Back Pain Resources

Question: Back pain and numbness in arm?

(Posted by: on 2012-01-26 15:41:58)

I'm 17 and a girl. tuesday night my back started hurting really badly, but I had been sitting in one position at a desk studying for my finals, so I figured that was the reason. Wednesday morning i felt fine until around 10 and my back started hurting again, at 11 is what so bad, I was taking a final and I kept moving to try to relieve the pain. Cracking my back helped a little, but only for a couple minutes then it was acting up again. So wednesday night I was lying in bed for two hours but my back hurt so badly I couldn't fall asleep. So i decided to take some midol (only pain relief in house) I took two, laid down for another hour trying to fall asleep. it didn't work so i took two more, the pain subsided a little, but then I got the side effects of insomnia and extreme anxiety. my heart rate was beating so fast, I couldn't relax and sleep. So I got up its like 4:30 now and drink milk and peanut butter cuz its supposed to help you sleep, but I never was able to sleep. in the morning i was nausesous but eating and drinking helped. I took motrin so I wouldn't be squirming during finals, but I still was. and my back still hurts even now. Also my left arm has been numb and tingling for the last two days. It feels like its asleep, but doesn't "wake up " it even feels different from when I use it. It's mainly numb in the hand and in the bicep area, but is numb all over. and the back pain is in the middle of my back and upper back. any ideas what this is? and dont tell me to see a doctor. thanks! oh and it mainly hurts when Im sitting when Im standing it only hurts a little

Posted by: Amee on 2012-01-27, 16:47:01

Hi, Sorry you're in pain. Here's what I know: Back pain accompanied by tingling or numbness in another part of the body is often linked to a pinched nerve. Your numbness, in your arm and hand, is occurring along a nerve path, and the nerves in question leave the spine at about the 5th and 6th cervical vertebrae ( "cervical " is the segment of the spine in the neck, and these vertebrae are the 5th and 6th ones down). Check out this map: apparelyzed.com/ dermatome.html. C5 and C6 mean cervical 5th and cevical 6th. To treat the pinched nerve, you have to find out what's causing the compression. It could be a spinal disc, a muscle, a knot in a muscle, a vertebra -- anything in your back that is not where it's supposed to be. Physical therapy and decompression/ inversion treatments are effective for treating this kind of thing, but it's better to act now. Chiropractors and physical therapists can help you, but you may need a doctor's referral. I understand not wanting to see a doctor, but as long as you're informed you are safe against being mistreated. Without knowing what is causing the pain, you risk making it worse by attempting corrective exercises or stretches on your own. I wish you luck and hope this helped.