Chronic Upper Back Tightness/pain

I just wanted to mention something that most people are not aware of. I have a nerve that runs over my left shoulder blade. I can almost feel were it is on the rare occasion I can get my hand back there. Sometimes it slips out of place and gets pinched. The pain is very scary, because it shoots down my left arm like I'm having a heart attack. I've found that almost hanging upside down helps a lot. I can't afford a tilt table (no room, either), but having the dentist lay his chair all the way back helps a lot, as well as laying on an incline bench at the gym.

There is a condition called "trapped nerve" that causes a lot of pain. Just something else for you to consider, not a diagnosis.

I am going through the exact same thing now. I am actually on my way back to the doctor this morning. My pain is not only limited to the back but also the knees, shoulders and hips. Let's keep in touch to see if we can diagnosis this.

I too have this, more frequently now from nursing. I go to the chiropractor for treatment and it goes away. It comes back becuase I don't watch my posture as I should while I nurse, but another trip to the chiropractor takes care of it. I don't think this is something that you have to live with.

Try Chiropractic! Find a good reputable one in your area. They should incorporate all the stretches, massage, and exercise. My back pain is all but gone and my insurance paid for most of it! Not sure where you are located, but Tuck Chiropractic the the NRV is wonderful, esp. Jennifer Rathman

I feel your pain! Or at least I used to. For roughly 20 years, the muscles between my shoulder blades used to give me such grief. I was always going to Chiro and while they gave me temporary relief, it never healed the problem. Until I found my Neuromuscular Therapist. He works at Evolutions in Annapolis and his name is Jack. He only takes very sever cases. My problems stem from my large chest and slouching for 20 years to "hide" it. Which, unknown to me caused a lot of problems. Jack has made me feel better than I have in a long time. People also say that I look better. He does not take insurance but if you can go to him I will tell you there isn't anything like it. It isn't a fun experience. The first 3X you will hurt, but afterwards you will be much better. Please give him a try.

I'm a Mind-Body Coach focusing on chronic pain (among other things). I basically help people focus on what they want instead of worrying about what they don't want (cause of stress).

No, your doctors won't find anything so long as your stress continues to "feed" your body. My clients learn quickly how to relieve their pain using mind-body approaches that are more effective and long-lasting than any pain killer you'll find on the market. Not to mention, it's a lot healthier for your psyche!

I also couple my therapy with Regenicare, a powder formula you mix with water and drink. My customers feel almost an immediately sense of relief once their nerves and muscles are nourished with Regenicare.

This is the only product line I put my name behind because of the company's integrity and science.

Stress robes the body of nutrients that would otherwise help you function with joy, enthusiasm, serenity and pain-free. When you're stressed, even if you're eating a "well-balanced" diet, your body isn't processing it properly.

Mind-Body Coaching and nutritional support restores your body so that you can handle almost anything that comes your way. Resilience is the main benefit here, and it starts with your thoughts.

L.

I had the same situation and someone referred me to a chiropractor. That was the best thing I have ever done! She adjusted my spine so that everything that was "out of whack from stress" was re-aligned and I practically did cartwheels out of her office. I now go about once every 6 mos. for a "tune up" and my insurance covers most of it. I highly recommend chiropractic because when the spine and other bones are misaligned, muscles don't work properly and even organs can be affected. Caveat....just like anything else, find a good and reputable chiroprasctor. Best of luck.

My brother has this and it is in his upper back and right shoulder.
after ten years of treatment, chiropractors, etc- he started therapy and has been doing it for 2 years and it is helping.
It is amazing the affect that stress has on your body!

i used to suffer from the same thing... it got worse every year, and like you, every doc i saw told me it was due to stress and poor posture. after my 2nd child, i lost ALL the baby weight, and went back to the same size i was in high school, but with the lost weight, my boobs all but disappeared... AND SO DID THE PAIN. i dont know about your chest, but my boobs were SO big and heavy and i wasnt wearing bras that properly supported them, that i had constant, excruciating upper back pain... until my breasts 'went away'. now, pregnant with my third, ive outgrown all my normal bras and i know its about a matter of time before the pain returns... at least i know what caused it now, and can deal with it accordingly. good luck!

