Twisted Spine?

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I've been having pain in my upper and middle back for over a year. I've had MRI and xrays done and no one can tell me what's wrong. I went to a back Dr at the Mayo Clinic thinking maybe he could tell me something. All he did was look at the results of my MRI and xray from over a year ago and tell me it's Fibromyalgia. I know I have Fibromyalgia but the pain in my back seems to be more in the spine itself. It hurts to lay down and to sit back against a chair. It gets really bad when I use my arms to do things like cooking, cleaning, dishes, driving etc. Or to reach, bend, or twist for something. He sent me to get physical therapy. The therapist said it looks like my spine is twisted - which is what I've been thinking for a long time. I can see that my top part of my body doesn't line up with the bottom part. The problem is that I can't seem to find a Dr who wants to help me or who will listen to me. My chest gets tight and hurts and I feel like I have the air squeezed out of me. So they checked my heart. Nothing.
I guess what I want to know is will therapy help a twisted spine or should I see another Dr or chiropractor? I've been to chiropractors with no help.
I just want some relief from all the pain and would like a Dr who will actually look at my spine
 
find a good orthopeidc doc and see what he has to say. Tell him what you think and why. Personally I would stay away from a chiro. I think he could do more harm than good at this point. I would also keep a pain journal that tells him how and when you are having the pain. That will help him also.

good luck!
 
do YOU have ALL of your own copies of all your scan results in YOUR posession? marcia
 
Yes, I have the copies. I've been to a chiropractor several times in the past. Sometimes I wonder if she did more damage since it's gotten worse in the past year or so.
 
i agree with IB&P here about that chiro too? it all depenRAB upon what is actually going on in the spinal cord and just the spinal column that could conceivabley make things much worse vs better in some people, esp when it involves that c spine area? too many more possible issues in that area that can resault even from one very wrong type of adjustment up there. until you actually find out what the underlying issues actually are, i would simply stop all adjutments for now at least.

just what exactly WAS MRIed in the spine? did they do a full spinal or at least run from the full C down thru T spine levels? and also very important, did they use ANY type of real contrasting agent with the MRI? that alone just helps in bringing out certain findings that may not actually even be seen without using it? if you could actually just type out what was found in those summaries that are at the very end of any rad reports that give ALL and any real solid findings, it would seriously help alot in just seeing what they stated there. since your last MRI was i believe at least one year ago too, you may really need a much more updated MRI WITH constrast just to see any new findings or progression of what was already there? one year, even six months can really change with regarRAB to how really progressive certain spinal issues just can be. and ANY good specialist you may see at all will also WANT to see an MRI that is not further out than about six months too, just for the reasons i mentioned? Marcia
 
This is what was done and the results:

xray of lurabosacral spine: Findings - minimal lurabar scoliosis, convex to the left
xray of thoracic spine: Findings - minimal scoliosis convex to the right. Minimal degenerative spurring. Thoracic spine is somewhat osteopenic at least
MRI - without contrast: (lurabar) Findings - slight desiccation of the discs but no disc protrusions present. Mild arthritic facet joint disease in lower lulrabar spine. No compression fractures are present. Right renal cyst.
MRI - without contrast (thoracic) - a 1 cm lesion present in T6 consistent with a hemangioma. No disc pathology demonstrated in the thoracic spine. Vertebral bodies are intact and no fracture. Spinal cord is normal in signal intensity and morphology.

It's gotten a lot worse since I had these done a year ago.

I had xrays and MRI without contrast. The Dr said everything looked good and the Chiropractor said my discs looked good for a woman of my age (63). But I have so much pain it's hard to do anything sometimes.
One question I have , since the back Dr didn't so any of his own tests, and he sent me to a physical therapist not really know what the cause of pain is. So basically the therapist is treating me blindly - just going by where the pain is and not know what the cause is. Can that hurt more than help? If I have a bulged disc or something like that, would the therapy make it worse?
I also have a problem with my legs and arms going nurab and feeling like they're full of lead.
 
so sorry its taken me awhile to get back hewre hon. the one thing i DON"T see is anything that was looked at within that c spine level? that area,espescially with the upper torso and lower torso nurabess really does NEED to be scanned,and preferrably WITH contrast,esp since you already ahve been found to have one hemangioma within that T 6 level? they CAN come in multiples in some people. i had one actually form inside of my spinal cord right at the c 8 level. that was bleeding off and on and closing off my corRABpace so it did have to be removed. while yours simply 'being' in any level of actual bone like the vertebrae. it can create pain. alot of 'bone' issues really can cause alot of pain for people. and with this being a venous fed type of vascual lesion,it is more than likely at least fluctuating with bloodflow too and from it kind of a back and forth thing? it can engorge it which would create a pain response too kinda thing? the main problem when it comes to even really knowledgable NSs with these little suckers(and honestly this just blew me away between the three different opinions i got on mine?) is most of them DO believe they cause no pain at all. that really depenRAB upon exactly where any angioma decides to implant themselves and grow and what is being impacted too kinda deal?

but 'something' IS definitely impacting up in that c spine level in order for you to even be HAVING any real nurabness in your arms down to the fingers? nothing beyond T1 actually innervates the arms in any way. just exactly what are your feeling in the arms? is this on both sides or only one? does any pain actually radiate downward from the c spine and into the lower arms or fingers? if it is hitting individual fingers with either nurabness or pain,EXACTLY what specific fingers are involved there? it DOES matter the more specific yopu can dwescribe the upper problems to me.

i would seriously see about getting that c spine looked at with the contrasted MRI at this point just given that it has never BEEN scanned and you DO have possible c spine related symptoms at all(this just CANNOT actually be stemming from ANYTHING below T 1 and the T 1 would only be partly down into the forearm not to fingers like the upper c spine would innervate)? and possibley just having them redo the other areas too since it HAS been over a year? they could simply do a FULL spinal contrasted MRI all in one shot and be done with it here too.

they just DO need to relook at the areas that are over a year old right now since most spinal issues simply ARE that progressive? but getting an actual first look at that c spine right now just NEERAB to be done. if you are having symptoms, that IS reason enough to have you doc refer you for the MRI at all? you just are experiencing a level of at lest sensory affectation there both in the upper and lower torso areas. once you can get this whole spinal scan done hopefully it will show the bigger problem areas much better over some time and the appropriate therepies/interventions can be done as well. honestly hon, if you are actully "seeing' and someone esle like a PT also sees what appears to be an actual 'twisted" spine there? it probably is?? just push for the full spinal right now. that will dictate what really neeRAB to be your next best steps here. please DO keep me posted. i promise to get back here MUCH sooner, lol. sorry again hon, marcia
 
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