Upper Back Pain, Thoracic
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January 13, 2012 - 9:10pm
New Injury To Thoracic Area. Does anyone else have these issues?
I am not asking for a diagnose, I know better lol 
I know zip, zero, nada about thoracic area of the spine as all of my damage has been in the L & S ares.
In order that this happened:
1. had a bad fall in my home. I thought i was Ok except for some bumps and soreness. Was great-full I fell on my "good" side of my back.
2. few night later - I woke up to both feet with charlie type horses in them - all 10 toes were sticking straight up in the air and the pain was unreal.
3. left side toes went down within a few seconds and pain left.
4. right side (the side I fell on) toes refused to go back down even when I pushed on them. Pain left in about 3 minutes. All toes but the the big toe and toe next to it went back down.
Since that event about 2 months ago and to current date:
1. the big toe and toe next to it wont lay down unless I have shoes on. Both toes spread out far part from it other like a web foot type would.
2. BOTH feet want to always walk on tippy toe and at times on my heels of my feet but 95% of time on tippy toes.. Even when sitting or laying down both feet want to be in tippy toe position. I have to force my mind/body to not walk on tippy toes and to not allow feet to go to tippy toe position when I am sitting or laying down.
3. I keep my shoes on unless I am in bed as that is the only way I can walk balanced.
4. Just started this week. I have cramping in the arch of right foot.
Notes* I did go see my PCP who is my back/pain Dr as well (I live in hickville usa lol) as after I fell I now have massive pain on my right side which was always my good/pain free side.
From about the middle of my back down to to hip. NO pain relief at all for this new pain. That leads me to think sciatic issues as when I had sciatic issues on left side it felt like this and I never found pain relief. "Thankfully" it finally got pinched off and "died".
He thinks from what I explained to him (like sciatic pain but even worse then I remember that pain being) I have done something to thoracic disk/disks and I will soon be getting a new MRI.
I can literately put 1 finger right on THE spot that the pain starts in (before it starts to travel downward) and he said that it is right beside a disk in the thoracic area. He named the disk but I can't remember it now.
Does anyone else have any of these issues? If yes why? What causes them?
_____________
Ms. Humpty Dumpty Took a great fall. L1-L2-L3-L4 - S1 & S2 full herniations. Spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, DDD, scoliosis. Knees, hips & spine have degenerative bone disease, arthritis and bone spurs. Age 50 - Here to find & offer support. *Had bilateral knee replacement surgery done March 15th, 2011
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You really need the results from an MRI. Hard to tell without it. One thing that I have found while discussing my thoracic discs that are flattening the cord is, there are very few neurosurgeons with extensive thoracic experience.
Thoracic symptoms can be along the dermatome, but sometimes the do not follow those lines. Mine is degenerating fast, so I probably need a second opinion about surgery. The first surgeon said no, that there were few surgeons that do the procedure and the outcome is mixed. You can do well, have neurogenic symptoms, or even paralyzsis postop.
I don't want those symptoms, of course, but I feel like I am breaking into and have to wear a brace to support myself while sitting, driving, eating out, etc.
Good luck with getting a diagnosis!
Lisa
...but I know...what is up with the crazy position the toes get into?
I was sitting in living room, across from my friend and I was on recliner and slowly raised my left leg up few inches. Just as pain was hitting me my friend asked me WTH was going on with my toes?
So the position..contortion..so obvious and just freaky...and way painful. That happens to both my feet and...don't know if related..but recently, my heels are incredably painful when walking in just my socks. I don't even know what to do with the pain... keep walking..hoping it will work itself out..but it doesn't. Really, I just want to drop to the floor and get in the fetal position and hope for a wheelchair to come by.
With all the stuff happening with my body...my feet are the newest attraction to the new me I need to accept everyday.
I have to start keeping shoes nearby 
My profile lists my spinal issues and other conditions that I navigate around daily.
Doing my best to be getting around and hanging on to this ride called life!
I only get this in my left leg/foot/my toes curl upwards very forcefully,I have been told to pull my foot towards myself if I get spasms in my leg/ankle,this I cannot do by myself in bed so I have to get my wife to do this for up to 15/20 minutes sometimes longer she pulls my foot towards me and says it is hard to do due to the power of the spasms,she can feel the foot pulsing like mad and I have no control whatsoever over it,if I am on my own I have to stand upright leaning against the wall forcing my ankle to hold this position,when my toes started curling up I had to stand on my toes to force them down with my good foot whilst leaning up against a wall,.My physio told me to hold this position until it goes away.I usually have a warning with light twitching and sudden movements of my ankle/foot often while sitting in my recliner.,since my operation 7 weeks ago things have improved but not cured.