Hi M. B,
You have a lot of little kids to deal with. Wow!
I also have stress in my life, and have been trying for months to get some relief from neck, shoulder and back pain. I went to physical therapy and was diagnosed with TMJ disorder after a few weeks working on the neck pain. The PTs said that tension from grinding my teeth at night (I have worn a night guard for years) seems to be radiating to my neck, shoulders and back. Massage has brought temporary relief. I am about to try PT treatment specifically for the TMJ and hope it will be helpful. The stretching and exercises I learned from the PTs (before they discovered the TMJ) to loosen up my neck have improved my mobility a bit. I do walk to reduce stress. If I figure out the magic key to reducing stress in life I will let you know... LOL...I think it is common among women to have stress manifest physically, or so I have heard from health professionals.

Hi M. B,

You're not the only one who suffers from back pain as you describe. I suffer too. Do you have anxiety? I was diagnosed with it and found that exercise and massages do the most good. When the pain is so bad I can't stand it, I take my anxiety meds and I take such a low dosage that most people it wouldn't even phase. It's just enough to take the edge off. Most times though I handle life without the anxiety meds. I also have a muscle relaxer medication that is just enough to relax my muscles and help me function so I can do the exercises I like to do. Honestly though I haven't taken either of them in over 6 months. I ran out and just haven't bothered to get more. Something I noticed yesterday though was that the muscles in my chest (the ones behind a woman's you know what on her chest) are called the pectorals and in strengthening those up, my chest lifts up a bit and I don't have as much back pain. My pain has turned to numbness after my 2nd child was born and that stinks. I don't know what happened and doctors can't find anything. Like you said though, exercise is the best way to relief the tightness in the back and it is for me too.

You do have a lot to deal with! Your family sounds busy but fun! I also have back and shoulder pain and I "make" my husband give me a massage A LOT. Usually it only takes 10 minutes for relief to set in (at least a little bit)

I am a mother of three,under 7.I work as a dental hygienist..so from the three monkeys,and the way I conform my body with patients,I suffer like you.I have found deep tissue massage with manipulation once a month religiously.I am not totally cured,for he finds "boulders" in my neck and shoulders.I feel your pain.I am fortunate one of my patients gives me a hefty discount for my massages.

Oh my, have you got a lot on your plate! I only have 1 boy who is 10 1/2 right now. When he was about 2 yrs old my shoulders were killing me and for me it was from constantly picking him up and carrying a lot of weight (heavy purse, diaper bag, totes, etc) all the time. I made a point of lightening the load whenever I could (let the stroller / wagon / husband carry it, only the essentials in the purse, etc) which helped a lot. Once my son was old enough I would have him sit up on my shoulders instead of carrying him in my arms all the time. My arms got a lot stronger over time (would some weight training help you learn how to carry a load more efficiently? Just a thought.). Your girls will grow fast. Eventually they won't be carried so much and will be able to do their own carrying and then your shoulders will feel much better.

You definitely have a lot going on. One of the reasons that I had back pain was my very large chest. On your next visit to your therapist ask him/her if they think that the problem may be your posture and your chest. I have learned yoga, and stress relieving exercises when I notice the tightness.

i have a similar issue that is related to stress. i grind my teeth and tense my whole body in my sleep. the constant tension gives me headaches every day and i get a lot of pain in my lower back and neck and shoulders. i know you weren't looking for advise, but you mentioned that yoga really helped... have you tried stretching in the morning and before bed? if you stretch slowly, taking very slow controlled breaths, it actual helps you relax. i know it sounds very simple, but it does help. hope your stress eases soon!

