Re: Anyone else have problems describing your pain?

[Guest guest]

> ,

The members here one time did an off topic to describe our pain.

We have had some interesting descriptions.

I once told a doctor it feels like someone put a clothes pin on a

tender part and never goes away, I also said it feels like a

bicycle scrape that stays there.

I think you have to describe it in a way that everyone can relate to.

My SI pain in my buttocks feels like a knife stuck in there and it

stays and if you sit down on it or put pressure against it , it

would hurt.

If someone else can relate, I think they understand. Others have great

descriptions, maybe they will post again. Becky had some great ones

Bennie

>ladyluvvylinda wrote:

>

> What is your pain like? Do you have a hard time describing it? Do

> you know what the " right " words are?

[Guest guest]

,

When you wrote " Sometimes I take a breath, not even a very deep one,

and I have a sharp, shooting pain at my upper right bottom of my

trapezius, " it made me nod thinking about my shoulder problems. Have

you had your shoulders checked out? The infraspinatus tendon runs

approximately across the back of your shoulder blade to the shoulder

joint, and mine is chronically inflamed (and thickened). It feels

like you described nearly constantly, especially with a deep breath

or if I try to put my shoulders into what the physical therapists

call " normal " position. It didn't have a full tear like the one I had

repaired (the supraspinatus tendon), but it still hurts like heck all

the time.

I wonder if the " rolled towel " pain you described initially wasn't

when an injury happened. I had a " spontaneous, full thickness tear "

on the repaired tendon. The docs didn't believe me that I hadn't had

some extreme trauma and halfway thought they'd get into the shoulder

and find that the MRI reading was wrong... until they did the

surgery. They told my husband that, in spite of the imaging studies,

they were still shocked to see a tear that bad in a patient who

didn't " do " anything. (I guess spontaneous tears are known to happen

in the elderly, but I was 38 at the time of surgery.)

I don't profess to know much, and I'm surely not a doctor. But if you

haven't had that examined, I would look into it. My docs and I

believe that, because my cervical spine has so many mechanical

problems, over the years the neck troubles have caused the

musculature and tendons to shift, deform and become injured

themselves in an attempt to stabilize the neck.

Who've thunk? (Is that even a real sentence?)

All best,

in Oregon

[Guest guest]

--- " ladyluvvylinda " wrote:

>

> > Does this sound consistent to anyone with anything I may be missing?

> Does this describe it so that you can understand it?

>

-

None of us are doctors, but what you describe sounds perfectly like

pinched nerves coming out of the upper spine, such as that caused by

disc problems (or other similar causes).

Have you had an MRI of the neck and back? That should show what is

pressing on the nerves to cause these symptoms. What you describe is

nothing unusual for this kind of condition, so it's surprising your

doctors don't seem to understand you.

Cheryl in AZ

Moderator

[Guest guest]

--- Cheryl in AZ wrote:

>

> None of us are doctors, but what you describe sounds perfectly like

> pinched nerves coming out of the upper spine, such as that caused by disc

problems (or other similar causes).

>

Hi ,

I too have had trouble describing my pain, but I think you managed to

describe it (both my pain and yours) perfectly! I agree with Cheryl,

because it sounds very similar to severe upper back/shoulder pain I had

recently, except mine is the upper left, not the right.

Mine comes and goes, and my PCP says it may be a pinched nerve. I know I have

several pinched nerves, at least one in my neck and another in my back, because

my neurologist did a nerve conduction study.

When the pain is at its worst, I can't take a deep breath or even roll

over on my left side because it hurts too much.

I'm so sorry that you are going through this. I understand very well

wanting a doctor or medical professional to show some sign of

recognition when you try to describe your pain, only to have them act

as if they had never heard anything like it before! It's incredibly

frustrating.

Take care,

JoAnn

[Guest guest]

in Oregon wrote:

> My docs and I

> believe that, because my cervical spine has so many mechanical

> problems, over the years the neck troubles have caused the

> musculature and tendons to shift, deform and become injured

> themselves in an attempt to stabilize the neck.

>

>

Hi -

I probably should have said at the upper right back, bottom of my

SHOULDER BLADE instead of trapezius. Mine sounds lower. However, I

hear you, and it makes perfect sense to me what you've described. I

just recently got a medicare card in the mail, haven't signed up yet

for part b, but will be getting real medical treatment again soon and

I will pay attention. I've been told shoulder and rotator cuff

surgeries are really common for over 50 age group.

I'm certain that a large component of my pain is from the body

attempting to stabilize the neck. The last time I had insurance, post

surgeries, I received about 4 months of 3x week physical therapy to

get me vertical and moving again, and they were very good, I think they

might have noticed if it were a shoulder problem, but again, I am

paying attention as I go forward and start seeing doctors again and

thanks again for the validation.