Some of you may remember a few weeks ago I posted about hurting my back and having to get a ct scan. It showed I had three bulging discs in my lower back so they made an appointment for me with a back specialist. It's been feeling a little better, but I tweeked it again at work yesterday when I bent over to pick up my purse. I had to leave early because I couldn't stand sitting there for another 4 hours (I originally injured it a few weeks ago simply by unloading the dishwasher).
Anyway, I finally had my appointment today. He had me do all kinds of things that really irritated my back, so now it hurts worse than it did before. And what did he decide? He gave me a pamphlet of back excercises and told me not to bend over! Thats it. Nothing for pain, no physical therapy. Granted, a therapist would probably have me do the same excercises, but I would have liked at least ONE session so at least I knew I was doing them right.
He showed me the CT scan, and you can clearly see the bulge. He said they aren't herniated "yet" but if I start getting a sharp pain down my leg to come see him again because that means they have (I told him I have had sharp pain in the back of my right leg before).
My husband's aunt has the same problem, and she went to a pain management clinic and get shots in her spine every few months and she is basically pain free. I think they're steriod shots but they're really helping her. He didn't even suggest it.
I guess I'm really not satisfied with this, but he is supposed to be a specialist. He didn't even want to write a doctor's note for me for yesterday because he didn't see me that day. I took in FMLA paperwork I got from work because I figured he would prescribe PT and I wanted to be covered. He didn't want to fill that out either but told me to leave it with the receptionist and he would "look" at it. Plus, if this is a cronic condition I would like to have that one file so if I DO have to call in it won't count against me. Someday's my back really doesn't bother me, and other days (like yesterday) I'm practically in tears and sitting for 8 hour in front of a computer is just NOT something I can do.
I have an appointment with my primary care physician this afternoon and he is the one that referred me to the specialist. What do you think. Should I try to get a referral to another doctor or to the pain management clinic, or just let it go and do the excercises myself?
Sorry...didn't mean to be so long winded!
Anyway, I finally had my appointment today. He had me do all kinds of things that really irritated my back, so now it hurts worse than it did before. And what did he decide? He gave me a pamphlet of back excercises and told me not to bend over! Thats it. Nothing for pain, no physical therapy. Granted, a therapist would probably have me do the same excercises, but I would have liked at least ONE session so at least I knew I was doing them right.
He showed me the CT scan, and you can clearly see the bulge. He said they aren't herniated "yet" but if I start getting a sharp pain down my leg to come see him again because that means they have (I told him I have had sharp pain in the back of my right leg before).
My husband's aunt has the same problem, and she went to a pain management clinic and get shots in her spine every few months and she is basically pain free. I think they're steriod shots but they're really helping her. He didn't even suggest it.
I guess I'm really not satisfied with this, but he is supposed to be a specialist. He didn't even want to write a doctor's note for me for yesterday because he didn't see me that day. I took in FMLA paperwork I got from work because I figured he would prescribe PT and I wanted to be covered. He didn't want to fill that out either but told me to leave it with the receptionist and he would "look" at it. Plus, if this is a cronic condition I would like to have that one file so if I DO have to call in it won't count against me. Someday's my back really doesn't bother me, and other days (like yesterday) I'm practically in tears and sitting for 8 hour in front of a computer is just NOT something I can do.
I have an appointment with my primary care physician this afternoon and he is the one that referred me to the specialist. What do you think. Should I try to get a referral to another doctor or to the pain management clinic, or just let it go and do the excercises myself?
Sorry...didn't mean to be so long winded!