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How bad before you go to a doctor? (1 Viewer)

mr. furley

Footballguy
curious how others are about their general well being

right now i'm fighting two fairly painful muscle pulls/strains (i think :oldunsure: ) in my back and....... groin/hip/thigh area.

started Saturday morning. at work now with Icy Hot patches on and full of ibuprofen.  today is the first day that i have felt only reasonably uncomfortable instead of "holy mother of satan i can't even move my eyeballs without wanting to weep.... like a man".  now that it's getting better today i'm going to punt on the doctor's appointment.

wondering what it takes to send other guys to the doctor. massive head wound (Harry)? stroke symptoms? heart attack? hang nail?

 
Just go if you have insurance or a medical account. Had a bump on my arm last year. Thought it was fine. Turned into staph. Almost lost my arm. 

Just go.  

 
I go at any odd feeling. I'm getting my money's worth. I pay for insurance, I'm using it. Had every test known to man done to make sure I live a long time. Just did the colonoscopy a month ago. Good for 10 years there.

Headache doc, I need a CT scan. Thanks. Must have been the fact that I quit cold turkey on the Mt Dew's I was chugging. Good to see no brain cancer, though.

 
curious how others are about their general well being

right now i'm fighting two fairly painful muscle pulls/strains (i think :oldunsure: ) in my back and....... groin/hip/thigh area.

started Saturday morning. at work now with Icy Hot patches on and full of ibuprofen.  today is the first day that i have felt only reasonably uncomfortable instead of "holy mother of satan i can't even move my eyeballs without wanting to weep.... like a man".  now that it's getting better today i'm going to punt on the doctor's appointment.

wondering what it takes to send other guys to the doctor. massive head wound (Harry)? stroke symptoms? heart attack? hang nail?
2-3 weeks

 
I went to the doc after basketball knee pain that lasted a week and didnt get better (maybe worse?). He basically told me I'm a ##### and nothing was wrong with it. It hurts every time I play.  :(

 
If it really is a muscular issue, then there is basically nothing that a doctor will do for you.

If you are worried it might be something else, you can go to a doctor for your peace of mind, but quite likely it is going to be an unsatisfying experience.

 
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lod001 said:
I go at any odd feeling. I'm getting my money's worth. I pay for insurance, I'm using it. Had every test known to man done to make sure I live a long time. Just did the colonoscopy a month ago. Good for 10 years there.

Headache doc, I need a CT scan. Thanks. Must have been the fact that I quit cold turkey on the Mt Dew's I was chugging. Good to see no brain cancer, though.
Maybe not now, but after that unnecessary CT scan (equivalent to up 200 X-rays :grad: ) you may have a TOOMAH.

 
RedmondLonghorn said:
If it really is a muscular issue, then there is basically nothing that a doctor will do for you.

If you are worried it might be something else, you can go to a doctor for your piece of mind, but quite likely it is going to be an unsatisfying experience.
which is why i'm reluctant to go this time.  last time i had a similar feeling (other side of the back) he diagnosed a tear, handed me some vicodin, gave me a firm handshake and sent me on my way.

no therapy. no sling. no nothing. just pain pills and a nod that said "quit wasting my time, you baby".

 
Muscle pulls or strains, bumps bruises, colds, flu never. 

Infections yes, broken bones yes, Could not lift my arm and I thought I tore my rotator cuff after falling on ice a couple years ago..yes. Glass in eyeball yes.

Any coughing up of blood or blood coming from ###, nose, ears or anywhere you are not cut, YES!

Never have had any sharp head, chest or organ pain but that would be a yes.

 
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mr. furley said:
curious how others are about their general well being

right now i'm fighting two fairly painful muscle pulls/strains (i think :oldunsure: ) in my back and....... groin/hip/thigh area.

started Saturday morning. at work now with Icy Hot patches on and full of ibuprofen.  today is the first day that i have felt only reasonably uncomfortable instead of "holy mother of satan i can't even move my eyeballs without wanting to weep.... like a man".  now that it's getting better today i'm going to punt on the doctor's appointment.

wondering what it takes to send other guys to the doctor. massive head wound (Harry)? stroke symptoms? heart attack? hang nail?
Were you doing anything specific that you can point to those muscle pulls happening?  I mean, hurting your knee playing basketball is different from the feeling of a random muscle pull.  Unless you can tell when it happened, just go to the doctor.  Stubborn old men die all the time because they're too tough to go see a doctor.  

 
which is why i'm reluctant to go this time.  last time i had a similar feeling (other side of the back) he diagnosed a tear, handed me some vicodin, gave me a firm handshake and sent me on my way.

no therapy. no sling. no nothing. just pain pills and a nod that said "quit wasting my time, you baby".
you say this like its a negative ;)

 
Were you doing anything specific that you can point to those muscle pulls happening?  I mean, hurting your knee playing basketball is different from the feeling of a random muscle pull.  Unless you can tell when it happened, just go to the doctor.  Stubborn old men die all the time because they're too tough to go see a doctor.  
yeah, the groin/hip thing was the result of running on Friday.

