Expert: Dr. Paul Newhart - 12/10/2007

Question
I have been researching this type of pain online. Some sound really close to what I am experiencing but I would like to add my own description and some back history.  My back pain started when I was 14 I was on the bunk bed and my brother pulled my arm.  Well needless to say I had a dislocated shoulder as a result.  From then on I have had a strange dull pain in my upper back.  Later on I was in a really bad car accident in which the car flipped over.  As far as the hospital was concerned all I had was a torn ligament in my ankle.  But every since then my back pain was worse.  I was told that with a torn ligament I couldn't have a cast and I had to sit for months very still.  I weighed about 150 and 5'7 in height.  But by the time I was able to walk I had shot up to 190 because I was not allowed to move.  During the time of recuperation I did inform the hospital of my back pain to which they simply said it was just trauma.  My back pain is located in the upper back.  It feels like it is constantly on fire.  The pain is there every day.  Before the accident it was bearable because I could often turn my brain off from thinking about the pain and then I could still function.  Only every once in a while it would get bad.  But now the pain feels like some one has placed my upper back in acid or is constantly holding a lighter up to it.  It is under the shoulder blades and sometimes I entertain the thought...If I could just pull the blades back and put some Ice packs in there or let the cool air hit it for a few seconds, it would all be over forever.  I have tried every stretch imaginable. trust me there is no stretch in the world, short of pulling your arm off, that can reach under that bone. I have tried every message available. I have tried muscle relaxers. but to no avail. This is the craziest sensation I have ever come across.  It doesn't feel like a spasm.  It feels like fire. It's not a sharp pain, a shock, or a cramp, or even a soreness.  It's like laying on a sun baked car with no shirt on.  And it seems to have a starting point. The spot right at the lower corner of the shoulder blade closest to the spine. Right under the bone. From there it seems to spread to the rib cage under the arm, up to under the shoulder (if this makes any since) and then back down the very side of the shoulder bone to the source.  Those are the most tender spots but the whole back is pure brimstone.  I hope I am not too graphic but this what I feel.  The answers that have been given so far just plain don't seem right.  I mean I don't have a curvature of the spine, and It doesn't feel like a spasm. It's been over ten years. Is there something else it could be? There are too many people out there with the same symptoms. Are there any studies being done? Could it be linked to some kind of dormant disease? It just feels like more than just something resulting from a physical injury.  I mean some people get it even with out trauma or excessive weight gain.  I mean I am ready to lay down in an ice filled bath tube and risk getting hypothermia just to have some relief.

Lesha

Answer
It can be a sign of anything....however, your most likely cause is a muscle sprain dating back to when you were 14.  The accident flared it up for the most part, and aggravated the condition.  You may want to find a good chiropractor that will address and misalignment issues, as well as any soft tissue issues.