D.C.