[supertramp26]

Hello, I am a 26 year old male with chronic back pains, particularly in lower back and around hip. I was born "Pigeon toed" (I'm sure there is a better term for that) and around the age of 3, I am told, my doctors wanted to "break my hip to re-align it." Well my parents said no, and so off to a Chiro for many years. When I hit 21, I noticed my lower back hurting to the point that I can't sleep sometimes. X-rays show nothing when I have been to "Emergency-like" clinics when the pain gets really bad. I recently have made an appointment to establish a regular physician in my new city, and will explain to her about my back problems. I have been reading so many people's posts who have back pain (not just on this site), and it seems as if most of them are given the run around on trying new meds and worrying about addiction and such and not getting what really helps b/c doctors don't like to prescribe certain meds (I guess)... I guess I'm just worried about what to expect in this new quest to find pain relief for my back, whether through medication or therapy. I have been given a few types of pain meds/muscle relaxers before, and I know which ones work and which ones I did not like at all or did not help. Should a patient tell this to their new doc, or does that come across like a "drug-seeker"? Also, i had an Orthopedic in my old state who wanted me to start Physical Therapy before I left, but said he wanted to wait on any meds... Is that normal... I figured I would get something even if it wasn't a narcotic... is it ok to ask, or does that seem pushy? Any advice would be helpful.. I fear my youth will mask the sincerity of the pain and open up a suspicion of a "drug seeker" due to the fact that no one can seem to find anything on x-ray to support my claim of constant pain.. what kind of meds/therapies/ and tests should I expect? thank you!

[jenidarlin]

Well,first of all I'm so sorry to hear how you have to deal with such pain. But I know how you feel when you say you're afraid no one will take you seriously about your pain because you are so young. I am 32 and on the outside I look great, i'm fairly healthy, I look more like 22 than 32 so I think doctors assume I am just drug seeking. But I'm not, I have severe chronic neck and back pain and I'm at my wits end about it. BUT, I think you should bring up Fibromyalgia, which is what sounds like you're describing. If it's a good doctor they'll know about this condition and that it's a REAL condition and give you some immediate relief for now and then see where that goes and if you need to see a specialist or something. I think the chiros work great for a while but sometimes you need medication intervention. I hope this helps, I know there are alot of folks on this message board that will give you some good advice but I wouldn't be afraid to ask for pain medication, just say, "I've taken so-and-so in the past and it really helped the pain", mention what worked for you or just ask if there's something they can give you for the pain. Good luck. Let us know how it goes!

[SiestaKeys]

I'm in a similar situation as both of you. Two years ago I was in a fairly bad accident and not wearing a seatbelt. I was knocked out but had no broken bones. Since then, I've had 3 MRI's covering my entire back and neck, 2 CT scans of my neck and 1 set of xrays a week after the accident. MRI's were "negative", CT's showed nothing and xrays showed ligaments torn in my neck. However, I have had quite a bit of pain in my upper back and neck since the accident. When I was going to physical therapy for the accident, the Dr's there kept giving me the run-around when I asked for pain meds....try this, try that. When that didnt work, they said I can get shots to numb the pain. Finally, at the last visit w/ a Dr at phys therapy, I saw a different Dr and flat out asked for vicodin b/c my friend gave me some and it helped, so, he Rx'd me some. I've been somewhat lucky in that a few friends/relatives have been seeing pain mgmt Dr's and I knew exactly who to go to. But now I am in a different state and my current Dr wants me off hydro even though hydro only works ~80% of the time. And cuz I'm going to a reg. Dr, he doesnt know what pain meds for breakthru pain are. Sometimes the pain gets intense and I've asked for stronger meds(only a handful per month) for those times, but "no more narcotics for you".
Some advice: ask Dr's office if they Rx pain meds before setting up appmnt-the top Dr's in DC dont Rx pain meds(narcotics) which is why I go to a regular Dr. Ask if the Dr TREATS fibro--this usually indicates good knowledge of pain mgmt.

[carwreck06]

My recommendation is to go to a Pain Managment Clinic... They will send you off for any tests or evaluations they see fit. Sometimes they prescribe physical therapy, along with a medication therapy. You do sign a waiver there saying that you will only get pain meds (opiates) through them, etc. I was very scared when I was first injured to go to one, however, they have helped me out SO MUCH! I didn't want to be labeled a "drug seeker", but I was in so much pain--that just couldn't be detected on Xrays or CT Scans. Their goal is to treat your pain, and get to back to a normal way of life--whether it be through exercise, therapy, massage, etc.

Hope this helps...sorry for rambling!