[Pabloh]

I have been given an appointment in the Rapid Referal Clinic to see a Physiotherapist Practitioner Specialist. I still have not been sent to a consultant.
I have been assessed and was sent for an MRI by a physiotherapist at the end of May this year.

Apparently I am on the waiting list to see a consultant but I don't understand the hospital system as my letter says I am seeing a Physiotherapist Practitioner Specialist on behalf of my consultant.

I would be grateful if someone could give me some advice on what this means.

Will I be sent to see a consultant after this appointment?

Another thing; It says Rapid Referral. I have had to wait for this for 10 weeks and over. That I do not class as Rapid Referral in my books. Rapid means fast, this is not fast, it's average and non-urgent time.

The hospital system is completely confusing. They do not even tell you what will happen next or what will happen at the appointment. It's rediculous.

[Twinkletoes]

Sorry Pabloh. Doesn't sound very "rapid" to me, either. Hope you get some answers.

Bumpity bump bump!

[Pabloh]

Thanks, Twinkletoes.

Apparently the hospital consultant has put me in to see a member of his physio team rather than him which I find strange as I prefer to get to know a consultant if they are supposed to be treating me. I'll just have to see. Sounds dodgy though....

[Pabloh]

Sorry for double post, I don't know how to edit.

I would be grateful if someone could give me a bit of advice on whether physio is appropriate for a slipped disc that has been present for three years plus or if surgery would be the better option as I am not sure.

Thanks in advance.

[Pabloh]

Bump bump!

[supernova_krose]

I think physio is appropriate. When I had a herniated (slipped) disk, my surgeon told me that surgery should be done within a few months. Otherwise, there is the risk of permanent nerve damage. One the nerve damage is permanent, then surgery doesn't really help. However, things like epidural steroids and physio can.

Good luck,

Kay

[Pabloh]

Thanks for your advice, supernova_krose.

Unfortunately for me physio does not help, it only makes my pain worse. The only way I cope is by doing nothing apart from resting.

I nagged and nagged my GP to refer me to a surgeon as soon as I started having this back pain as I knew that I had a back problem but he ignored me and said it's nothing. It's taken this thick GP three years to realise I actually have a problem. Could I sue the GP or doctors surgery for negligence on their part? If I am stuck now with this pain for life I want them to pay me compensation as I am not happy at all with the way my GP has treat me, in fact all of the GPs there. I told my mom I wasn't happy and now I've paid the price for a GP who didn't know what he was doing (so much for so-called healthcare professionals).

Is there a chance I may ever get my life back to normal as I can't even work?

[supernova_krose]

What sort of physical therapy are you doing? If it hurts, then the therapist should be told, and something else tried. When I did PT, it involved myofascial massage, ultrasound treatments, some almost chiropractic type manipulation of my spine, and strengthening exercises. The ultrasound actually helped a lot.

Are you just getting an MRI now, or did you have one 3 years ago when you were injured? Without that MRI, they really don't know whether you've got a herniated disk or not. Hopefully the MRI will show what the source of your pain actually is.

What country are you in? It doesn't sound like the medical system I'm used to, so I'm not sure what your options actually are. When I first had a herniated disk, it took a year to finally get surgery done, but that was because of all the hoops the insurance company made me go through. When it happened a second time, my GP made sure that the insurance company knew there was a problem, so I got treatment much more quickly. That said, surgery did not completely heal me. I will also be a spinal patient, but I am able to function.

Good luck to you,

Kay

[Pabloh]

The type of physio they got me to do was pulling my legs around, giving me exercises to do at home which were the same and that was it pretty much.

Unfortunately, they practised on me before I'd even had an x-ray or MRI which I think they should've done before they messed with my back as they could've been doing more harm than good, which is why I decided to give it up. Pain to me means that it's making it worse. My body is telling me and I listen to my body a lot.

I had the MRI in May this year. The GP (I don't think they know what they are doing most of the time) referred me to physio before I had even had any investigations like x-rays or MRI. Basically they were going in blind which is unprofessional to me. The first thing a GP or physio should do is order investigations like x-rays, MRIs, etc before touching a patient.

The last physio (who was a different physio) I saw ordered the MRI and my GP (after I had constantly nagged him) sent me for an x-ray in November 2007.

I'm in the UK. The health system here is confusing as they never tell you what is happening. They told me I was on the waiting list to see a consultant which I thought was good at long last, after three and a half years of being ignored by my GP and now I'm seeing another physio (I will have seen three different physios but not a consultant still). They lied to me in effect. I'm not seeing a consultant as far as I know, it's another physio. I feel like I can't be bothered with my back anymore as they don't care about their patients and I feel ignored by the whole healthcare system.

Would I be able to get compensation for this ignorance and negligence on my GPs part?

Will I have permanent nerve damage? Will anything completely get rid of it?

So many questions are floating around my head, it's frustrating as I have had this long enough to be seeing a consultant, right?

[supernova_krose]

. Or maybe somebody here as well...I just don't know.

It sounds like it would be worth going to see the physical therapist you've got the appointment with. Has a radiologist read your MRI and xray, and do you have the reports that say what was found? You can always try posting those here to see if anyone here has any advice for you. Any chance you can see a different GP as well?

Good luck to you!