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A chiropractor may be able to help.

Here you should find a list in your area

 

Interesting difference in our systems, DS - I can often get in to see my chiropractor faster than my MD.

Barmy, the symptoms you describe sound like something I've had in the past, something that was successfully treated by a single visit to a chiropractor. Whatever treatment you pursue, I hope you have quick, complete relief.

 

I would always get a referral from my GP before visiting a specialist because otherwise the specialist won't be covered by my insurance.

 

Thanks for advice peeps. I didn't go the docs yesterday as it eased off a bit and I thought it was clearing up, but it's giving me gip again today proper. I'll see if my work'll let me go to see my GP

I'm sure it's nowt too serious but better safe than sorry .

 

BA: Sorry to be so late in responding to this, just saw the thread. I had a ruptured disk a few years ago. The pain was pretty intense and was a lot like you described. Approximately 70% of all such injuries heal themselves (I was in the lucky 30% requiring surgury).

The good news, putting things off for a even a few weeks won't make any difference (if it's a ruptured disk). There is actually a six month window where all damage is recoverable -- after that, you run the risk of permanant nerve damage.

A couple of important questions: Are you feeling any tingling or numbness in your extremities? Have you notice a weakening of any muscle group? I had both numbness in my finger tips and my left tricep became somewhat unresponsive (maybe 10% of normal strength). Mine was a C6-7 injury -- each disk had different symptoms and area they affect. The only common symptom is the intense pain in the back (basically your back muscles are spasming to extreme).

First, see a doctor -- NOT a chiropractor. If there is ANY chance that you have nerve damage a chiropractor may make it worse. Once you've ruled out something like a ruptured disk, then a chiropractor can help.

 

The answer to those questions would be no, Bruno. Well, not that I have noticed anyway. What I have noticed is that I feel really lethargic lately and feel too tired to do much. But then when I do actually use my muscles a bit, I feel better for it.

I've just come back from the doctor now. He said it's more than likely just a muscle strain (probably linked to when I dislocated my thumb falling down a flight of stairs a month or so back). He told me to keep taking painkillers and paracetomol and go back in a week if the pain hasn't subsided. He reckons it should slowly get better.

 

Geez, man. And even after people told you...

This isn't something to be shrugged off. Yeah, everyone has their own pain tolerance, but the painkillers don't lie. Though I have to admit, I'd be tempted to trust the doctor myself, it'd take a hell of a lot of reassurance to take "do what hasn't been helping" for an answer.

 

Well what could I say to him 'Sorry I'm not accepting that'... nothing else he could do for me really. If it is a muscle strain, it'll get better over time, then if it doesn't, we know it's something else . Nothing else he could have done really if you put yourself in his position. I should speak to a chiropracter next like people said, if it doesn't clear up.

 

*sigh* Patients are the same everywhere, it seems. Not sure if that's a comforting thought or not

I'm going to disagree here and say there's plenty of other stuff he could do for you. A simple referral to a fysiotherapist, for example, would confirm or exclude the "probability" diagnosis of a muscle strain. Waiting to see if it is or is not, is like saying "We'll drive this car downhill. We'll know the brakes don't work if we don't slow down and crash into that tree down by the bend." (only slightly exaggerated )

One thing though... I'm curious what type of 'muscle strains' you English get that it keeps you awake that badly at night, for more than a week, without showing obvious signs of improvement. Not to mention that a muscle strain that you've had for approximately a week, related to a trauma-moment four weeks ago... Well. IF that's related, then the muscle strain almost certainly has to be a secondary symptom of something else.

My criticism is solely based on your posts here, so I freely acknowledge that what I have to base my opinion on is too little to make a solid analysis/advice. But from the picture I'm getting, I'm not too thrilled.

Best of luck anyway. Seriously.

 

It may seem hard but you need to remember that Doctors work for you. You pay them. I am not saying he is wrong, but there is nothing wrong with asking Drs to explain things better and to question things that don't sound right to you. I find it odd that he didn't even want an XRay. I would give it 3 days at the most and go back and tell him if it isn't considerably better, and if he still just says that it is a sprain/strain, you should really consider asking him to refer you to a specialist. The fact that you fell down a flight of staris earlier presents a true mechanism for injury.

Did you go to a Dr after falling? Did they do any XRays? I don't want to needlessly alarm you but you could have an injury that is putting pressure on a nerve. It is pretty hard to diagnose on a forum thread, but I would strongly encourage you to keep a close eye on this and be aggressive with your Doctor if it doesn't resolve soon.

