I've been getting mid/upper back pain for the last few months. It's so painful. It seems to come in spasms...usually in the evening. Sometimes it seems to affect my chest as well. I even feel slightly nauseous with it sometimes.

The chirpractor took x-rays and said my bad posture (I know it's from leaning over the computer) has given my spine a curve and that's compressing discs. I've had one spinal decompression treatment and I'm scheduled for nine more.

Does this sound totally structural, or are hormones playing a role, too? It's so painful when it happens.

Thanks,
Helen

sounds like something i have from time to time... i've never known what causes it, it's usually there for a fews days to a week each time, and i'm not sure the chiro fixes it, but he sure makes me feel good for a while anyway... i see my chiro maybe twice in the week i seem to have the spasms for each time.. sometimes just the massage would help me feel good for a while..

altho, my spasms have been so much better since a large lipoma was found, and removed from the area i used to spasm badly in.. i'm not saying this will be your problem, just that since that was removed, the spasms have been less frequent and instead of going on for a week, was only 2 days last time..

i have found a hot wheat bag mashed up hard against the spasming area will stop the pain. i put it against my back then sit either in a chair or half reclining on a couch, so that the heat is directly against the area affected.
it might help you?

i forgot to say, this has been happening to me since my early 40's.. i have had other back issues in my life as well. i really don't think it's hormonal at all...

My mother's biggest complaint in menopause, was excrutiating endless mid/upper back pain....she was worried it would cripple her it was so bad. She chose hormone replacement, and told me within 3 weeks her back pain had gone away....so for HER at least, the back pain was hormonal.

Helen...it sounds muscular to me and probably from bad posture at the computer mixed with declining hormones..which will have an affect on muscles. Take 2 minute stretch breaks at the computer every 30 minutes. Try warm,moist heat compresses at night. Ask your chiro to recommend a good neuromuscular massage therapist who can feel the muscles and address any myofascial trigger points from the waist up. Tight back muscles will can cause a tight sensation on the chest as well. So...watch your posture, stretch, moist heat and massage. Address declining hormones in whatever way you choose to supplement or replace. Check your progesterone levels.Hope it helps.

Helen, all I can say is that I hope you get relief soon.

Hugs,
Marcy

Thank you so much to everyone who responded.

Well, I can't deny what I saw on the x-rays so I know part of this is physical. I've become very conscious of my posture and will try some of your suggestions as well.

If there is a hormonal component, I'm going to have to tough it out - I don't take anything, too many reactions to things. I've been toughing it out since this whole flare of symptoms started many months ago. Some days I'm good at it, some days I'm not.

Thanks again!

Helen

Hi Helen..........

I've had weird back spasms often thru this menomagical ride. I had them in peri for months on end and I described them to my doc as 'weird, migrating back spasms.' Sometimes they were a dull, deep ache, other times a sharp jab............. and they moved around a lot but typically were along my spine in the thoracic, mid-back area. I had them for months on end in peri, then they just disappeared......wow, imagine that They showed up again in my post meno experience, lasted several months (......heavy sigh) and again disappeared for no apparent reason.......good riddance! Like most of the weird meno symptoms, I found them to be somewhat concerning because for me there was no physical explanation 'cept for lovely, fluctuating horr0r-mones (insert loud screech from your favorite thriller movie here .......)

One thing of late that I found helped relieve the weird pains was to slap an analgesic patch, such as a Tiger Balm patch right on the area. Seemed to lessen the spasm/ache/jab considerably.

Hope you wake to find them gone for good...... booboolena

Hi there,

I had the same dreadful pain and as it turned out I had gallstones, pretty bad ones too. I've since had my gall bladder out and havne't had a pain since. Go and have it checked out because my specialist told me that most people over the age of 30 would have gall stones but don't know about it until they start to irritate and cause problems. I hope you feel okay soon.

Gabby

Thanks again, everyone.

Gabby, I had a CT scan of the abdomen this summer and it was normal. I think problems with the gall bladder would have shown up.

Nevertheless, I've now been googling "gallstone symptoms." I doesn't seem like what I have but I'm freaking out anyhow!

I'll never change.

Helen

HB I have fibromyalgia, or at least that's what the diagnosis was 10 years ago. I have many of the trigger points, but my main pain has always been my mid and upper back. Some days worse than others and can feel like burning pain when I've been lifting things too much (i.e. my grandaughter, grocery bags too heavy, etc.). Sitting too long at the computer can aggravate it also. Massage seems to help, but I don't get it on a regular basis, and really should. I was also getting chiropractic (the Atlas method), which would help sometimes.
Tiona

I am in agony right now .. same thing as you are all describing right now. lower back up into my neck.. throbing,, taking advil. But I wonder , ,I know I exercised in my pool for about an hour 2 days ago. Its almost like normal aching one would feel after excercising but AMPLIFIED !! almost like my body cant handle exercise anymore it just over reacts to it or something ,, anyone else associate something they did a few days before to exaggurated pain ?? (cant spell sorry) I know im getting close to the end 51 and periods are so irregular.

I have the same back problem too. I haven't figured it out if it's something I do to make it ache, can't be much or I would remember something strenuous, can't figure it out. A few nights this week I've been woken up with a sharp pain in the middle of my back then gone in the morning, I don't know what that's all about. I really can't associate anything for the aches except usual housework. Getting old I guess.

I can not stress this ENOUGH! Up until a month or so ago I was in so much pain while trying to sit at my computer I could no longer do it...until I decided to buy a lumbar back support that fits on the back of my chair. It FORCES me to sit up correctly and is actually very comfortable. I paid five bucks for mine at walgreens and it's been a lifesaver! Make SURE your butt is scooted ALL the way back though. Slouching is so common at computers. Also, make sure your screen is at eye level and directly in front of you!

I use my lumbar support in my car.. I will try posture at work today,, also last night started taking calcium with magnesium to see if it helps. My doc nagged me on thursday about taking calcium. I know that if the body is lacking it ,, it will actually start going after it in your bones .. maybe the body aches have something to do with that .. ahhh .. this is all trial and error ,, and by the time the symptoms pass we wont know if its because of something we did or something we took !!