Patient's question:
The elderly person in the family has pain on the front and back, slightly to the right side. Since midnight, the pain has become so severe that it's difficult to fall asleep. It's also accompanied by hiccups. The hospital conducted a thorough examination and performed a gallstone surgery, a nerve transection surgery, and acupuncture and massage. However, these treatments only provided temporary relief from the pain, which would return after a few days. X-rays showed everything normal, but the cause has never been identified. In desperation, is there any advice or which department should be seen?Doctor's answer:
According to your description, there should still be a neurological issue. I don't know if you have had an examination of the thoracic vertebrae's intervertebral discs. Sometimes, compression of the thoracic intervertebral discs can cause this partial pain. You can have an MRI examination of the thoracic vertebrae to rule out the possibility of the thoracic vertebrae. You can temporarily perform a diagnostic nerve block of the intercostal nerve or the root nerve of the thoracic vertebrae to further clarify the issue with the nerve.