Does anyone walk swinging the bad leg to one side with foot at an angle pointing outwards ? I seem to struggle with this,my physio wants me to walk with both feet going straight yet I find this aggravates my problems. (to make it stand out my kids copy me when we go out all swinging their leg as I do) I get some weird looks LOL.
Sounds like another MRI will be helpful for you MsHumptyDumpty in diagnosing the problem,My surgery was at L5/S1 yet I still have issues with the nerves and my foot drop, but lower back is great.I will be chatting with my surgeon on 17th Jan to discuss this.
wishing you all the very best with treatments
Des.
I thank each of you for responding.
I was hoping to get a clue of what may be happening while I wait for MRI to get approved by insurance, which usually takes a few months at this point of the game
Ms. Humpty Dumpty Took a great fall. L1-L2-L3-L4 - S1 & S2 full herniations. Spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, DDD, scoliosis. Knees, hips & spine have degenerative bone disease, arthritis and bone spurs. Age 50 - Here to find & offer support. *Had bilateral knee replacement surgery done March 15th, 2011
To Identify
To Diagnose
To Happen in the first place.
For so many years, it was almost a medical agreement that the thoracic disc's would not herniate (because of the strength they have connected to our rib cage) and if they did, it wouldn't cause much pain.
Well, it was several herniations of my thoracic discs that first brought me to Spine-Health some time around 2006. There was not a lot of information back then and the remedy (surgery) for thoracic problems was as close to Medieval torture.
Things have progressed so much since then. But as you already know, you need the results of the MRI to determine what is the exact problem.
From my own experience with thoracic discs
1 - Felt like I was having a heart attack
2 - Could not site or lay down for any period of time
3 - Could not bend down or reach for anything without sharp pain.
4 - Shoulders and back of the neck burning stabbing pain.
5 - Difficult turning the steering wheel of a car
6 - Sharp pain in the rib area as if I broke a rib.
And so much more.
Almost 6 years later, I still have a number of herniated thoracic discs, but through various conservative treatments, I been able to manage, its never been easy, but I am ok.
Lets hope your MRI results are good in your favor.
Ron DiLauro
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Yes I could follow the pain from lower thoracic to my leg and down for the sciatica/nerve irritation. Luckily after losing some ability to walk got on cymbalta and the leg nerve pain healed within 2-4 weeks. Sadly back pain did not, but sciatica was terrible to have.
Herniated T6-7 impinging on cord. Annular tears in T5-6 and T7-8, DDD and smorls nodes throughout thoracic. Small herniation in C2-3 and buldge at L 4-5.
"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove . . . . but the world maybe different because I was important in the life of a child."
Ron - I don't have ANY of those issues. so now I wonder why Dr says he is "sure" it is thoracic.. hmmmm?
The only burning pain I do have is right where if you put your right arm behind your back (I know you can't Ron but just saying IF) and reach up as far as your hand can go - that is THE spot that burns and hurts. No pain meds ever even help that pain, not even a tad bit
anelsen - happy that the cymbalta was helpful to you
Ms. Humpty Dumpty Took a great fall. L1-L2-L3-L4 - S1 & S2 full herniations. Spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, DDD, scoliosis. Knees, hips & spine have degenerative bone disease, arthritis and bone spurs. Age 50 - Here to find & offer support. *Had bilateral knee replacement surgery done March 15th, 2011
MsHumptyDumpty
JUST A THOUGHT I have been told the pain we get can sometimes be be transferred pain that is where we feel pain is not always where the cause of pain is.MRI will be crucial for you to see if there is any changes since the last one.
I have numerous areas of pain from the neck to mid back to lower back my MRI showed problems in lower back and neck yet nothing wrong mid back,didn't make sense to me,yet the pain at times was excruciating,now my point is since having my lower L5/S1 spondylolisthisis surgery my mid back has improved by 80 percent I can only think because I have been straightened up instead of hunched over my mid back has been relieved.,so not only is my low back better so is my mid back
Hope this hasn't confused you all, not easy to explain.
Best of luck Des
Des, Thank you
Yes I have heard of this before and you are right it is hard to explain and to understand. Of course that is a possibility... I guess after MRI we will know something or at least a clue 
Ms. Humpty Dumpty Took a great fall. L1-L2-L3-L4 - S1 & S2 full herniations. Spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, DDD, scoliosis. Knees, hips & spine have degenerative bone disease, arthritis and bone spurs. Age 50 - Here to find & offer support. *Had bilateral knee replacement surgery done March 15th, 2011