Neck and thoracic pain

Maria · #1 (**permalink**) 08-07-2013, 03:05 PM

This is not my first experience w/cervical pain but it is the first prolonged aggravation I've experienced in maybe 3 years or so. Also my thoracic spine feels like mid spine something is broken right about T6-7 (where I have scoliosis).

My bedding has been bothering me. I switched from sleeping on a traditional mattress to sleeping on a tatami platform bed but it was far too firm so have a 3 inch firm futon on it and that was too firm so had 2 mattress toppers on it and that worked since about October or November 2012. Of late it's been really driving me mad so I went out and bought a new mattress which arrives Friday.

I have an appointment on the 13th with my PCP so I think I'll report this pain if still present to see about getting some updated xrays. My OSS told me long ago he thought I'd herniate in my T spine next but instead my cervical spine started hurting me which was about 12 years ago. I've had a few cervical MRIs in the past but nothing that was shouted surgery.

While I've not noticed any weakness in my hands I have been dropping things I think with my left hand a lot. I don't feel like I'm going to drop anything I just do!

I just hope the new bedding and maybe a new pillow will be good enough therapy! I'm still packing to make a move so don't need anything else to slow me down!

jsewell · #2 (**permalink**) 08-08-2013, 02:08 AM

Hi Maria i am sorry you are experiencing this pain . That sucks. I guess the new imaging might tell some of the story. I hope it is just a fleeting thing and will be gone soon.
Judy

Maria · #3 (**permalink**) 08-08-2013, 09:04 AM

Judy,
I can't believe it's still going on! I think I aggravated something and I better find something that supports my neck and upper back better to sleep with because this is driving me nutz! I have to wait a bit before I can get another Toradol shot or I'd go to Urgent Care. By the time I get imaging done I'll have wasted another couple of weeks not packing... groan!

Today I went to CVS for a few minutes and carrying my purse was hurting. I take my cat for fluids 3x/week too and it's getting hard for me to carry her weight in the carrier and she's only 4.8.lbs. Man this sucks!!!

Thankfully my lumbar spine isn't hurting right now (knock on wood!)!!!! Hope it stays that way at least till this pain goes away!

teg · #4 (**permalink**) 08-08-2013, 07:16 PM

Hi Maria,
I am sorry to hear about you back pain in the t6-7 area. I have been able to get some relief by performance a stretch exercise that my chiro showed me. I perform the stretch by laying on my bed with my shoulder blades resting on the edge. I gradually stretch over the side of the bed as I exhale. It should be a gentle stretch and it have not aggravated my irritated spine.

I hope it helps and that you get some resolve soon. Take care.

Thelma

Maria · #5 (**permalink**) 08-08-2013, 07:59 PM

Thanks Thelma I'll try that one. I've been doing stretching exercises, gently, to see if that helps. Momentarily it does. I find that hyperextension is aggravating and flexion can be too particularly staring down at something.

I have notices that my right hand seems to lose the grasp of things although again I don't feel any weakness it just happens.

I think besides having a disc bulge somewhere in the cervical area maybe C5 or so I have some osteophytes I think. I do have DDD in C4-C6 I think and I believe I have that in my T spine as well.

I'd rest but I don't find rest helpful to alleviate this discomfort/pain. I had to take a fioricet last night (migraine med) in order to relax enough to get back to sleep after I woke up from sleeping on futon sofa (with neck and Tspine feeling just as bad if not worse).

I hope this all goes away by the 13th. If not I'll tell my PCP when I see her on that day. Meanwhile I'll try all the conservative measures I know including the stretch you mentioned.

jsewell · #6 (**permalink**) 08-09-2013, 05:47 PM

Maria i am so sorry this pain is still with you. I imagine you have tried heat/ice to see if any of those help. I do remember that pain after the pain with me was the tingling and waking up with some of my fingers numb. At that point i was still trying physical therapy. then the therapist noticed my left arm was getting weaker and when i reported that to my surgeon he said it was time to fix it as you do not want any permanent weakness . I sure hope you do not go down that road as i know how you feel about surgery
judy

Maria · #7 (**permalink**) 08-09-2013, 06:09 PM

I'm waiting for my new mattress. It's going to be late of course as I just got a call.. two hours late in fact! I have an emergency eye situation going on so made an appt. with an ophthalmologist for this afternoon.

