Back pain issues

Long story short, I got wrecked in a car accident about six months ago. They let me out of the hospital thinking nothing was broken. Then, once my spine started absolutely killing me, they sent me for a CT scan and found out I actually have multi-fragment fractures in three thoracic vertebrae and paravertebral fractures in two discs (nothing displaced, though). I spent two months stuck in a brace. Even after grinding through 35 therapy sessions—ultrasound, electrical stim, laser, PT, hydro, swimming, you name it—the pain just won't quit. It’s constant, brutal pressure every single day. My orthopedic doctor and physiatrist are telling me to just use ice to relax the muscles. Is there any chance this is just muscle stuff, or could something be pinching a nerve? Honestly, I'm grasping at straws here. Anyone have an idea where else I should go to get this checked out?

I’ve tried the ice method myself... people say it can actually relax the muscle, though others claim it might cause some inflammation. Once the initial pain dies down, I usually switch over to warm compresses—helps get the blood flowing again. I’m dealing with three herniated discs, about 8 mm each—for reasons beyond my control, obviously.
I stay active by working out and hitting the pavement for long walks—doing everything I can to strengthen my core and keep things from getting any worse... so yeah, it’s a constant dance between using ice and managing the aches.

So how do you deal with the pain??? Do those patches actually work? I’m hitting the gym hard, walking, swimming—everything—but the pain just won't quit.

Lisa Nelson96 said:I tried ice too... they say it helps if the muscle is inflamed and needs to chill out. Once the pain dies down, I switch to heating pads to get the blood flowing. I've got three herniated discs, about 8mm deep, for whatever reason...
I'm doing all the workouts, walking, basically everything to strengthen my core and stop this from getting worse... so yeah, I'm stuck juggling ice packs and constant pain...