Question
im desperately in need of answers. i have always had a large chest a 38 DD but never any back problems. i also go to the gym alot and use the elliptical machine. it was approximately 4 months ago that this horror begin. i had always sporadically been affected by charlie horses in my leg but i never realized that i'd get something so similar in my back. my friend and i had gotten into a car accident. she smashed into another guy's bumper and we were both fine. approximately a week later i was woken out of a sound sleep but what felt like excrutiating back spasms on both sides of my upper back. it hurt to breathe in and i just started screaming. this went on for hours. i couldn't lay on my side because it made the areas feel like they were being stretched out. i layed on my back and did deep breathing, two hours later these horrible pains disappeared. the next day my back felt tight. about a month later before a thunderstorm it started all over again. it woke me out of a sound sleep. it started off slow and before i know it, there was daggers going through both sides of mid back to upper (where the back of my bra is). i took 2 anaprox and after 40 minutes the pain subsided. last nite was the third random flare up of this mysterious pain. it started off with feelings of tension in both sides of my back then 3 hours later it woke me up out of a sound sleep. this was the most intense i'd ever felt it. i couldn't even breathe in without a sharp pain going through both sides of my back. i was literally rolling around on the floor from pain. it lasted 3 hours and finally with anaprox it subsided. today my back is still sore and feels stiff. these pains remind me of charlie horses because im sore the next day after one of these flare ups. it's like an extremely painful spasm. what could be going on with my back? it feels like a big cramp moving through my whole back. im in alot of pain...sound like a pulled muscle or something? could it be stress? im very stressed out. please help


Answer
Brittany,

A 2006 poll showed that more than half the women surveyed associated neck, back, and shoulder pain with their bras:


http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=76686

However, given your description, it seems more likely that your symptoms may be associated with a myofascial pain disorder resulting from your accident.

If this is the case, a chiropractor or massage therapist who is skilled in soft tissue manipulation may be able to help. You may also consider acupuncture.

Posture may also be a factor in the perpetuation of your symptoms. You might consider trying yoga or a practitioner who uses the Alexander method (http://www.alexandercenter.com/) or the Feldkenrais method of posture correction (http://www.feldenkrais.com/).

If you fail to achieve results with any of these approaches, you might need to undergo further evaluation to rule out an underlying structural problem. A doctor of chiropractic who embraces a musculoskeletal approach to patient care is most likely the best qualified practitioner to evaluate you initially.

I hope this answers your question.