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6 years in pain. Help!

Posted , 3 users are following.

jamiec
jamiec

Hi guys. Im now desperate. I have suffered with neck, upper and lower back pain for the past 6 years now. I have suffered with lower back pain for as long as i can remember but neck and upper back pain only started 6 years ago

I Quite litterally woke up with a stiff neck one morning and it has become progressively worse over the years. I now have severe pain around the base of my neck and shoulders to the point where it is now interfering with daily activities.

The pain radiates from the base of my neck around my shoulders and at times down my right arm to my fingers.. I am able to turn my head side to side but struggle tilting up and down.. The tension in the base of my neck is causing severe headaches on a frequent basis.

It is worse first thing in the morning sometimes easing throughout the day sometimes it doesnt. It seems to worsen in cold weather aswell.

As for my lower back it is agitated by the simplest of tasks such as mopping the floor, sitting for to long or standing for to long. Sometimes the pain in my lower back is so severe that i cannot stand and am bed bound for upto 2 to 3 days sometimes more.

I have seen 6 seperate gp's in the past few years all of which have brushed it of as "bad posture" and prescribed pain killers which have no effect whatsoever. More recently i was sent to physical therapy which i attended for 4 weeks however the pain in all regions worsened so severly that i could not continue.

I am now sick of hearing this "bad posture" nonsense and i need to know what is wrong with me. I am losing work because i am in so much pain but am still being pushed by dwp to find work as i have not been diagnosed with any problem.

I am at a loss as to what to do. I have requested further investigation from my currebt gp who has stated there is "no need" as my problems are simply posture related.

My grandmother has a condition causing her spine to crumble ( cant remember the term) and i am concerned that i may be suffering with something similier as it seems the older i get the worse my problem becomes.

I would appreciate ANY advice here anybody suffered/suffering with the same? What do i do ? Who can i talk to ?

Many many thanks

Jamie.

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • jamiec
    jamiec

    Posted

    Forgot to mention that moving my head in any direction generates a kind of grinding noise almost feels like bone on bone.
  • crystal63405
    crystal63405 jamiec

    Posted

    Hi, Jamie...I am so sorry to hear about your pain....I sense your frustrations and I can relate...So...let me tell you the quick version of my story. I was an RN. I was always on the go. I had a great life, great husband etc., I had a little tension in my neck one evening and decided I would try to stretch it out, and I got a little carried away with my stretches...woke up next morning and couldn't turn my head...I blew it off as a crick and attempted to resume my normal activities....over the next couple of weeks the problem seemed to be getting bigger meaning now I was having issues down my back and shoulder...it became unbearable as I could not get comfortable and could not think straight....unbeknownst to me I would spend the next year in pure hell, in pain, seeing multiple specialist, multiple imaging, therapist, spending thousands of dollars, crying as I could not work and the financial burdens this placed on my family....I swore there was something seriously wrong with me  and they were all missing it and something bad was going to happen to me due to their negligence...no one gave me an ounce of a diagnosis but to only tell me my problem was musculoskeletal...so that is all I had to work with so I began 12 months of my own digging/ research to find the culprit/ diagnosis to my issues....I stumbled upon a forum like this one and a girl was complaining of my issues and a dentist responded with the diagnosis I had been looking for...it is called upper crossed and lower cross syndrome aka consequences of bad posture...I know you do not want to hear this again...but I am here to tell you bad posture can have some really nasty effects that can get so bad it can really affect your daily life. your Doctors are not doing you much of a service to say your problems are just bad posture....if it is bad posture then they need to refer you to someone who can help you with this...if your therapists have made it worse maybe they don't really know what they are doing and you need a new therapist who has more experience in assessing and treating muscular imbalances...i sympathize with your frustrations and you feeling like posture could not possibly cause all your symptoms...trust me I felt the same way...I learned zero about the ill affects of bad posture in nursing school....no one had ever told me anything as trivial as posture can reak such havoc, but take it from me....It absolutely can! When the body decides one day it can no longer compensate for the stresses put upon it...you experience pain...the good news is with help from the proper professional it can be corrected....it will take patience and time as it didn't get this way over night....it took me a while and going thru several therapists. Best Wishes!

  • ihavenonickname
    ihavenonickname jamiec

    Posted

    Hi Jamie,

    Wow, I read your post. Then I read Crystal's post. A lot to think about

    Perhaps your gp could send you for posture lessons...seceral years ago I was hit by a car. When I went for therapy I was told that I had to change my posture to save my spine. Even had to change my pillow.

