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

[northern exposure]

Yeah, thanks. They gave me one of those but it seemed so cheap I didnt see how it could help. The pain seems to be on the outside of the knee. I tried the Copperfit and it did nothing. 

 I wear something when I run that is very similar to what I linked. It has really reduced my knee pain to the point it is almost non-existent now. Might be worth a shot for you.

 

[northern exposure]

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.

That is definitely the case. I think you almost have to get a referral to find a PT that doesn't just address the trouble spot and digs a little deeper to find why it is happening or keeps happening and then look to deal with underlying problem.

I was lucky that my current massage therapist referred me to a PT that didn't just treat the immediate injury.

 

[James Daulton]

That is definitely the case. I think you almost have to get a referral to find a PT that doesn't just address the trouble spot and digs a little deeper to find why it is happening or keeps happening and then look to deal with underlying problem.

I was lucky that my current massage therapist referred me to a PT that didn't just treat the immediate injury.

Plus other added benefits.

 

[The Future Champs]

True story: I once found a lump, and waited till my annual checkup (three weeks out) to get the doc to examine it.    Didn't tell the wife until after the exam.    MIL (nurse) and SIL (internal medicine doc) both told me I was a COMPLETE IDIOT for waiting three weeks.   So, if you find a lump, my advice is you go to the doc immediately.

 

[George Jefferson Airplane]

I feel off a ladder.  Went to the doctor two days later, two broken ribs. 

 

[AAABatteries]

Haven't seen a GP for over a decade.

This isn't something to be proud of unless you are seeing someone other than a GP for a physical and standard blood/urine tests.

 

[Osaurus]

I go for my annual and anything resulting from that every year.  I didn't go for 20+ years and it scared the #### out of me every day until I went.  My dad died at 44 of a massive heart attack and never went.  All the signs were there and he paid the ultimate price. I owe it to myself and my family to do everything I can to be around.  Remind yourself of this every day.

 

[Galileo]

Haven't seen a GP for over a decade.

I am always slow to go.  I haven't seen my GP since 2012.  I called to make an appointment about a month ago, and they turned me away.  They told me that after some time (3 yrs?) they treat you as if you are new patient.  They said my doctor was not currently accepting new patients, and I would have to find another primary.  So, I currently don't have a primary.

 

[Mr. Know-It-All]

Outside of a yearly physical which is required to get a discount on my insurance, I have been to the doctor maybe 5 or 6 times in 20 years.  Hate going to the doctor because they only give you bad news and what you don't know can't kill you.

 

[Shrugs]

My bare bones insurance that I pay for myself is so awful, and Kaiser always finds a way to add unnecessary expenses or handle things poorly, that I've been very hesitant to go in the past. I deal with chronic kidney stones, and four years ago I had intense pain plus a urinary tract infection feeling indicating blockage that went on for a couple weeks, but I waited it out. Last year I got a CT scan and they charged me $900 on top of insurance. Even though it was looked at by the urologist and my primary, they charged me an additional $200 for a doctor who doesn't deal with me to take a look at it two weeks later.

 

[msudaisy26]

curious how others are about their general well being

right now i'm fighting two fairly painful muscle pulls/strains (i think ) 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?

In my family we are lucky enough to have dual coverage, and we go whenever something last more than a couple of days. My husband has had some nasty muscle pulls in his back before. One time he couldn't even stand upright for a day or 2, so he went to the doctor got it checked out, they gave him muscle relaxers and he was back to work the next day and off the pills a few days later.

 

[Steve Tasker]

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 injured my knee playing soccer when I was 17.  Felt a light pop but was able to finish the game.  Continued to play over the next 4 months to finish the season....it would swell up like a grapefruit and be super painful for a day or two after games, but would get better as the week wore on before our next game.  Finally in mid-May, I couldn't take it anymore and went to the doctor.  Torn lateral meniscus.  They went in with the scope but there's nothing to be done...apparently by not going to the doctor, I had shredded the cartilage beyond repair.  They removed the cartilage and said I'd have arthritis when I'm like 25, eventually it'll get so bad that I'll start cortisone shots and eventually a knee replacement.  I was diagnosed with arthritis at 26, and the PA told me upon looking at my X-ray "if you weren't sitting in front of me right now and I was just looking at this X-ray, I'd have guessed you were about 65 years old."

Moral of the story: go to the ####### doctor.

 

[BowieMercs]

I don't go to the doctor unless:

• tohere is an illness that clearly won't resolve itself (prolonged cough, bronchitis, blood leaking from orifices etc)
  
• I damaged something that wont heal on its own (im at my limit on cortisone injections for torn meniscuses and rotator cuff issues)
  

 I had my appendix out in 1978, a vasectomy in 1992 and biceps tenodesis in 2012.  Pay attention to your body. It knows things.

 

[The Busy The Tired]

I should have gone to the doctor about my wrist injury years ago.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

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.  :(

I/we can fix you in ways never before possible.

We have the chemicals (peptides) to fix bone, muscle, tendon and ligaments in speeds way faster then months or years.

Welcome to the 21st century.

 

[Gachi]

I don't have insurance, so I only go when absolutely necessary. 

I got some routine labs done (CMP, CBC, etc) a little over a year ago and everything was fine. I'm on blood pressure pills, so I have to go every 6 months for a refill. 

Which reminds me, I should make an appointment pretty soon. I'm almost out of medicine. 

 

[belljr]

I'll probably go more now that I have more timeoff

 

[Koya]

Let's see... ended up in the hospital multiple times before seeking a specialist to finally diagnose my divirticulitis. Did I say diagnose? I meant MISdiagnose...

A week before planned surgery for said divirticulitis I got REALLY sick (like, I already needed surgery). Didn't want to go back to hospital since I would be there in a week anyway. Three days later wife dragged me, literally close to dying, to the ER... Id gone sepsis. 

Sometime senior year of highschool I had some big lump in my nutsack. Scared the bejeebuz out of me. Somehow played senior year of high school and frosh year of college football... with a ####### hernia.

Recently had a breakout of some sort of psoriasis on my scalp. then face. arms. back. legs.... after a month of this getting worse finally went to doc.

Basically, not soon enough, but ain't dead yet.

 

[mr. furley]

Some of you dudes are going to prove how tough you are by dying before your time. 

nobody tells me when i'm gonna die, pal

 

[BowieMercs]

Some of you dudes are going to prove how tough you are by dying before your time. 

Not tough, just stubborn/lazy/cheap. Take your pick.

Other than my kids & current wife, I've buried everyone I've ever been really close to, so to quote @beer 30 I'm just waiting for Sweet Release to come knocking*   

*NB - it's shtick... don't send an intervention team

 

[T J]

never taken the stuff

somewhere in the medicine cabinet is a bottle of 30 something pills which i've been meaning to dispose of

I'll take them.

 

[MikeIke]

Too late,  Chachi.  I already called dibs.