Hi, new here 46 year old Mom with thoracic mid-back pain - advice?

[Alice]

I disappeared - I lost a friend who left behind 2 children and other stuff was going on with my 71 yo Mom.

I was so pleased to log on and read all of your wonderful replies. THANK YOU so much. Tonight is a bad night. I've a lidoderm patch on and took a pain pill and my husband took over putting the "baby" to bed.

Thank you so much for the links. Thank you for making me feel like I'm not crazy. Off to research all of your links and the rest of this board.

I can't, seriously, thank you enough.
Alice

Lynn: I've replied to your message, thank you

[leklein]

Hi, Alice. So sorry you are having so much pain. One other idea to add to the others noted already. I do yoga for scoliosis put out by Elise Browning Miller (you can google for her website). It really helps me and often relieves that achy feeling in the thoracic area I can get at the end of the day. You can order a booklet and/or video with the exercises at her website. I use it rather than going to a yoga class, but met separately a few times with Iyengar yoga instructors to get me started. When I do the yoga for scoliosis I feel really good. I have kids, like you, including one that is still at home almost all day every day (almost 4 yr. old) so it does take a big commitment to get the exercises done, but I know the ones that really help relieve that tension and sometimes just do those if I don't have time to do the whole workout. Just another idea. I find it helps to feel like you are proactively doing something, too.

Good luck!

[KyphosisMom]

With the pain you're in I suggest you see a different orthopedist and get a second opinion. My 22 yr old son was diagnosed with Kyphosis (Scheurmann's) 9 months ago, with a 72 degree curve and he has minimal pain. We've seen 4 doctors and surgery is recommended because the curve will probably increase 1 degree per year.
He tried physical therapy which he doesn't think helped, however his pain is minimal. The pain isn't in your head, find a doc who will listen and talk to you.
We're still trying to determine the doctor and approach (anterior or posterior surgery), anyone with advice please jump in.

[scoli125]

Hi,
I thought for a couple of years doctors would not operate on me because I was not in pain, although many patients are. I thought for a while, well they won't operate unless you have a lot of pain. I do have pain in my thigh region and intermittenly on the concave side of my body. But most importantly I get out of breath under duress. I have impaired pulmonary function. Also very serious.
Now they are using the excuse: scoliosis does not cause pain. How do they know??? I can not understand why scoliosis surgeons don't want to operate on anybody. I suspect they are afraid of being seen as cosmetic surgeons.
What a shame. Hang in there.

Hi, I vaguely recall being checked for scoliosis in grade school and having a curve that was moderate. Nothing further came out of that check. I don't recall visiting many doctors from age 9 to 17 or so.

At 45, when my daughter was 4, I could not handle the mid-back pain. It's always been there (a good 10 years where it was moderate - now is chronic and moderate-severe pain that I feel). By 7-8 pm at night, my back is agonizing. Standing on tile (while cooking, etc.) exacerbates the pain (no, I'm not trying to get out of cooking lol but my husband is very kind and does the dishes when he sees I need to get off my feet for my back!) - whenever I stand in one position for too long I can feel the pain coming or worsening.

I went to an orthopedist who took an Xray and told me I have Kyphosis - I asked him what cuvature/degree it is and he said "doesn't matter there is nothing you can do for it". I figured "he's a surgeon; let me see a pain specialist and a physical therapist. I started PT in May 07 (it helps very slightly). I was prescribed 20 mg percocet daily and do use them because of the pain at the end and beginning of every day. I sometimes think that it would be nice to be pain-free, permanently, for example I can see why some people check out because of their pain. Edited to add; I have personal experience with this - my brother - it's a long and sad story and I understand 8 years later if that makes sense). He passed away on December 24, 1999.

At my new facility, I also see a Chiropractor who gives me relief when he cracks the middle of my back - without fail it cracks like 5 sets of knuckles.

I've been lurking and am heading over to read the Diagnositic board to see what tests will confirm that it's not all in my head. My husband also gave me a book re healing back pain while dealing with "life, stress, etc". eg it's all in the head and if you deal with what ails you your back will improve (it's for people of don't have a diagnosis for their back pain). Can anyone relate?

Thanks - it felt good to just post. I use the massage chair insert you see at all the drugstores - that helps at times I find it too hard though. I have a numb right calf and continuous numbness (pins and needles) in my hands. Im open to all opinions and experiences. I wish you all pain free days!
Sincerely
Alice