    What do you think of our sharing?

    kind regards

    judith

  • jamiec
    jamiec

    Posted

    Hi guys. Thanks to both of you for your input. Part of the physical therapy classes i had to take were all about changing my posture. Unfortunately these classes made my pain levels increase tenfold. By the end of the month i was in such agonizing pain i couldnt move for three days.

    My parents were always strict about posture, the usual sit up straight shoulders back etc. I dont believe my posture was ever that bad in all honesty.

    Since writing this post i have to decided to try a back support brace as recommended by a few others. Im waiting for this to be delivered so i will let you know how it works out.

    I shouls also add that i am only 25 years old and physically fit and active. I have always used appropriate lifting supports at work and took extensive manual handling classes some years ago so i dont believe that my problem is caused by any work related issue.

    Thank you both for your input.

    • crystal63405
      crystal63405 jamiec

      Posted

      I just want to add that I did not believe my posture was bad either. Also, I would like to say the younger population is experiencing more and more issues with neck and back pain due to the high usage of technology with bad ergonomics...and...I would like to also add many people who work out at the gym develop these problems as well due to overtraining particular muscles and neglecting others...I also want to add that once you develop pain due to posture issues the "sit up straight" cues will no longer be enough to fix the issue because compensation patterns have already developed and programmed into the central nervous system....the pain comes from the repetitive strains spasm inflammation...without fixing the imbalances and retraining the brain to move differently there will never be lasting results...I am not dismissing your claim that you don't feel this is posture...but a thought to ponder is why you feel you need a back support brace...why can't your muscles support your back...probably because they are too weak to do so.....be careful with over usage of a brace...if this is a posture issue it can further weaken you....Best wishes! Take Care.

    • jamiec
      jamiec crystal63405

      Posted

      Hi cryatal thanks for your reply. I am led to believe that this particular brace is designed to help straighten your back and pulls your shoulders back thus encouraging the muscles to eventually return to this natural position. I must admit im a little sceptical about it but at this point i find myself willing to try. What are your views on this ? I should also add that i havnt been to a gym than once or twice in theblast
    • jamiec
      jamiec

      Posted

      Sorry... In the last god knows how many years. By trade im a hgv driver but i try and get as much excersise as i can even if its walking for an hour or so a day. Im not one to sit in front of a computer all day but i guess sitting behind the wheel is probably just as bad.
    • crystal63405
      crystal63405 jamiec

      Posted

      My views in regards to the brace is it can serve as a tool only...basically a tool that helps one feel what sitting and standing etc., with better posture is....however, it by itself will not fix the issue...in fact, it can sometimes do more harm than good....meaning if someone where's a brace all the time to support themself in an upright position...why would muscles become stronger when they don't have to do much work? Pain related to posture will never be resolved by some magic tool, pill, manipulation etc., the issue is much more complex than that...if you ask any professional what is the best thing you can buy or do for your pain....the #1 answer is exercise...however, someone trained must assess you and prescribe the right exercises...do the wrong ones or the right ones the wrong way and you will pay for it in pain and can lead to further dysfunction....it sounds like you already experienced this with your last therapist...perhaps you should look for someone different

    • jamiec
      jamiec crystal63405

      Posted

      Thanks for your views there crystal. Youve given me something to think hard about. Im going to speak to my gp again and possibly ask for a 2nd referral for the physical therapy and get a second opinion and explain what happened the first time round.
    • ihavenonickname
      ihavenonickname jamiec

      Posted

      Hi Jamie,

      The hard part was making the decision to try....when you put it on the first time it will feel uncomfortable because your muscles are used to pulling in different directions.

      It will help if you warm your muscles with a heating pad first because it is easier to move warm muscles. Then put is on and try to relax your muscles. Relax because your muscles will want to have the old way.

      Consider putting it on and wearing it for one hour twice per day . After a couple of days, wear it for one and a half hours twice a day.

      If you push yourself responsibly, not too much but not too little either, you will retrain your muscles and your muscles will then straighten your posture.

      I am interested in your progress.

      warm hugs

      judith

    • jamiec
      jamiec ihavenonickname

      Posted

      Thanks judith. Thats more or less what i had planned to do. Your advice is very similar to what ive seen elsewhere regarding the brace. I will keep you updated on my progress over the next few weeks smile still waiting for the brace to arrive. Should be here tomorrow i think.

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