Meanwhile this morning I packed up my futon by myself, moved my chest of drawers by myself and so forth so I will really need that new mattress tonight!

I did use heat on my neck last night and it did help. So far today I don't have the deep midline thoracic pain so much but still tender/painful over the vertebrae that I think are involved.

Judy I so hope I don't need surgery anytime soon for anything however if I ever do need it esp. cervical surgery I would most likely do it because I am fearful of what can happen to ignoring cervical spine stuff. Again I hate the idea of fusion but one does what one has to do when the time really comes for it!

take care! Maria

jsewell · #8 (**permalink**) 08-18-2013, 02:15 AM

Maria i left on the 9th for a trip to visit relatives in Florida . Now i am checking in to see how your pain is. did you get any relief yet?
judy

Maria · #9 (**permalink**) 08-18-2013, 02:32 PM

Hey Judy,
Yes I did get relief almost as soon as I got my new mattress. Not that I haven't re aggravated the area because I have but it calmed down very quickly again and I think it's absolutely to do with my new mattress and the support it offers.

Since then however I had something happen in my left eye called a posterior vitreous detachment. It's a normal process but while detaching it's possible to detach the retina too so I have to be careful to not do anything strenuous until the process is done. I see a retinal specialist on Sept. 17th so I will be in Laguna until then.

Also I found out the reason I've been so exhausted and it's an odd one. I have a genetic trait where I cannot break down and utilize B Vitamin. So I have been getting B12 injections and on Sept. 18th I'll have more in depth studies to see what else I might have deficiencies or problems with ...

Had some other values upon further laboratory investigation that will be monitored as well every 3 months like hemoglobin A1C and thyroid. I do have some cardiac stuff that puts me at "low" risk for arteriosclerosis...

But hey my neck and upper back have been better and my low back has been great (knock on wood)!

What's going on with you and the 2 surgeons? Please update!

Hope your Mom and family are doing well and you too~

jsewell · #10 (**permalink**) 08-19-2013, 10:53 PM

I am glad your new mattress helped so much. Sorry about all the other problems. I feel like that type of thing happened to me in my 40's , every time something was checked for one reason or another new conditions were brought up . I don't know if i ever told you i have panhypopituitarism. I am currently replacing all the pituitary hormones and since it is the master gland some from other glands as well. My thyroid was the first thing discovered. I am hypo and what a difference i noticed when first treated for it
I hope you feel so much better with treatment for your new problems.
I also see a retinal specialist as i have had now 2 retinal hemmorhages , both on the macula on each eye. They did both clear up on their own but i still go for regular check ups on my retina's.

I don't want to steal your thread, but i decided to go with the anterior approach with my usual spinal surgeon. It is much less brutal than the one the new surgeon was suggesting and if it does not work to straighten me out i have not closed any doors. I am kind of worried about the anterior approach as i am used to the posterior. People have said it is hard on the stomach/abdomen at first . Then after that they can't tell the difference. My surgery is 3 weeks from today on sept 9th.
good luck with all your new treatments
judy

Maria · #11 (**permalink**) 08-20-2013, 12:11 AM

Judy,
So what is the surgery again that your regular surgeon is going to do? Anterior xyz... I can't remember.. sorry. Is he going to take out the old hardware? Or is this anterior reinforcement and ?

Sorry I've just been so inundated with my own stuff that I think I had to make space in my head by pushing out what other people said is going on with them!

I got a call today from the doc's office and I may not have the more aggressive lab work up done if they can't tell me how Cigna will pay and how much I might be stuck with. What I was told today was that they'd bill my primary insurance and medicare but I was to include my credit card number with the insurances so that could be billed the rest of what they don't pay.

HUH??? I told the doctor's office I never give my credit card number out to billed ? amount of $. That's ridiculous (at least to me)! I need to know in advance how much isn't going to be covered or at least ballpark figure.

They tried to tell me that I would be stuck with more than $150 from the Medicare part as though that was my primary insurance. I had to remind them about Cigna being my primary and Medicare my secondary. So will see what else I get done at this office. Maybe nothing. I thought we were getting somewhere finally with some good answers but like you said usually it's just more stuff popping up.. ugh!