Im sure some of you remember I mentioned a while back that I have some back problems.
They persist, to the point that Im limited to a few hours work each day now or I can literally be immobile for several days afterwards. I actually have to ask for help getting out out bed sometimes as I cannot sit up nor can I stand for more than 5 minutes or so.
Walking is better as it seems movement helps, but I can only just about manage a quick weekly shop leaning on the trolley before I need a rest aswell.
I should qualify this by saying that it has reached this level since I fell in the snow over a year ago landing diagonally across a kerbstone ( managed a concussion aswell but who would tell the difference! ), which hurt at the time, but soon went away, then a few weeks later I started to notice more pain than usual and its been progressing ever since.
So Im sure this isnt normal at 31. Anyhow, back in early November, my doctor said he would send a letter out and I would hear from Physio in due course - anyone know how long 'due course' should be? Its just a tad over 3 months now and ive checked, the letter IS in 'the system' as I had that checked at an appointment in Dec.
My wife has had several Physio referrals and by 3 months she was having treatment which was just for a dodgy knee and a tendon issue in her wrist, so Im a little irritated that Im the way I am still not even had the letter promised so I can make an appointment, let alone get some help. But ive never dealt with the NHS for this sort of thing myself so maybe its just normal?
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You should have heard by now. Maybe worth a phone call - maybe the appointment letter got lost in the post.
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Time to return to GP and push hard, albeit politely, Stu, for some faster action. Does he or she deal with your wife, too?
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I am loathe to give any medical advice to anyone, but this sounds as if it might need more than 'a bit of physio'.
Backs are notoriously difficult to diagnose and sort.
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Who should I contact? GP or just docs reception?
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"So I'm sure this isn't normal at 31."
Dead right. And three months' wait isn't good enough.
From what you describe, it seems you have a "chronic" back condition which is often "severe", which has not been investigated. I'm using those two words in the clinical sense. On both counts you should expect an urgent referral. Your first port of call should be your GP and you should be politely insistent that you have been suffering for a very long time.
You could try an osteopath or chiropractor, but your symptoms seem to me serious enough to need investigation by x-rays or other forms of scan before any treatment is started. (A good osteopath or chiropractor will refuse to treat speculatively - i.e. if the problem possibly involves certain types of mechanical damage, such as a prolapsed or ruptured disc, for which surgery would be the appropriate treatment.)
In the meantime, keep walking as much as you can - it is excellent exercise for the back, as is swimming, though some strokes may be unsuitable.
I am a healthcare professional, though not a qualified doctor, and I suffer from recurrent back problems.
Last edited by: ChrisPeugeot on Mon 14 Feb 11 at 12:08
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Whats urgent in the NHS? Is there a button I can press to increase urgency?
Just about made it round Tesco this morning although I near collapsed into the car at the end. My wife said my back feels like granite, said there was no give at all below my shoulder blades.
Im going to try one of those heat patches in a bit, see if it helps as ive got to go to the bank which means a 50M walk, something of a challenge.
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I can only suggest you get in front of your GP at the first opportunity and, without being rude or aggressive (as this won't help you to achieve your aim) insist on action. The fact that you've heard nothing for three months might stir someone's conscience, as one possibility is that the surgery has slipped up and didn't send the letter, but even if they did, it's not good enough.
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Ok thanks, I didnt know whether 3 months was normal.
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I'm not sure what's "normal" either, but when I've been referred for a hearing investigation (some years ago now), or blood test anomalies (recently), or chest x-ray (recently) it's been much less than three months to wait. Both the hearing issues and the blood test anomalies resulted in my being in front of a consultant within a very few weeks, and if the chest x-ray had produced anomalies I expect I would have had a similar experience.
But things change so much in the NHS with regard to waiting times and possibly there are variations according to where you live.
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Twenty years ago I was referred for wisdom teeth extraction (all four impacted) and told it was 18 months to wait.
After 18 months they said they'd lost the details and I could wait...18 months again.
I'm actually still waiting to hear back. For the past 20 years my teeth have played up from time to time, but luckily, so far it's been bearable with suitable painkillers, and I'm not inclined to chase it again at this point.
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Footnote:
"You have the right to start your consultant-led treatment within a maximum of 18 weeks from referral for non-urgent conditions.
"You have the right to be seen by a specialist within a maximum of two weeks from GP referral for urgent referrals where cancer is suspected."
Quoted from the NHS Constitution - see tinyurl.com/3x27nqh
I think you are at least entitled to ask your surgery what is happening and if you can convince your GP your case is urgent, so much the better. This doesn't mean you will get your wait down to two weeks, though - that is the cancer fast-track!
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I'm twenty or so miles south of you Stu, although not in the same county.