been running on ice/snow for the last few months. recently we've had temps in the 50 that melted everything pretty quickly. usually takes me a few runs to get out of the "winter running" stride, in to a more normal gait... which means my times are slower than i like.   instead of being patient and stretching it out naturally like i do every year, i let it rip on Friday. and may have let it actually rip.

the discomfort made sleep really difficult friday night. fought to get in to a position that didn't hurt. woke up in a really awkward position (for me.  @saintfool> hey) and that seems to have wrecked my back :hot:

 
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On the Friday before the Super Bowl, I sprained my ankle pretty bad. I heard a pop but not a crack and was able to make it home that night. It swelled up a lot that weekend and was tough to walk. I was going to go to the doctor on that Monday but it started to feel a little better. I didn't work that week and it felt a little better each day. It's still a little tough going up and down stairs and I'm still walking slowly but the limp is almost gone. I probably should have gone to the doctor but I really don't know what he would have done except tell me to rest.

 
which is why i'm reluctant to go this time.  last time i had a similar feeling (other side of the back) he diagnosed a tear, handed me some vicodin, gave me a firm handshake and sent me on my way.

no therapy. no sling. no nothing. just pain pills and a nod that said "quit wasting my time, you baby".
My wife is a massage therapist (not the kind that provides "full release") and this is the kind of thing that a good massage therapist can help with. The problem is finding a good one. Most of them are idiots.

Strangely, physical therapy usually isn't that helpful for this kind of thing. PTs are usually focused on helping recovery from acute injuries, like a blown ACL or something. And they are great at that kind of thing. They are not as good at treating generalized or chronic muscle problems.

 
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A gorgeous young redhead goes into the doctor's office and said that her body hurt wherever she touched it.

"Impossible!" says the doctor. "Show me."

The redhead took her finger, pushed on her left shoulder and screamed, then she pushed her elbow and screamed even more. She pushed her knee and screamed;

likewise she pushed her ankle and screamed. Everywhere she touched made her scream.

The doctor said, "You're not really a redhead, are you?

"Well, no" she said, "I'm actually a blonde."

"I thought so," the doctor said. "Your finger is broken."

 
Could not lift my arm and I thought I tore my rotator cuff after falling on ice a couple years ago..yes. 
I was having shoulder trouble a few years ago, couldn't raise my arm over my head and sleeping was tough. It took a few weeks before I finally went. Doc gave me a cortisone shot and it was gone almost immediately. He tried scheduling me for rehab but I never went. Can't believe how fast it went away.

 
If whatever medicine you're taking for it hasn't been working for maybe a week or so is when I would usually go.

Last summer I had some infection causing swelling in my throat. After a week of sore throat/allergy medicine which did nothing, it was getting worse and couldn't eat or swallow without my entire face/body grimacing (I know, I'll wait for the jokes). They gave me antibiotics and in 24 hours was a night and day difference.

 
How long before I go to the doctor? In my case the answer is usually "too long."

Used to play a lot of softball and for several years played with a very severe pain whenever I had to really uncork a throw. It finally got so bad that I just couldn't take it anymore and finally went. The diagnosis was torn labrum, torn rotator cuff and torn bicep tendon. Dr congratulated me on the trifecta and said it likely started with just the torn rotator cuff but since I keep playing I kept tearing other things in the shoulder.

Had a nasty bout with heat exhaustion once after doing a running workout at a track and if it weren't for friends looking out for me I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have done anything about it and would have been in bad shape.

Another time I had pneumonia and wasted several days in bed instead of getting treated with antibiotics and feeling better sooner.

The moral of the story is if your thinking you should go to the doctor chances are you should go NOW. If it ends up he can't do anything for you so be it.

 
Way too long. 

Jumped in a pool in the middle of July...it was more shallow then I realized and had my foot sideways and landed right on it.  That hurt like hell and when I got home there was a linear bruise on the outside of my right foot about 6 inches long. Like a dope, I didnt' go to the doctor and I limped until about early Nov.  That's the latest in probably a half a dozen times where I didn't go to the doctor and have dealt with pain for a prolonged period of time.  

I have to stop being so macho.  Not trying to sound like a tough guy or something....but I think men get ingrained in their heads that you're a ##### if you go to the doctor. It's stupid...I have great insurance. I'm just an idiot. 

Like Carmine from the Sopranos said "Be a better friend to yourself". 

ETA: But also like an idiot...I'm constantly perusing the interweb medical sites trying to seld diagnose to see if I should go to the doctor.  

 
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I had similar symptoms from playing soccer.  After months and my wife telling me to go to the doctor I finally went.   Did x-rays of hips and back.  Have arthritis in my back.  Doctor gave me prescription naproxen (Alleve).  I am 51.  She asked if I played sports when I was young and I said yes.  She said all that is coming back to bite me in the ###.   All-in-all, pretty much a waste of time as I already knew I was old and sore.

