Back pain and badly healed broken bones - Please Help Docs!

[Salgar]

Hello everyone, firstly, this is on behalf of my OH, and is because she went to a doctor the other day who told her to take some ibuprofen, for a problem she has had for 5+ years. Now before we pay to go to a private specialist, I'd like the opinion of the wisdom of this forum.

Here is a summary of the events:
Age 13 - Fell on neck at school, wasn't taken to hospital, should have been.
Age 17 - Broke left collar bone - not diagnosed for 1 month so never set right. Since then always favoured right side.
Age 18 - Tried physio for neck/back as pain forming a sharp point on vertebrae and refracted pain down shoulder and back. They could not ID the problem - Maybe cartilage growing through shoulderblade?
Age 21 - Tried phsyio again but gave up as they would not try to remove the knots so all they did was give me exercises which built up the pain to be worse and couldn't release.
Age 26 - GP suggested Oseteopath (approx 5 sessions) - worked very well but couldn't keep going every week due to cost.
Age 27 - Fell on left collar bone - not re-broken but shoulder extremely weak. Returned to osteopath who said it had been separated and helped build up some strength.
Age 28 - Sneezed and popped something mid back. Extreme pain for about 24 hours then better after a few days. Residual stiffness now through whole back and try to protect mid back.

Issues
- Even wearing a necklace is enough to bring stabbing cold pain to 2nd/3rd vertebrae - pain/pressure releaved only with very hard pressure to surrounding muscle
- Any leaning or awkward movements build up pain in 2nd/3rd vertebrae area very quickly (eg cleaning, awkward lifting).
- Stiffness throughout back - slight ache mid back since sneezing incident
- naturally hypermobile joints
- long neck
- cracking neck, upper back, shoulder and lower back.

In short, what kind of doctor should we seek out? An Osteopath, chiropractor, orthopaedic surgeon, or someone else?

Thanks!

[Salgar]

Bumpery

[Flibble]

Orthopaedic consultant is probably a good shout; getting an MRI or CT scan of the area might be advised so they can actually see what's wrong.

[Victor McDade]

Salgar said:

In short, what kind of doctor should we seek out? An Osteopath, chiropractor, orthopaedic surgeon, or someone else?

First of all I'd seriously avoid visiting any osteopaths or chiropractors for spinal issues - they can sometimes do more harm than good. Spinal manipulation of the upper spine by these guys carries a risk of stroke.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18356045

You need to seek out a spinal specialist - generally an orthopaedic spinal surgeon or a neurosurgeon who specialises with back and neck problems.

I can personally vouch for this chap although he is based in the Midlands.

http://www.spirehealthcare.com/parkway/our-facilit...

PS - I'm not a Doc.

Edited by Victor McDade on Monday 7th October 01:24

[Sticks.]

Would recommend you ask your GP to refer you to see a specialist here http://www.rnoh.nhs.uk/ where the level of expertise and breadth of experiene is pretty well second to none.