Question
It has been 2 years about now since i have been suffering from chronic thorasic back pain.  I havent had any traumas or anything that i remember.  The mid back area mostly hurts when i got to sleep, after about sleeping 2-4 hours the pain gets intense and i cant sleep any longer i get up and go sit on the couch and kind of slouch on it and i get some relief and end up sleeping on the couch, till i get up for work.  Now as far as chiroprators go, i have been through like 3 of them, non of them really helped, one was pretty good thow he told me that my Vertebra i think in the t9-t12 keep sliding out of place or twisting out of place, and i think one more in the t2,t3 area.  He keeps putting them back in, but the next day they would be out of place again.  Like i said before, the pain only gets intense when i sleep, and i tried sleeping in many different positions nothing helps.  After i get up it will still hurt, but will start to feel better, and after a little bit of streches and usually by noon my mid back pain dont bother me. So i can sleep, sleeping for me is like a nightmare, everytime i go to sleep my back just hurts like crazy, but does not really bother me through the day, can someone please help, what is my problem and what can be done, thank you!!!  

Answer
I can't give you an exact answer without a proper exam, but it sounds to me like a lot of muscle issues. Yes there could still be some vertebral rotation and sliding, but what comes as a result are muscle issues.  There could be some other issues including your neck vertebrae and even your hips, these could be causing your mid-back issues due to other muscle and bony imbalances.  This is difficult to explain here, it is easier to show you after a thorough exam.  My suggestion is to try a different chiropractor.  I know you have said you have tried 3 different ones already, but not all chiropractors treat the same.  I am a member of a group of chiropractors that use gentle techniques to treat bony imbalances, but we also look at the whole body and determine exactly where and what needs adjusted, not just looking at the spine, but also looking at the feet or the knees.  Like I said, it is easier to explain in person.  If you are interested, go to www.sorsi.com to locate a doctor near you.  I am in St. Paul, Minnesota and would be happy to see you.  If you have any other questions or concerns, please email me.

Dr. Starbuck