Thoracic issues 3 incorrect referrals and still no progress

Have you had an MRI?

Hi.  Are you physically active?  Do you exercise?  Are you fit?  I ask because sometimes being unfit can contribute to back problems.  Poor posture or incorrect movement patterns can also be culprits.  Muscle imbalances are often the cause for back problems.  If any of these apply to you, perhaps you can look into a certified personal trainer - specifically one who specializes in corrective exercise.  They would be able to assess your movement patterns to discern which muscles are overused and which ones are weak, as well as other musculoskeletal imbalances.  They would work with you to corrects such imbalances.  I've found that a qualified corrective exercise specialist is more effective than a physical therapist, as they take the entire musculoskeletal system into consideration, as opposed to working to correct only one area of the body.  It's amazing how having one area out of whack can affect the entire body.  An NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist is who I would recommend.

All I know is that when I feel the hot water trickle in my legs, another patch on my legs goes numb for good.  To me it has always represented an associated nerve 'burning out or signing off' which is purely my own interpretation.  I cannot have an MRI as I have a non-MRI friendly pacemaker would you believe?  I have been told that I likely have a trapped nerve in the lower vertebrae and to come back if the numbness increases to where it impedes me in any way.  What they will do then I cannot guess....  You are not going mad - back problems are so diverse and hard to diagnose, you can only keep going as problems present themselves - you are not the doctor - it is up to them to keep trying to find the cause.

What the doctors should be telling you is that they don't see anything in those X-rays and MRIs. That does not mean that there's not something there they're missing. Or something that's there but not showing up on the diagnostic testing. You would do yourself a world of good if you can somehow come to grips with the fact that you may not ever have a name for your pain. If you've been suffering from this for 3 years already it is likely not an organ issue or something that is lethal. So your goal from here out should be how to managing your pain. How you choose to do that is up to you and your doctor. I will send you a personal email with some suggestions on where you can start. That way this comment will not be monitored out.