Expert: Dr. Paul Newhart - 7/13/2008

Question
I am 19 years old and when I was 17 i started having intense pain and tension in my upper back, shoulders, and neck.  It was so bad that I wasn't able to focus on my classes so I went to my general practicioner.  He told me it was just muscle spasms and told me to take ibuprofen.  But the pain continued and he decided to do an MRI.  The results of that showed nothing wrong.  About two months after the MRI (about 4 months after the pain started) it suddenly stopped.  But 1 year later, it started again.  My back and neck make popping sounds a lot, sometimes from just taking a deep breath.  I know that my back pops a lot more than others.  Sometimes I can already feel the pressure rebuilding in my spine within minutes of it being released with a big POP. The worst place for the pain is at the top of my neck where it attaches to my head. I have had persistant aching occuring 4 to 5 times per week for the past 6 months. Could this be a more serious problem than just muscle spasms?

Answer
Since you have seen your GP, I would consider visiting a chiropractor.  Muscle spasms can pull the spine out of place, creating more muscle spasms; it is a vicious cycle.  A good chiropractor will assess you, set up a treatment program and a good rehab program to help you heal.