Has any doctor ever diagnosed your problem besides "stress"? If you haven't, you may want to try a chiropractor...they may be able to help relieve some of that pain without medication/surgery...I see one weekly & it helps relieve the lower back discomfort I get monthly as well as my "stress" pain. I too carry my stress in my back...chiro & massage are probably the best methods of relief. Perhaps some flexibility/yoga training may also help...I haven't gotten that far in my plan, but I like to shoot for it when I can.
Good luck!

Hi there,
Sorry to hear about your continuing pain. I can completely relate. I carry all of my stress in my neck and upper back as well. There are 2 things that have helped me. The first is yoga, which you already mentioned. The second I learned while preparing to give birth to my baby. I started doing deep relaxation exercises for 20 minutes a day using a Hypnobirthing CD. Not only did I learn to relax to prepare for giving birth, I also realized that it made me feel more relaxed during the day and there was no tension in my shoulders. Even my husband noticed. It may be worth a try. I don't think you have to use a hypnobirthing CD to reap the benefit, though. Here's a link that to a CD that might be helpful- http://www.relaxationtechniquescd.com/

Hope that helps!
M.

Lifting your little ones causes upper back pain too. I've found yoga to be the best. The pose my teacher calls thread the needle seems to work well. In child's pose, you stretch down on one arm and then put the other under it until you are laying on it or as far as you are comfortable.

I can relate with what you are saying although my pain was mainly in my neck and shoulders, not my upper back. However, after suffering for quite awhile and it being uncomfortable and irritating to be constantly feeling like this, I decided to talk to my doctor about getting a very thorough checkup (I hadn't done this in years), to get blood work and everything done just to make sure the pain wasn't related to something other than stress. All my blood work came back normal (cholestrol, glucose, liver enzymes, and thyroid). I still didn't quite feel at peace about it, so I asked if I could get a CAT scan done. I was paranoid about the neck pain being related to a blockage or even a tumor. It was causing even more stress. I couldn't sleep at night. So, interestingly enough, the CAT scan showed I have arthritis and I had a muscle strain in my neck. I am only 38, so arthritis never crossed my mind. Since then, I have walked every morning and have tried to cut out sugars from my diet and you wouldn't believe how much better I feel. I still have the soreness on occasion, but that is usually triggered from eating more sugar than usual the day before. I rarely have to take any medications from the almost chronic soreness and pain that I feel. It has decreased quite a bit. The walking/exercise has helped so much in alleviating the stress I feel. It gives me more energy and really helps me go throughout my day in a more relaxing and positive mood. And I have 6 kids still at home! I didn't start feeling this way immediately after I made a few lifestyle changes, it took almost 2 months to begin noticing a considerable difference in the way I was feeling. I just thought I would share with you my story. I hope it helps in some way. Believe me, you are not alone! Good luck and I hope you find the relief you need and deserve!!

Hi, my name is S. Gallagher and I'm a massage therapist. I am willing to bet that if you came in to visit me for a handful of sessions that you would start to feel better. Working the muscles along with the de-stressing atmosphere works wonders for most people! So give me a call and lets talk. ###-###-####.

I've had that problem in my shoulders and especially my neck. My chiropractor explained that since all the muscles in the body are really connected, that there might be other tight places in my body that are actually contributing, most often the hamstrings. I am really inflexible in my legs and I definitely did find that when I worked on stretching my hamstrings, my neck and shoulders would feel better too!
Also, consider your posture. Not holding your shoulders back can put a lot of strain on your upper back (I struggle with my posture too).
Good luck. I know how hard it is to live life well while you're in pain.

I can totally relate to your back pain issues. I am 32 years old with a 5 1/2 month old. My back pain has gotten worse since having her. I have had upperback and neck pain for the past 5 years and have seen physical therapists, pain doctors, chiropractors, and masage therapists. Right now the only thing that helps with the pain is seeing my chiropractor and masage therapist on a regular basis. Somedays are better than others ... but it is extremely distracting and uncomfortable.

Hope it helps to know that someone is experiencing similar pain issues.