BACK PAIN: Seeking Advice

hollydolly said:
oh you're with the same Doctors surgery as me then ? :( we have the same problem with ours...right now it's 8.30am, I have been trying to get our surgery to answer the phone since 7.30am... they don't.The problem being that if you don't call before 9am, you can't get an appointment to see a Doctor that day
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Oh, don't I know it! Same here. Often it's an hour on certain days of the week they've got telephone time and the queue can be more than that. Fortunately, some have a ring-back service so if you dial in your number they'll ring you back. Fat chance of getting an appointment same day, though, and if you press them they'll tell you to go to the emergency services at the hospital where you can wait several hours only to be told it's not an emergency and send you home. šŸ˜©
 

Verisure said:
Oh, don't I know it! Same here. Often it's an hour on certain days of the week they've got telephone time and the queue can be more than that. Fortunately, some have a ring-back service so if you dial in your number they'll ring you back. Fat chance of getting an appointment same day, though, and if you press them they'll tell you to go to the emergency services at the hospital where you can wait several hours only to be told it's not an emergency and send you home. šŸ˜©
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Precisely the same thing happens here... except if we do go to Emergency we do get seen, but we can be kept waiting to see anyone anything up to 10 hours.. never anything less than 6 or 7 ...plus it's a long drive to the one and only hospital that serves several large towns

I managed to get through this morning just before 9am to my surgery, receptionists asked me what the problem was ( a rough guide) said she'd get the doctor to call me back... it's now 3.15pm... no call...

It's really annoying because it's for precisely that reason that I rarely call the doctor, and so when I do it's fairly urgent
 
hollydolly said:
Precisely the same thing happens here... except if we do go to Emergency we do get seen, but we can be kept waiting to see anyone anything up to 10 hours.. never anything less than 6 or 7 ...plus it's a long drive to the one and only hospital that serves several large towns

I managed to get through this morning just before 9am to my surgery, receptionists asked me what the problem was ( a rough guide) said she'd get the doctor to call me back... it's now 3.15pm... no call...

It's really annoying because it's for precisely that reason that I rarely call the doctor, and so when I do it's fairly urgent
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Oh dear. You're an hour after me so it must be quarter past 4 right now. Any luck?
 

hollydolly said:
4.21 now, still no call....:(
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When ringing the automatic service/recording there is a choice to make, "For English press 3". A couple of months ago I rang up in the usual manner and was allotted place 37 (or whatever it was). I waited half an hour and rang again, this time pressing 3 for English. I was put straight through! Two hours later they rang me to ask what I needed! I told them that I'd already sorted it out.
 
Finally a call at 6pm... yes I'm in chronic pain, told reception it was urgent, this is typical of my Doctors' surgery tho'... he listened and said '' ah yes it sounds like your gallbladder''...errm no...I had my GB out 10 years ago..:rolleyes:.so he wants to see me tomorrow..apparently tho', no longer than a 10 minute appointment available..

I suspect he will just send me for blood tests at the hospital, this is their usual get out of jail free card
 
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hollydolly said:
Finally a call at 6pm... yes I'm in chronic pain, told reception it was urgent, this is typical of my Doctors' surgery tho'... he listened and said '' ah yes it sounds like your gallbladder''...errm no...I had my GB out 10 years ago..:rolleyes:.so he wants to see me tomorrow..apparently tho', no longer than a 10 minute appointment available..

I suspect he will just send me for blood tests at the hospital, this is their usual get out of jail free card
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I shouldn't get personally involved but now I am upset. Waiting all of those hours for a 10-minute consultation seems ....... :mad:
 
Verisure said:
I shouldn't get personally involved but now I am upset. Waiting all of those hours for a 10-minute consultation seems ....... :mad:
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Yes it's not just our surgery sadly, it's Normal in the UK GP surgeries ( Doctors office to you)to be permitted just 10minutes... and in ours we're not allowed tomention more than one problem. Of course it madness because one problem may be the cause of the first problem or vice versa, but noit's never taken into consideration , we must make a second appointment of 10 mins to address a second problem, and the waiting list at my Doctors is 4 weeks..unless it's an emergency

..and incidentally if I'm sent for a blood test I won't get the result for 10 days...
 
I suffered immensely most of my adult life with my back and neck.... I went to a chiropractor three times a week, a massage therapist once a week, exercised daily, stretched 1-2 times a day every day, did special neck exercises taught me by a Chiropractor, heating pads every day and still lived in almost constant pain ... I don't use heat or chiropractors or massage therapists anymore. And haven't for about 18 years.
But, I do continue to stretch and exercise daily. What I have finally found that solved my problem is a True Back Medical Traction Device and an Exerpeutic Inversion Table.

I hope this helps someone.
 
hollydolly said:
Yes it's not just our surgery sadly, it's Normal in the UK GP surgeries ( Doctors office to you)to be permitted just 10minutes... and in ours we're not allowed tomention more than one problem. Of course it madness because one problem may be the cause of the first problem or vice versa, but noit's never taken into consideration , we must make a second appointment of 10 mins to address a second problem, and the waiting list at my Doctors is 4 weeks..unless it's an emergency

..and incidentally if I'm sent for a blood test I won't get the result for 10 days...
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Actually, our GP ("lƤkarmottagning" to me) is just as bonker'd as yours. Same business with one ailment per visit although we can normally expect to be seen within a week. There was a reportage made a couple of years ago on that very subject and it was discovered that doctors are now instructed to limit visits in that way in order to increase income. It was considered a scandal when the report came out but now it seems to be normal. I guess the only question remaining is if we've adopted your method or if it's the other way round.
 
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Homeschoolie said:
I suffered immensely most of my adult life with my back and neck.... I went to a chiropractor three times a week, a massage therapist once a week, exercised daily, stretched 1-2 times a day every day, did special neck exercises taught me by a Chiropractor, heating pads every day and still lived in almost constant pain ... I don't use heat or chiropractors or massage therapists anymore. And haven't for about 18 years.
But, I do continue to stretch and exercise daily. What I have finally found that solved my problem is a True Back Medical Traction Device and an Exerpeutic Inversion Table.

I hope this helps someone.
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You and Murrmurr have a lot in common. Are you in less pain now? Are you able to take a walk without too much discomfort?
 
Verisure said:
You and Murrmurr have a lot in common. Are you in less pain now? Are you able to take a walk without too much discomfort?
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I am rarely in very mild back pain now. Mostly just for a day or two after weight lifting.
Walking is one of my favorite forms of exercise. Walk1-2 miles almost every day without back pain...it is my right foot and ankle that gets fussy now :D
Researching and trying out shoe inserts for a solution. I have read that sometimes a properly chosen/fitted shoe insert can also help some with ankle, knee, hip and low back pain too. It puts everything in proper alignment.
 
Homeschoolie said:
I am rarely in very mild back pain now. Mostly just for a day or two after weight lifting.
Walking is one of my favorite forms of exercise. Walk1-2 miles almost every day without back pain...it is my right foot and ankle that gets fussy now :D
Researching and trying out shoe inserts for a solution. I have read that sometimes a properly chosen/fitted shoe insert can also help some with ankle, knee, hip and low back pain too. It puts everything in proper alignment.
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I walk 3 miles myself nearly every day. I do it for my knee prothese but it must be good for my back as well. I don't do any weight lifting, though. My pacemaker was recently repaired and anything like lifting weights feels creepy to me. To tell you the truth I get squeamish just washing my body over that area. Yes, there is a lot to be said about wearing proper-fitting shoes and/or inserts. My wife is a "runner" and she's always trying this and that. She's competed in serval marathons.
 

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