new pain. . .anyone with a similar experience?

[mgs]

Maybe about a month ago, every once in a while I'd have an unusual sensation in my lower cervical spine, that would come and go quickly. Thurs night, it came but didn't go, and kept me awake from 2am onward. It was persistent for the next 2 days, and by Sat night had become quite painful. I felt the area above my spine, and could feel that the area over my spine has a noticeable dip that goes from about T-2 to maybe T-7, roughly. This might have been there before and I never noticed it? Does anyone/everyone have this, where their spine (not ribhump) is noticeably concave? My best guess is that the concave area is where I used to have hardware.

The pain - a tightness and a heaviness, more than shooting - is now extending from my shoulders to the end of my ribcage - just where my spine is, not at all to the sides. Lying down brings relief, but I am always aware of it. . .when I'm up for any length of time, it gets bad enough that I could use pain pills. So far, I've been able to hang in there without them - I don't want to mask the pain, I want to be able to tell if it's worsening.

My husband has wanted me to call my surgeon, but I told him I want to wait a week or two and see if it resolves itself. Sat night, it was bad enough that he suggested the ER, to see if they could tell if it's anything serious, but I didn't want to go - the idea of waiting around there was not appealing, plus our local ER just doesn't have experience with a back like mine.

I don't recall anyone describing something quite like this. Any ideas?

[JenniferG]

I wish I could help but don't have experience with anything like this. I am thinking that you're probably right, that the concave is where the hardware was. Perhaps with time, things are settling and the changes are causing muscular type pain until your muscles get used to the new situation. I think go with your gut and give it a couple of weeks if you can, to see if it starts to resolve. If it gets bad enough, I know you will go to the ER, if only for pain relief and referral to someone who can help. I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing more worries and pain after all you've been through. Let us know how you go.

[LindaRacine]

I can't tell, from your description, what is concave.

[mgs]

If you put a couple fingers right on top of my vertebrae, that is where it is concave.

So, if you ran your fingers horizontally from the far left of my back, and across it, to the far right, as you crossed over my spine,you would feel a quite noticeable dip (very narrow, just over my vertebrae). . .Paul said that it's noticeably visible. That whole section that is concave is uncomfortable, and the discomfort continues above that section.

I have noticed today that I'm holding my head differently, which relieves the pain a bit - sort of tilting it back, like I'm looking up a little - then there's a creaking that I'm aware of when I adjust my cervical spine to its uncomfortable, normal posture. These different things may/not have anything to do with each other. The discomfort is now always there, but gravity definitely kicks it up, so I am now a couch potato most of the day. Or a lady of leisure, which maybe sounds better.

Until this, I've never had neck pain before.

[LindaRacine]

If you put a couple fingers right on top of my vertebrae, that is where it is concave.

So, if you ran your fingers horizontally from the far left of my back, and across it, to the far right, as you crossed over my spine,you would feel a quite noticeable dip (very narrow, just over my vertebrae). . .Paul said that it's noticeably visible. That whole section that is concave is uncomfortable, and the discomfort continues above that section.

I have noticed today that I'm holding my head differently, which relieves the pain a bit - sort of tilting it back, like I'm looking up a little - then there's a creaking that I'm aware of when I adjust my cervical spine to its uncomfortable, normal posture. These different things may/not have anything to do with each other. The discomfort is now always there, but gravity definitely kicks it up, so I am now a couch potato most of the day. Or a lady of leisure, which maybe sounds better.

Until this, I've never had neck pain before.

Hi...

Some surgeons remove the spinous processes, which are the most prominent part of each vertebra:

http://static.spineuniverse.com/imag...7053/_original

It's certainly possible that, between the removal of the spinous processes, and the natural anatomy of the spine transitioning from it's most kyphotic axis (notice the spinous processes become less prominent at T5 in the link below), it could appear that your spine is sunken in.

http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI...1832R-7789.jpg

Regards,
Linda

[mgs]

Thanks, Linda! That's good to know. So, it may well be that the dip is a red herring in trying to figure out the neck pain.