I had a similar experience. The doctor would not have me take an x-ray, but insisted I get an MRI, which it turns out I had to wait days in excruciating pain to get it, and it was his friend's new MRI business. Then he told me he couldn't see anything on the MRI and did an x-ray, and said you must be in a lot of pain and sent me to a pai…
I had a similar experience. The doctor would not have me take an x-ray, but insisted I get an MRI, which it turns out I had to wait days in excruciating pain to get it, and it was his friend's new MRI business. Then he told me he couldn't see anything on the MRI and did an x-ray, and said you must be in a lot of pain and sent me to a pain specialist for a herniated disc. (In fairness, I think a lot of doctors see people who are angling for drugs, but that was also to help his friend's new business, IMO.)
The pain specialist gave me an injection, which really helped, and a prescription for massive amounts of pain killer. I hated the pain killer, and after several days, stopped using it, though I would take a half pill occasionally if the pain got too bad to sleep. She recommended physical therapy which allowed me to avoid surgery and an Ab Lounger keeps my core strong.
I'd like to see more about efficacy rates of "pain specialists." I think they came about with the "opioid crisis," so that GP's can pass the buck. I require small amounts of codeine (something like 1-2 tablets a week, tops) for breakthrough pain, but no GP will touch even that - and constantly want to refer me to pain specialists (the algorithm tells them to). I looked through the list I was given of pain specialists - one loves the implants (where you gonna implant for fibromyalgia?), another loves burning the nerves (again, which nerve?) and the others were equally invasive.
I do have a specialist GP who does trigger point lidocaine (like Midwestern Doc suggests), simple physio (Finch method) and prolotherapy. But he's not a "clinic" and so my GP doesn't always agree with me going to him. But it does get her off my back about "pain specialists."
But the business of "pain specialists" seems like an important topic to explore.
NOTE TO MIDWESTERN DOC: I've since learned of an excellent physiotherapy for the neck, called "Watson Method." It's almost like osteopathic, in that you gently rotate the vertebrae into alignment. It's an American method, but I'm fortunate to have several practitioners here in Australia.
I had a similar experience. The doctor would not have me take an x-ray, but insisted I get an MRI, which it turns out I had to wait days in excruciating pain to get it, and it was his friend's new MRI business. Then he told me he couldn't see anything on the MRI and did an x-ray, and said you must be in a lot of pain and sent me to a pain specialist for a herniated disc. (In fairness, I think a lot of doctors see people who are angling for drugs, but that was also to help his friend's new business, IMO.)
The pain specialist gave me an injection, which really helped, and a prescription for massive amounts of pain killer. I hated the pain killer, and after several days, stopped using it, though I would take a half pill occasionally if the pain got too bad to sleep. She recommended physical therapy which allowed me to avoid surgery and an Ab Lounger keeps my core strong.
I'd like to see more about efficacy rates of "pain specialists." I think they came about with the "opioid crisis," so that GP's can pass the buck. I require small amounts of codeine (something like 1-2 tablets a week, tops) for breakthrough pain, but no GP will touch even that - and constantly want to refer me to pain specialists (the algorithm tells them to). I looked through the list I was given of pain specialists - one loves the implants (where you gonna implant for fibromyalgia?), another loves burning the nerves (again, which nerve?) and the others were equally invasive.
I do have a specialist GP who does trigger point lidocaine (like Midwestern Doc suggests), simple physio (Finch method) and prolotherapy. But he's not a "clinic" and so my GP doesn't always agree with me going to him. But it does get her off my back about "pain specialists."
But the business of "pain specialists" seems like an important topic to explore.
NOTE TO MIDWESTERN DOC: I've since learned of an excellent physiotherapy for the neck, called "Watson Method." It's almost like osteopathic, in that you gently rotate the vertebrae into alignment. It's an American method, but I'm fortunate to have several practitioners here in Australia.
I often check this site for issues because they keep up to date and cite their references. If you haven't heard of them, this link is for fibromyalgia: https://www.lifeextension.com/protocols/immune-connective-joint/fibromyalgia
Yes. I call it fibromyalgia (no official dx) because that communicates what it *feels* like.
However, I'm pretty certain that it's related to 30 years of psych drugs & those surgeries didn't help, either.
Working on it! It would help to have doctors' cooperation, but now I'm dreaming.
Yar, these people would give me antidepressants for fibro. No sir, thank you.