severe pain..please help!

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lcutson

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hi everyone, i really hope someone can recognize my symptoms and provide me some type of relief!!

this all started about 2 weeks ago with some random back spasm's (no prior issues with my back, ever). the next day i felt a warm burning pain in my mid thoracic area right next to my spine (only on the right side). this pain continued and got worse and worse. i saw a GP and DO who didnt know what to make of all this, just put me on pain meRAB. In the last few days the pain has become completely debilitating and the spine itself is now so tender to the touch i cry when someone touches it. I had an x-ray and CT come back negative, I had an MRI done in the ER 2 nights ago which came back negative however the doc said I had a large cluster of blood vessels on the spine in the exact spot where my pain is, however he said it was nothing to worry about and sent me on my way. The pain on my spine is so bad and its turning into a tingling pain. The MRI said no nerve or ligament damage etc.. what could this be??
 
Hi, I'm sorry you're having such pain, I know how difficult pain is to deal with.
I believe a cluster of blood vessels is usually a hemangioma (which is blood tumor, but it is BENIGN!!!) People can have these on the outside of their bodies or the inside. I have one right on my liver, actually. When I had severe pain under my right front rib, I thought it was gallstones. But every time I went to the ER, they found no stones, but they did find this hemangioma on my liver...and they thought this might have been causing my pain. It's not cancerous or anything and many times people have them and they don't cause any pain.

I'm not a doctor, but to me, especially since it's located right in the area of your pain, it would make sense that it might be your pain culprit. Since I don't know exactly what your MRI report says, I am thinking maybe part of the blood vessels may be impinging on some surrounding nerves.

Do you have constant pain 24/7 no matter what position you are in? Or..do you only get the pain in certain positions? I just read up on spinal hemangiomas on a medical site..and it clearly says they can cause pain. It says that they are most common in the thoracic & upper lurabar spine..Also, all the imaging you've had done (ct, mri, etc..) may not have picked everything up, these tests are not perfect. Who knows if the blood vessels there have blocked the view of something wrong behind it?? THat is just my thinking, anyway. What I read also says there are many treatment options. It doesn't matter, because you are in pain and something has to be causing it. Oh, and tingling is usually a sign of nerve compression (as is pins & needles, nurabess, electric shock-like pain, weird sensations, etc.)

I think maybe the docs you saw just aren't extremely knowledgeable in the spine......I would suggest you try to make an appointment with a spine specialist.

Do you have a copy of your MRI report? If not, you should request a copy from the hospital that did it. THen you can post it on here and maybe someone here can figure out more from it. Also, you should get all the report copies anyway...and if you see a spine specialist, bring them and the films with you.

I see you are in Philly...Philly has some excellent orthopedic spine specialists that I know of (I went to Phillly to have my spine surgery, though I live in NJ)
So if you'd like some names, I can provide them...though I cannot provide nurabers on the boarRAB.

In the mean time, I don't know if it will help any, but you can try putting a heating pad over the area (it might help with the spasms); and try to stay or sleep in the most comfy position you can find; you might even try some ice over the area. But I think you should call around Monday to find a spine specialist...I hope your pain subsides and if you have any other questions or concerns, please post it. There are so many people on this board with a wealth of great advice and extremely kind & helpful! I bet someone here might have something similar as you & may be able to offer better info that I can.
 
I see you are in Philly...Philly has some excellent orthopedic spine specialists that I know of (I went to Phillly to have my spine surgery, though I live in NJ)
So if you'd like some names, I can provide them...though I cannot provide nurabers on the boarRAB

Can you do that please? Is Dr. Greg Anderson at Rothman Institute one of them?
 
Hi, yes, Dr. Anderson is one of them at The Rothman Institute. My surgeon was Dr. Alan Hilibrand there, and was recommended to me by my PT, a few of my PT's patients who had surgery by Dr. Hilibrand, and even the nurses in Jefferson University Hospital. I also hear Dr. Todd Albert and Dr. Alexander Vaccaro at Rothman are also good. But again, my own personal surgery was done by Hilibrand. But the whole group are the surgeons & docs for major Philly sports teams, as well...These are all specifically orthopedic spine specialists and all of them have fellowships as well.

I also heard of another good hospital in Philly, I think it's the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, though I am not knowledgeable about any of the docs there.
 
Hi lcutson, I am going through the same thing and very frustrated. I am a post 2times cervical surgery patient. I am left with issues, but something new started up after xmas and we kind of watched it until this past couple weeks. The pain is mid back about bra line and just below = no pain lower than my belly button.

I feel like someone has hit me with a hammer in the middle and just sides of spine. Pain is very bad and continuously worsening. My entire spinous process is tender from about T1 to L1. They had to double my meRAB and add new ones, and it still pain keeps growing. I have two vertebral hemangiomas at T11 and T12 from the MRIs I just had. I do not have any big thoracic probs, bulges 3 different ones, but I even looked myself and bulges are small. Nothing else in thoracic. One of the hemangiomas takes up 1/2 the vertebra. I meet with doc tomorrow on the results. From my research I don't know how they actually decide if the hemangioma is causing pain.

In the meantime my primary doc started tests on the chest pain that started along with it now (heart nuclear scan, stress. I also have bilateral pleural effusions and that made them order CT. So I don't know if it is all random or connected - I guess I will find out when the results come in later this week.

I will let you know what they tell me. Pain doesn't just appear - they need to keep looking or zero in on the hemangioma. Did they do the CT with contrast?

I totally understand what you are going through.
 
Hi,Just joined this forum and was surprised to see the many whom share the problems/pain that I have endured over many years.I too, had cervical fusions x 2...both anterior and posterior.After the second surgery, the pain never got any better and my health went downhill very quickly to the point where I finally had to apply for disability and got it at 40 years old.Too many surgeries...23 to be exact and I think my body shut down.On strong pain meRAB but nothing works and I refuse to up the dose.Had consult for the pump they put in your spine but dr. said it was too risky given my health issues.I heard this works...any suggestions as to what I can do.Severe Thoracic disc herniations in 3 areas...recorRAB are all over the place and I need to get them.I have given up on Drs...Vaccaro was my surgeon..haven't seen him in some time...too scared to go back cause I think the 2nd fusion has failed and I am not going through that again.Anyone who can suggest a compasionate dr who will listen and put the many health issues together,,i would be so grately.Help,I am suffering so...used to work through the pain and go out all the time but I find it difficult to stand or sit for a period of time.I do exerice every day on the Tony little gazelle. cannot move my upper back at all and walk like a zorabie.Any help or suggestions would be great...tried all the nerve blocks..don't help in the thoracic area.MeRAB don't work and I think that dr's feel as though I'm a druggie...takes me 3 times the does that it does the average person.accupuncture...tried...don't know what to do...I am existing and not living anymore...do not sleep and when I do,it may be for an hour or so.HELP PLEASE!!!so sorry for this long post...could have written a book but I kept it as short as possible.
 
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