Weird Upper Back (Thoracic) Pain

07-14-2004, 11:09 AM

I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience. I recently experienced a weird back spasm whilst walking up just three steps. The pain started in my upper back just above/around my shoulder blades and rapidly spread around my rib cage squeezing the breath out of me and I couldn't quite catch my breath for a minute or so. It was as if a giant pair of hands had dug their thumbs into my back (the initial pain) and then gripped around my rib cage and squeezed all the breath out of me my heart also skipped a few beats as I was so scared. I suppose it could be described as squeezing crushing pain. The attack lasted no longer than a couple of minutes and went away and did not reoccur. I went to my Doctors and he sent me to the hospital to test for heart abnormalities which included ecg then an ecg with treadmill stress test an echo and finally a nuclear stress test all normal ?!?!?!? (done over the following weeks) I have no answers and the best that can be come up with was a back/muscualr spasm .......................... or as some as the doctors said they just don't know!

Anyone have a similar experience ?

07-14-2004, 11:22 AM

I would request a mri of the thoracic spine. I have a herniated thoracic disc. Your symptoms are a bit different than mine although I have heard of others with similiar symptoms to yours.

Good Luck

COlleen

07-14-2004, 12:18 PM

Colleen, thankyou for your fast reply. In my haste

I forgot to mention that I have had 2 MRI's One full MRI of the full spine and another that concentrated on the cervical area as they found a herniated disc and a bulging disc at c5 - c6 (Herniated) and c6 - c7 (bulging). The Neuro said tha the Thoracic area where I had the pain was fine and needed no further investigation and there was nothing he could add to any other findings. But thanks for your suggestion and also your comment that you know of other people with similar symptoms. Much appreciated.

Thanks.

07-14-2004, 07:19 PM

The fact that the pain is gone is indincative of something that perhaps passed???? like a stone of some sort maybe (gallstones or kidney stones). I've heard that these can be very painful.

07-16-2004, 01:06 AM

LaRams, Thanks for your comment.

This is something that hadn't even entered my mind and I will mention this to my Dr (so thanks) as well as look into it on the net. I think at the end of the day though I'm just gonna have to settle for the back spasm diagnoses lol Between here and the Heart board I'm getting a good idea of what to expect in terms of treatment and just how far the Docs will go to find out just what happened lol.

Cheers Fella.

Weird Upper Back (Thoracic) Pain

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