As if we don't have enough problems with the real kind(especially in the summer...and back in the age of panty hose in summer)I have a spinal wedgie.

I've been getting pain in my left side since winter, especially after a fall, and had assumed it was from the problems in my thoracic spine. Then I ended up in the ER on July 4th with horrendous pain in my left side and I needed to find out what was causing it. After a bunch of tests, my rheumatologist thought it was internal but my primary insisted it was my spine. No one can find anything wrong and even the MRI of my thoracic spine showed nothing acute BUT I have a wedging at T7 that is getting steadily worse. It is the only thing anyone can find and my primary is positive that's the culprit. I had disagreed...until last week when the pain started in the exact same area on the right side.

So I am looking for info. The vertebra looks like a slice of pie..triangular and almost looks like it's had some bone knocked off of it...looks chipped. But the MRI didn't show any nerve impingement but my primary said, if the pain is in the same distribution as the wedged vertebra and nothing else appears to wrong then you assume it's that vertebra so he wants to try using Lidoderm patches to see if that can ease the pain(haven't done that yet as I need a sample to test for allergies and he was out..waiting for drug rep). He figures if that helps, he's right. If it doesn't....well...he still thinks he's right.

So if anyone out there has a wedge shaped vertebra giving them trouble, let me know the symptoms so I can compare. Mine wraps around my back and chest at the bra area.

thank you.............JennyB

I couldn't really visualize what you are talking about so I went on Google-images and typed in "wedge shaped vertebrae" and sure enough a couple of images came up.

If everyone (yourself and the doctors) come to the conclusion that this is the culprit then what would be the next step? Other than the lidoderm, what would be recommended, if anything, since there is no evidence of anything too severe.

I had a T-Spine MRI recently and the doctor at the Spine Clinic literally said "If I was asked to do a presentation on what a healthy T-Spine looks like, this is what I would show them." Yet, I still get some pain in the area.

I hope you can all figure out what to do, and what not to do (in order to avoid making things worse).

Hi Jenny,

Sorry to hear the back is giving issues again. Just as a random thought, since you said the vertebra looks chipped, is it possible that there's a sliver of bone irritating the nerve that's so small its not being picked up?

I know on my Mri's that the irritation to the nerve(s) was not picked up through imaging. Just a thought.

That's what I'm thinking Alisa. Thank you for confirming that these don't show up on an MRI. Next step is seeing my back surgeon for an evaluation of the problem.

gentle hugs.................JennyB