I had a problem with an 'impinged shoulder' late last year and had to wait about six weeks before getting physio at an NHS hospital.
I've been referred to private physios by my GP previously for other problems and got to see them within days. I guess GP's funds are a little tighter now.
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Not sure what Stu's job situation is, but it should be taken into account.
If he can say the condition is preventing him earning and looking after his family his case should be regarded with greater urgency.
Even more so if he is officially 'on the sick'.
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Short cut the system and go A&E? If this condition had come on suddenly, while you were out shopping and couldn't walk say, you might have called 999 and got an ambulance.
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What is normal depends on the Postcode Lottery NHS... Round here about 6 months for such a referal is "normal"...
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if you had a "slip" and felt severe pain then you would need to go to a and e and be wheeled in and need an xray and further investigation.
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Well, Im still doing the valeting and some house cleaning, but very limited hours and as of April ill be on Working Tax Credits to make up what ive lost over the last year with having to steadily decrease my workload, plus the credit crunch effect.
I have to say, it wasnt until I realised I actually couldnt sit up in bed that I realised things were really not right.
Update: Ive got an initial appointment in 3 weeks time. I went into my surgery and she looked quite shocked id been waiting for so long, gave me the number of the other surgery in the practice which does the physio and I got an appointment sorted quickly.
I suppose this will be the next saga ( ive had another health one going for two years now - Im turning into my father ).
Last edited by: Wilberstuforce31 on Mon 14 Feb 11 at 14:26
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I'm very pleased you have now got something in the pipeline. I assume you will be seeing a physiotherapist at your practice, who should be able either to treat you or recommend you for further investigation, for example x-rays or even an appointment with a consultant, although I believe the letter for that would come from the GP.
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So am I. As a bonus, I happen to know the girl who does the physio from when my nan was having some and not only is she very nice, she is also exceptionally easy on the eye, so it will make the whole process much more pleasent :-)
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I believe hospital waiting list times are very often the number of weeks arbitrarily chosen by administrators to suit themselves!
My wife was told she had to wait 19 weeks for an injection to cure Trigger Finger". Absolutely absurd. I thought about it, as below, and put the view above to the consultant and some other medics and no one has yet said that is wrong.
If you are a administrator, looking after booking-in staff, life is a lot easier if you tell them to use a waiting time of 12 weeks, or whatever, for all bookings other than emergencies and if anyone cancels a booking, put them to the back of the queue again. No extra work for you to do. Sit back, your system is up and running.
Waiting time Arbitrary? Yes. Because a 12 weeks queue is serviced to be 12 weeks by seeing patients from the front of the queue at the same rate as they are joining at the back of the queue -- if not the length would change. So why not put in a one-time extra effort period to get that down to 6 weeks?
Then it can stay that way using the old procedure, of servicing the queue as before. So why don't they do it?
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>> So why don't they do it?
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If one was being cynical, I would suggest that waiting lists only exist (in most cases) because the NHS wants to off-load as much as possible to private health providers, who strangely don't have the same problems with waiting lists, despite sharing many/most of their consultants with the NHS.
I should imagine that if Bupa et al were to shut up shop tomorrow, waiting lists would vanish with them. I'm not against private healthcare, but the government does seem to use it as a crutch for the NHS, so to speak.
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Why dont they do it? Because they only have resources to keep the status quo. You could take resource from elsewhere, but their waiting list would go up to 18 weeks.
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Yes but don't you think it's odd that the waiting lists don't get and longer or shorter, for procedure X waiting list is always Y weeks long. Strangely, the more available the procedure is privately, the longer the waiting list is...
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By the sound of it, you need is to get your GP to arrange for you to have your back/spine examined for damage by an orthopaedic surgeon. Paying to see one privately will considerably reduce the waiting time. Subsequent treatment can be NHS if you wish.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Mon 14 Feb 11 at 18:20
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it sounds like you need a proper examination with xray etc.
but some phsios are excellent so good luck
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Just a little update.
Finally had my first physio appointment today, nice lady, seemed to know her stuff, spent nearly an hour with me checking all sorts of things. I came away feeling a little bruised and limping, but with some clarity on whats going on.
Seems I have inflamation in my lower back, a couple in the middle an my lower neck also.
The way she was talking, the fun is just starting, at the moment we are starting on getting some more movement as my right side is very inflexible. She also found an issue with my right shoulder, prob due to my work. Its like a shopping list!
Still, its nice just to be going somewhere with it, she gave the impression she found something in my lower back she didnt like judging by her reaction, im back in 10 days time with some stretches to do in the mean time.
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nice to finaly get someone to have a look at the problem.
keep up the exercises you are given and they really do help in the long run
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How long for referral? - R.P.
