Upper back pain

[BRICK]

I have chronic upper back pain (between shoulder blades) for awhile. The only thing that has worked is Vicodin but I stopped taking it since I was getting dependant. None of the NSAIDs work including prescription. Now I am using Neurontin which seems to help about 75% of the pain. My chiropracter took x-rays and said I have some bone spurs and some degeneration in T5 to T7. My question is: Is there anybody out there with a similar condition? What are you doing to remedy it or decrease pain?
Thanks!

[hackskii]

Yah me.
I got this maching called STEM(i think) which has 4 adhesive pads that shock the muscles to get them to relase and let go of the stress.

Masage therapy helps too but that stem machine was covered by my insurance.
The bone spurs and degeneration is not a good thing.

[zadok]

hackskii

I have chronic back pain also. It is all muscular though, there are no bone problems. Does the machine work for you? is it like one of those TENZ (sp?)machines, which tenses and release your muscles. I cannot find anything that works. Massage provides short term relief but its expensive. NSAIDS are pretty useless.

Zadok

[BeamMeUpScotty]

Originally Posted by BRICK

I have chronic upper back pain (between shoulder blades) for awhile. The only thing that has worked is Vicodin but I stopped taking it since I was getting dependant. None of the NSAIDs work including prescription. Now I am using Neurontin which seems to help about 75% of the pain. My chiropracter took x-rays and said I have some bone spurs and some degeneration in T5 to T7. My question is: Is there anybody out there with a similar condition? What are you doing to remedy it or decrease pain?
Thanks!

I had similar problem, although neck related with bone spurs / disk degenerations in the C-4 to C-6 area initially (and then spread some from there). Turned out to be from an auto accidentsome near 20 years earlier plus a more recent accident (non auto) that hasd triggered a rapid degeneration). Only thing that ultimately helped was seeing a neurosurgeon and having two surgeries done. Each surgery removed one or more bone spurs (one removed one and the other removed three) and each surgery removed two disks each time. After first surgery I had a double-fusion done however agter second surgery had to have a metal plate installed. That was about ten years ago. Still have some tingling of fingers and hands from nerve famage that was done prior to finally getting around to having surgery done.

I can only tell you that two separate specialists emphatically told me that pain killers and stimulation machines and muscle massage, etc., etc, would only provide temporary relief and that the situation would only worsen if not surgicallly addressed,

If you need to try something more powerful than the Neurontin but with lessside effects and not as severe on the liver, would recommend the new drug "Lyrica" that is now out on the market. I have used both and Lyrica is much better IMO.