 

I'm sorry about your pain Barmy. I had sciatica from pulling a muscle in my back by carrying a microwave up a steep hill and I was in serious muscle and nerve pain from that. I went to a chiro and he used electroshock treatment to relax the muscle and work to free it up. It freed me from the pain. That was my case. Yours may be different, but it IS worth seeing. All this worst possible case BS by others is simply delaying any real chance of helping your condition.

 

Your doctor is probably limited in what he can do. Given unlimited resources a doctor could do all the things everyone is mentioning -- but that's just not realistic (unless you're rich and in America).

As I said before -- worst case scenario is a ruptured disk. Even with that you have six months before any permanant damage is done. The conservative approach is to first treat the spasms (especially since you do not have any numbness) -- that is done with pain medication and muscle relaxants. Next would be a steriod treatment and probably x-rays (which really don't show much but could tell if there is unusual spacing or something broken). Following that would be an MRI to determine if there is any damage.

It really sounds like your doctor is taking you down the normal course of treatment -- that's a good thing (it means he's not worried about your condition). Good luck.

 

Barmy, have a physio check your shoulder area for knots. A badly knotted shoulder can cause strain in both the neck muscles and those below the shoulder blade, and it can take days to release if untreated. Drugs can dull the pain, but will not fix it.

If you want to make sure first, have someone dig a bit on your shoulder after you've had a hot bath to relax the muscles a bit. If you feel the usual "good pain", go to the physio.

 

Actually what is delaying any real chance of helping Barmy is several factors
1. People who aren't qualified giving him conflicting advice.
2. Barmy being macho.
3. His Doctor giving a preliminary diagnosis, and not a full one.

My background and initial employment is Medical Research. First and foremost he should not visit a chiropracter or any other person unless directed by his Doctor, they cannot make a diagnosis as to the root cause, but given a diagnosis (from a Doctor) they can recommend treatment. The same goes for a Physiotherapist, and one worth their salt should tell you that.

Barmy if the symptoms haven't eased by now with the painkillers, or got worse then go to the A&E tonight and bug them, it's what they're there for more importantly any scans etc can be done easier they have the equipment. 'Muscular strain' is a fob-off technique and in 99 cases out of a 100 that will be the case, if not the patient will make a nuisance of themselves (unless they're macho). But as T2 pointed out your doctor is moving in the right direction, diagnosis is what you need now, then treatment, allow your doctor or A&E to do that.

 

I'm sorry DS but you aren't qualified either. You may have done medical research. And I'm a microbiologist. I do have medical background. Just see help , dont wait. But see help through various means. Chiro, physio, whatever it takes. Just dont picture it as life threatening, it CAN be treated.

 

Most people with medical training who actually comprehend the situation would advise *AGAINST* visiting a chiropractor.

Like I do, too. I don't pretend to know the cause (or have any medical training), but I know enough that chiro may actually cause damage in the situation, seeing you don't have diagnosis (and thus no real knowledge what it actually is). I agree with DarkStrider, Faragon, Brallrock and even T2Bruno (I usually disagree with T2Bruno out of principle, but he's right here)... wait for a diagnosis.

I'm not saying chiro has no benefits or doesn't work - I wouldn't know. But I know doing it isn't a wise move before a diagnosis.

 

I have a medical degree and microbiology does not qualify you make diagnosis, I don't practise which is why I'm not diagnosing but telling him to see the one professional who can diagnose, a doctor..

 

ROFL!

 

What an interesting lesson in different countries' medical systems this discussion has been! My recommendation of seeing a chiropractor was based on almost 20 years of going to a variety of chiropractor and getting the relief I sought. Each of one these people was qualified and legally permitted to make a diagnosis within the realm of chiropractic. Would I go to one of those docs when I had an infection and needed a scrip? Of course not. Fortunately, through the relationships I had established relationships with these docs, I trusted them to tell me when/if the problem was beyond their scope and that I needed to see someone else. I find it sad that other systems (including the direction that the American system is taking) don't give patients this opportunity to be active in their own care.

The important part is this - no matter how you do it, Barmy, take care of yourself. Again, I wish you complete and speedy relief.

 

Thanks Rally, and everyone else .

I think the only thing I can do is do what my doctor told me to do. He's the professional at the end of the day. Although with the NHS there's always the sneaky suspicion that they are just trying to get you out of the door before you start costing money, or they have to start prescribing you stuff...

I also have a few reservations about my GP. He's also my mums GP and he once told her to have an affair when she went to see him about suffering from depression! Yeah, nice one, doc...