"muscle spasm, caused by misalignment and my very slight scoleosis"

Typical diagnosis from a chiropractor. Gives adjustments, message and rest and ice.

Relief of pain will be temporary and then you will run back for the typical treatment again and again and again, fattening the wallet of the chiropractor, thinning your wallet and continuing to go round and round with no real diagnosis or treatment.

You say that standing and leaning over in a lab "which on an ordinary day causes considerable back pain."

That is not a normal thing to happen to you and should have been a red flag warning sign that something is not right with your spine and it needs to be evaluated by a medical doctor.

Repeated problems like you are having with your spine and now new symptoms that come on suddenly are all red flags that something is wrong.

You need to be thoroughly evaluated by a spine specialist. Either an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in spines or a neurosurgeon that specializes in spines only.

Sounds like you will need and MRI of your spine, possibly one of the lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine to help diagnose your spinal problems.

Forget about returning to the chiropractor, try some ice and ibuprofen to decrease inflammation. If you find no relief with ice, you can try moist heat.

Arrange to see a spinal specialist ASAP.

At the present time, the only thing you can do to relieve the pain is to not be standing and leaning over in a lab. It will cause the pain to increase for you.

You can try taking frequent breaks from the position you will be in, alternate between sitting and standing. It may help some.

What you really need to do is get to the spine specialist as fast as possible and get that diagnosis.

Good luck

Fran

I have actually thought about going to a specialist, but generally, I've tried to avoid it, as I've been convinced that any and all back pain is a result of four years of carrying around a heavy backpack in highschool, and many hours spent hunched over homework. Therefore, I'm suitably terrified that any specialist is either going to tell me to (a) not carry around a heavy bag (which I don't anymore), and sit up straight all the time (easier said that done), or (b) will tell me some horrible diagnosis, both of which are equally as horrifying. It is, however, getting to the point that I'm starting to think that this is somewhat rediculous, and that at 18, I shouldn't have constant upper back pain, leading to a reliance on heating pads and ice.

I should look into it, but at the moment, I can't afford to waste time or money on something that may be nothing.

Thanks for the advice: I'll definitely take it into consideration (and I was lucky-lab ran only 2 hours, with minimal pain).

I have actually thought about going to a specialist, but generally, I've tried to avoid it, as I've been convinced that any and all back pain is a result of four years of carrying around a heavy backpack in highschool, and many hours spent hunched over homework. Therefore, I'm suitably terrified that any specialist is either going to tell me to (a) not carry around a heavy bag (which I don't anymore), and sit up straight all the time (easier said that done), or (b) will tell me some horrible diagnosis, both of which are equally as horrifying. It is, however, getting to the point that I'm starting to think that this is somewhat ridiculous, and that at 18, I shouldn't have constant upper back pain, leading to a reliance on heating pads and ice.

I should look into it, but at the moment, I can't afford to waste time or money on something that may be nothing.

Thanks for the advice: I'll definitely take it into consideration (and I was lucky-lab ran only 2 hours, with minimal pain).

"I should look into it, but at the moment, I can't afford to waste time or money on something that may be nothing. "

That is an understandable thought, but at the same time, 18 and in the pain you are in is not NORMAL.

What kind of pain are you having? Can you describe it better than just terrible pain?

Fear of the unknown or what may be wrong is normal, your pain is not normal though.

The longer you wait to find out what is wrong and why you are in pain, the more risk you are taking if there is something wrong.

If there is a spine problem and you keep letting it go, the worse it will get and the treatment for the problem, if it exists, could end up being far more extensive than it might have been.

If you can provide more detail in the type of pain you are having, does it burn, tingle, is there any numbness, where is it located.

Then there could be a better idea of what might or might not be going on.

Fran