Thoracic spine degeneration questions

Hi Steadman & welcome to the forum. Just from reading your post it sounds like you are just now beginning treatment for your thoracic problem. Have you had an MRI Scan done, if so what did it show besides degenerative changes? Degenerative changes is something we get as we age, some people start at an earlier age than others.

Conservative care is always recommended for this. Surgery of the thoracic spine is very risky option. This is why the drs have told you it is not a good idea. The risks associated with this surgery outweigh the benefit for most.

Going to physical rehab is an excellent way to go. Learning proper body mechanics & having good muscle strength will help. The rehab may try a TENS Unit on you, you can inquire about it. If a tens unit helps, ask about purchasing one. These can be purchased online & you can get a good one that is not pricey. I have not heard of a unit that is attached to the ear lobe. Personally, I would not waste my money on it. Tens units have been around a very long time. Be careful surfing the net on some of the self help items, as the only thing it may do is lighten your bank account.

The implanted SCS unit is controversial as far as it helping. We have had a few people post here that it helped them. We have lots of old threads of people that got no relief & were sorry they had agreed to having it implanted. But, nonetheless, you are a very long from being at that point. Anything implanted like these units come with their own potential complications.

Braces, now a days drs are shying away from people wearing them long term because they say the brace weakens the muscles too much. When people have spine surgeries some drs will put the person in a brace short term only. Get your drs opinion about a brace. You have several options available to hopefully get things calmed down.

You are correct about pain mediation being rx'd these days. The war on opioids is very much alive & thriving in the US & other countries. It is a nasty environment for people that suffer with chronic pain or even short term pain.

Take care.

Hi ,

I have a thorazic bone spur, that at times presses a nerve that can shoot pain out to the rib..

Stretching helps , exercises to strenghthen the core..

I use a microcurrent unit..that helps me.. for some reason tens was too strong for me..but the micro current unit, helps..you of course may have no issues with tens..

I also have chronic pain issues, so topicals help a fair amount..

Soothenol x2 is a strong topical pain reliever..it helps me need less meds..

The therapy is a good way to go to start..a good therapist can greatly improve your pain levels.

Steadman,

I have cervical & thoracic scoliosis, so maybe what helps me might help you too.

Tens units...you can get some good ones really cheap.
Google "Tens 7000" it is about $25.

I use the tens when I have major muscle tension. I crank it up and repeatedly increase and decrease the voltage causing my muscles to tense and release.


If you're looking for non-prescription options:
I'm using agmatine and tianeptine sulfate as supplements.
A few common supplements for pain are magnesium, boron, and lions mane.

Regarding that earlobe device... CES ultra or fisher-wallace... bought one on eBay years ago, but it didn't do anything for me.