I dont have osteo, but I do have RA and Fibro. As I sit here typing I'm dealing with bad pain in the same place you explain. As well as in the back of my neck. I'm gonna take a wild guess and say it's the RA. Hope it goes away soon.

BTW, it's possible you could have slept wrong the night before it all started as well.

I thought RA didn't affect the back like the way OA does? Usually though when my upper back hurts it's because I'm very tight in my shoulders and in the sternum chest areas. No fun picnic here either.

{{{gentle hugs}}}

I've had both neck and shoulder pain from RA. For my shoulders, steroid shots directly into the joints made a huge difference, and physical therapy helped with my neck. Hope you find some relief soon!

Hi TerriHt52,
So sorry to hear of your back pain. I have RA and experience a lot of pain across my upper back and neck. I have found heating pads to help a lot - especially at night. Today I tried massage for the pain and it helped my neck quite a lot - because I think my muscle gets tense from the pain. The massage therapist suggested a flax pillow from Mother Earth pillows that you heat and I am going to try it.

Good luck to you! As soon as I get the flax pillow I will post its effects.

Hi,

I also have RA and OA and my pains are in my wrists and sometimes just an all over achy feeling until I take my Motrin. I also take Hydrocodone at night to sleep.

What other medicine do you take on a daily basis? When I take my Motrin I feel normal. I take about 4 a day, 2 in the mornings, 1 at 4 pm, and 1 at 10:30 pm. I swear by them.

Norrie

Norrie,I was taking 2 Ibuprofen in the morning and 1 in the middle of the aft. I am on Enbrel shots weekly and 4 MTX weekly. I have started taking a Hydrocodon at night so i can sleep during the night. I hate to take Hydrocodon during the day as it causes constipation and I take too many naps but sometimes the painis past the Ibuprofen stage and that is all that helps.

I have a lot of problems with upper back muscle pain and neck pain. It seems to be related to stress or sitting a certain way when working for too long. I told my doc that my muscles seems overly sensitive to stress now, with my RA. I seem to have trouble with stiffness in my spine. I have physical therapy once a week. She massages the muscles in my back and does manipulation of my spine to create more "room" between the vertebrae....sort of like putting me "on the rack". It really helps. Last time she used ultrasound to break up the knots in my upper back muscles.

I use Nortriptyline at night. It is a very low dose of an anti-depressant that works as a muscle relaxant. I believe it is usually used for fibromyalgia. I find it helpful.

I have RA/Fibro and OA. When I was to see the Rheumy not long ago, the base of my neck and shoulder areas were killing me, and the area felt swollen to me actually. I asked the Rheumy what it was bothering it, and he said it was my OA.

I had started using the heat wraps on it prior to going to seeing him for a check-up appt., and I really felt it helped. Left it on all day and put another on the next day, and I think a third day too. You might try it. They're better than a heating pad because you can't get up and walk around the house with a heating pad attached. I also took 800 mg. Ibuprofin - but only one time a day because that can irritate my stomach just a little so I'm careful with it. Anyway.... it has subsided but I know it will come back. It's been doing this off and on for a few years now. Good luck with yours.

I always take Glucosamine and now MSM for the OA secondary to the RA. Try that, and see if it helps. My thought is that active RA requires cold, not heat. If heat helps, it is likely OA, or perhaps even muscle issues. At least that has been my experience. When I had active flares, a physio did an experiment with one arm/hand in a hot wax, the other in ice. I was screaming to take the hot wax off, it aggravated it so much. The ice was soothing. That being said, I should have been given better meds instead of silly topical treatments for an internal, systemic illness. LOL

I too have RA and OA. However have experienced no problems with OA in my back. Have you considered taking MTX via injection instead of orally? I agree with Mini that a heating pad may be of comfort.

Have you been doing any heavy lifting or cleaning? Hunched over a computer keyboard too long? Need a harder mattress? All good things to consider if you have never experienced back pain before.

Also, may I suggest talking to your doctor and self diagnosing. It could be RA, OA or a million other things.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

sorry to hear about your pain. I always did better with Ice. I have a lot of inflammation in my spine and connective tissue, and of coarse the muscles were a knotted mess. also get a good massage, that with flush out stagnant toxins and relieve muscle tightness. oh and of coarse a good anti inflammatory.
good luck
Sandi