Question
I'm a 23 year old girl (115 lb) and about 2 and 1/2 months ago, I noticed I was having back pain.  This occurred after I rode a jet ski through rough water for a couple hours.  It's in my mid back, toward the bottom of my thoracic vertebra (I believe).  I had pretty severe pain in a small area of my spine for a few days (worsened with stretching and bending).  It felt like my spine was bruised when I pressed on it.  And when I look in the mirror, it appears as though I'm missing 1 vertebrae in that region.  Now, over 2 months later, it only hurts when I get out of bed (mild pain), but it still looks like I'm missing a vertebrae.  Otherwise, it doesn't bother me at all.  I'm scared this could be something serious.

Answer
Hi Rachel,

I am sorry you have pain. Chiropractic care offers the best option for relieving your discomfort. Class IV Laser Therapy is also extremely beneficial for pain relief. (I would try to find a Chiropractic physician who owns a class IV laser device). After an initial evaluation, typically the Dr. adjusts the misaligned segment to decompress the area of pain. You may need a series of treatments over a few weeks. He or she may want x-rays or an MRI first. You can contact me privately through AllExperts, if you need additional information.

Stay Healthy!

Dr. True