Thoracic pain in T8/T9 area of spine

[Guest guest]

I am a new member seeking some help with my spinal problem.

For the past 18 months I have had pain emanating from the disc at the

location T8/T9 in the middle of the spine spreading pain to the same

level of the back on the left and right sides under both shoulder

blades. Any slight touching of this location (even sitting in a

cushioned chair) generates pain after a short period of time. Pain

usually settles overnight and increases as the day goes on. The pain

started simply by doing a few laps of the local tidal pool (which I

hadn't done for a few years) and after a couple of sessions a minor

shoulder pain appeared which within a week had progressed to high

level pain around and upwards of the T8/T9 disc.

I try and not sit against this area of the back in the car and at

work by using a cushion which sits below this area and this lessens

the pain. However by the end of the day there is usually a level of

moderate pain on both sides under the left and right shoulder blades.

Sometimes the pain is a very hot nerve like pain. Physical activity

of this area aggravates pain particularly any over

stretching.Sleeping is nearly impossible without pain medication.

MRI ,CT and bone scans have shown no indication of the pain.

Neurosurgeons,rheumatologist,neurologist,endochronologist have given

the all clear.

Physiotherapy,acapunture,chinese herbs and a CT guided cortisone

injection have not helped.

However the MRI of the spine did reveal the following:

'In the cervical region,prominent cervical spondylosis is noted at

the C5/6 and C6/7 levels with posterior discophytic protrusions

causing moderate canal stenosis at both of these levels associated

with bilateral foraminal narrowing slightly more prominent on the

right side at both levels than the left. "

So as you can see the MRI shows no problems at the area where I am

receiving my pain but some identified cervical spine problems where

there could be nerve pain.. However I recently had a shoulder

operation and have been having regular physiotherapy to strengthen

it. The young physio also looked at my back problem and identified

that there was a good chance that the pain was referral pain from the

cervical spine and the problem was called Cloward's. Has anyone heard

of this and if so what treatment would you recommend to address the

pain emanating from my thoracic area. None of the professionals I

have been to have mentioned that the pain could be referring from the

cervical area. Does any member know of Cloward's

or a procedure that could adress referring pain from a

cervical spine problem (with relatively no pain most of the time)to a

thoracic area without a spinal problem but causing quite serious pain

Thanking You

Graham Marsden