 
My wife is a massage therapist (not the kind that provides "full release") and this is the kind of thing that a good massage therapist can help with. The problem is finding a good one. Most of them are idiots.

Strangely, physical therapy usually isn't that helpful for this kind of thing. PTs are usually focused on helping recovery from acute injuries, like a blown ACL or something. And they are great at that kind of thing. They are not as good at treating generalized or chronic muscle problems.
I agree about the massage therapist. As an "older" runner I find my visits to a massage therapist every 3-4 weeks are a necessity to keep me upright and moving. In my experience, the massage therapist is great for dealing with the accumulation of muscle aches and pains that build up between visits.

If I have a chronic issue, I find visiting a physiotherapist helps to deal with the cause of the problem. They can assess me and determine the cause of my problems and give me exercises and stretches to help alleviate it.

So, I find visiting a massage therapist and a physiotherapist to be beneficial.

 
I was having shoulder trouble a few years ago, couldn't raise my arm over my head and sleeping was tough. It took a few weeks before I finally went. Doc gave me a cortisone shot and it was gone almost immediately. He tried scheduling me for rehab but I never went. Can't believe how fast it went away.
i had knee troubles a few years ago. turns out that i have torn meniscus in my left knee. my regular doc sent me to a ortho guy that gave me two options: surgery or cortisone. i opted for cortisone because the downside was minimal. i'd know shortly if the injection worked and not have to deal with rehab either. cortisone injection into the knee and i was walking better within an hour. i haven't had problems with my knee since.

 
i had knee troubles a few years ago. turns out that i have torn meniscus in my left knee. my regular doc sent me to a ortho guy that gave me two options: surgery or cortisone. i opted for cortisone because the downside was minimal. i'd know shortly if the injection worked and not have to deal with rehab either. cortisone injection into the knee and i was walking better within an hour. i haven't had problems with my knee since.
interesting - i've had a torn meniscus for about 10 years now.....

 
Cjw_55106 said:
I went to the doc after basketball knee pain that lasted a week and didnt get better (maybe worse?). He basically told me I'm a ##### and nothing was wrong with it. It hurts every time I play.  :(
This is my general experience.  Whenever I break down and go, I either get the "take an ibuprophen" recommendation, or they run tests that result in the need for a second visit, more expenses, and little to show for the money spent.  Unless I know what I want them to do (ie, vasectomy, PT referral), I don't go.

Right now I am dealing with pain in my shoulder that makes it difficult to sleep on that side, and I probably should get a prostate exam.  Mentality right now is to deal with it until something gets worse.

 
interesting - i've had a torn meniscus for about 10 years now.....
it hurt like hell. i was limping, couldn't run, and it sometimes felt like there was burning there. the downside of cortisone injection, according to my ortho doc was it wasn't a permanent solution. i would need periodic injections and that causes damage to the ligament. i was willing to do the injections for a time to put off the surgery. turns out, i needed one injection and have been as right as rain since. 

 
I went about 20 years without going to a doctor.  Then I just blacked out a couple times and I went to the doctor.  $10K of tests later they found nothing and they blamed dehydration.  My second trip a year later was a heart attack, which is probably something that should have been spotted with the $10K worth of tests the year before. 

 
other things that i have been dealing with include GERD and a shoulder problem. in both cases, i waited about a month to meet with the doc. 

 
Cjw_55106 said:
I went to the doc after basketball knee pain that lasted a week and didnt get better (maybe worse?). He basically told me I'm a ##### and nothing was wrong with it. It hurts every time I play.  :(
Every case can be different, but if your knee pain is just below the kneecap, you might want to try one of these: Patellar Tendon Strap

 
which is why i'm reluctant to go this time.  last time i had a similar feeling (other side of the back) he diagnosed a tear, handed me some vicodin, gave me a firm handshake and sent me on my way.

no therapy. no sling. no nothing. just pain pills and a nod that said "quit wasting my time, you baby".
But you got some Vicodin out of it?  Go.  Now. 

 
I agree about the massage therapist. As an "older" runner I find my visits to a massage therapist every 3-4 weeks are a necessity to keep me upright and moving. In my experience, the massage therapist is great for dealing with the accumulation of muscle aches and pains that build up between visits.

If I have a chronic issue, I find visiting a physiotherapist helps to deal with the cause of the problem. They can assess me and determine the cause of my problems and give me exercises and stretches to help alleviate it.

So, I find visiting a massage therapist and a physiotherapist to be beneficial.
My wife has several clients that also see PTs. The common theme seems to be that the PTs here clients see are really good at addressing the immediate injury or trouble spot, but seem to be a lot less "holistic" in their thinking about what kinds of imbalances (postural, gait, etc.) might be causing pain or tightness in another location.

But I am sure some are better at that than others.

Glad to hear yours is. I wasn't meaning to knock physical therapists at all. I went to several that helped me a great deal after I blew out my knee. And they have training that far exceeds what almost any massage therapist has.

But I think some of them have the same kind of focus on specific injuries that orthopedic surgeons have: fix the immediate acute problem and move on.

 

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