hi I have had back pain for many years , a few years back doctor said I had two deteriating discs and artheritis in lower back he said I had to live with it and deal with the pain ,sometimes it s worst then others also have pain and wear and tear as the doctor says and arthritis in my knees and ankles especially the left are the worst over the years it s been getting worst when at the doctor I would mention it and say it might be getting worst but my doctor always gives answers I don't want to hear anymore I ask him to do more tests he says no I just have deal with it . until recently on feb. 6 that week I was in so much pain at work I went to the emergency Saturday morning the doctor gave me ex-rays and pain meds then saw that I had pulled muscles in my upper back and arthritis in my upper and lower back and also mentioned about the discs I said I had known about the lower back having the arthritis but not the upper well he said it s all over now and tried to explain the pattern it made in my spine he prescribed pain meds and muscle relaxants I explained to him about my doctor not wanting to do anything and look into it more and how everyone hates him and I wish I had a new doctor could he refer me to a back doctor or do I need more tests done he would refer me for an mri then I would have to talk to my doctor about it . that week I took the meds and went to work it wasn't getting any better maybe worst I saw my doctor on the Saturday the 13 of feb talked to him about going to the hospital and the meds and it s not getting any better him and the answers I get from him said yeah it s wear and tear have to deal with it I said no it s not I can barely move right now it hurts so much and told him the doctor recommended a mri he said he would order me to have one and gave me two weeks off work I had the mri a few days later and saw him after the two weeks he said I had a pinched nerve in my lower back I said why was it only done on the lower back why not the rest the upper back I had also wondered that when I went for the mri he said that s all I asked for I asked why not my whole back that my shoulder blades and into my upper back was also hurting why was it not checked he was getting mad and so was I he said that I was changing my story it s not a story I told you it all the last time I was here and what the doctor had said at the hospital about it I said it should be there in your computer he said no you just complained about your lower back we were both getting mad and he recommended I go for physio or do exercises at home to help it and gave me a month off of work and to come back in two weeks I am going to see him again tomorrow . sometimes it feels like it s getting better then others it feels worst . a friend was diagonosed with ankylosing spondylitis last fall after having back pain for many years . I looked this up on line tonight and I am finding I have a lot of the symtoms please tell me what do you think ? should I see a back specialist I want to I asked my doctor but he s giving me a hard time saying he knows what he s talking about