Agony during sleep, neck/back pain all day and night

[Vanc_WA_PT]

By standing up straight you might be extending your neck just enough to pinch the cervical nerve root? In any event, this is a complicated case made all the worse with the amount of time it's been going on. I'd recommend sticking with the pain management group, but I'm not sure the nerve burning would improve a significant amount of your symptoms as it is usually to minimize pain from cervical facets. Can't remember if you've seen a physio, but finding one that has spine experience would be helpful. Just like all professions, there are good and not so good PTs so ask some questions before you sign up. I'd recommend you see someone who spends time doing manual techniques vs just handing you exercises. If you find a therapist who takes the time to peel back the layers of your dysfunction to find the root cause, then you may have a shot at improved pain management. Regards.

[AThorn]

Can't remember if you've seen a physio, but finding one that has spine experience would be helpful. Just like all professions, there are good and not so good PTs so ask some questions before you sign up. I'd recommend you see someone who spends time doing manual techniques vs just handing you exercises. If you find a therapist who takes the time to peel back the layers of your dysfunction to find the root cause, then you may have a shot at improved pain management. Regards.

I've been to chiros and the spinal clinic, as I said. Not seen any physical therapist yet. I've had a number of them respond to my queries over the last month and am in the process of organizing to see probably 3-4 of them within the next couple of weeks to see what they say. Funny that they are all pretty much charging the same for consultation but one of them charges four times the amount of everyone else! (This is another spinal specialist, though, not a PT) Thanks everyone for their replies and links - no doubt I'll be back here posting results and further questions to you guys after these consultations! I started to try some new back exercises of my own but they went a bit funny because my whole body started ... kind of shaking/trembling for maybe 20 seconds and I felt a bit sick and the sight in my left eye went really strange ... like I couldn't see out of it really. Probably not good things. Not too keen to try that again. Anyone else has ideas/suggestions in the mean-time please feel free to post them.