question: I get these tightening pains (reminiscent of active labor) the start about mid-spine and often feel like they wrap around my rib cage. It s like a giant vice is constricting all my muscles around my ribs/back. I get them sporadically, sometimes not for weeks and sometimes 3 nights in a row. The pain builds quickly within a few minutes from discomfort to pretty damn near a 10 on the pain scale. These episodes last from 45 min to 3 hours. Hot showers, heating pads, stretches, and pain meds (Norco and I uprofen) do nothing to help. I ve been to the ER, but my episode was done by the time I got there. They did a chest x-ray and saw nothing and my EKG was normal, so they don t think it s clots. I have more x-Rays scheduled and possible MRI, but I m nursing and they say that s a last-resort. These episodes started mid-pregnancy just in my back and now that I m 3 months post-partum are still happening in back and rib cage. Also, I realize it s not genetic as far as anyone knows, but my grandmother had Stiff Person s Syndrome if that matters. I m 31 years old with a 3 year old and 3 month old at home and can t keep dealing with this and taking care of them.