without seeing your "bumps" i cannot be sure you have shingles either. shingles is typically not in the middle of the back but rather follows a nerve pathway on just one side of the body so in your case it would only be on one side of the back perhaps traveling the front but never crossing the midline. the can be a bit itching initially but shingles is notorious for being painful or burning. yes they do. the skin itches some before the rash shows up and during the rash and also when the scabs are present.
do shingles itch? . this past tuesday tiny "bumps" appeared in what felt like a small circle in the lower center part of my back. they began to spread very quickly and itch. the "bumps" now hurt slightly to touch and i noticed that sitting in the seat of my car is very uncomfortable if pressure is exerted in that area. . i don't know that this is shingles but i'm not sure that it isn't. can you provide any help/information? . . thanks!