back pain

Les · 05-31-2006, 06:51 AM

Hi everyone, I have been having pain in the base of my spine for awhile now and wondering if anyone else has had this and what I should be looking out for? I have an appointment with the nurse practitioner tomorrow and I think maybe I should ask for an x-ray ? any other thoughts thanks Leslie

lu ann · 05-31-2006, 08:16 AM

I've had pain in my back for most of my adult life. Most of the pain was do to stress and strain from lifitng heavy objects and moving furniture. I would go to the chiropractor to get relief. Three years ago I started to have pain across my back in the area of my bra strap. I was taking computor classes and figured it was just pain from that. I still went to the chirpracto but he could not help me. I finally went to a back pain specialist when the pain was too much for me to bare. I had an ex-ray which showed I had a compression fracture in my thoraxic spine. Since I had a history of breast cancer the doc. ordered a bone scan. The scan showed severeal areas that were suspicious of bone mets. I had a biopsy of the vertibre in my spine which confirmed malignancy. I have had rad. treatment and chemo which have kept the disease stable. I don't mean to alarm you, but you need to find out if this is a simple strain which can be alleviated with manipulation or something more serious. I wish you well.

Love and Blessings from Lu Ann

John21 · 05-31-2006, 09:58 AM

Hello,

Not to scare you, pain in my wife's back was the first symptom of mets to the bones. It may be other things and hopefully it is, but an xray will not tell you much. Ask for a bone scan to make sure and don't wait. You know you own body and what it tells you. SO INSIST ON THE TEST.

John

Esther · 05-31-2006, 12:27 PM

I want to chime in here and repeat what you've already heard. As a BC survivor bone mets is a possibility, so a bone scan would be a logical next step.

Bone mets can manifest itself by pain that is dull or sharp, and there can also be muscle spasms involved due to the mets lesions.

Patty H · 05-31-2006, 03:37 PM

I too had back pain, which turned out to be bone mets and radiation took care of it. I am having back pain again but I am already scheduled for a full-pet scan and a c-scan in a week. So I also think you should mention this to your Dr. Patty H