Hi. I am also new to this site and was hoping to get some advice or even support from others who may be in my shoes. I have been having severe upper or thoracic back pain for years. I also have lower back problems (two bulging discs, transitional vertebrae, facet sclerosis, sacralization and Degenerative Disc Disease). However, I recently found out that I have a right cervical rib. I found this by getting copies of all of my medical records and reading through them. None of my primary care physicians ever told me about this even though I have been complaining about my back pain for a long time. By the way I was going to Air Force Base clinics and I didn't even have a doctor for a primary care person I had a nurse......Anyway about a month ago my right arm went completely dead I lost all strength in it. This is when I went to my PCM and she took some neck Xrays to rule out a herniation in my discs. At this time I still didn't know about the extra rib and neither did the PCM. It came back negative but I said I still had the symptoms (of cousre)...This is when I started to read my medical records and found the extra rib report. So when I called to leave a message with pcm they said to make another appointment and I then told them that all of the pain and symptoms are probably from the extra rib that I found myself in my own records. I told this lady that I wanted an MRI and also to see a specialist because this was ruining my life from being in pain. She told me I had to deal with my pain and that the PCM does not have TIME to read my records! Can you imagine!!! This really upset me and now I am finally getting off base to see a real doctor...just waiting for that appointment now. I feel like I am back at square one and I am still in so much pain.