Hi, I have just read all the comments on this website...

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hi,

I have just read all the comments on this website and my heart goes out to each and every one of you. I have never experienced pain like that but I have a 15 year old daughter who is in excutiating pain and it is breaking my heart. She had a nasty fall off her horse 5 years ago and hasn't been right since. Last year she had another fall and has detiorated since. She has been off school for 5 months and we have been back and forth to the Doctors, osteopaths and to physiotherapy. The Doctor even suggested it might be pschological. Not amused. In the end I took her into A & E because she was in so much pain and her right leg kept giving way and it felt numb (pins and needles too). What she needed was an MRI scan but first she had see a specialist which then was 3 months away. Still waiting to see him, 10 more days to go. The consultant in A & E gave her a scan that day. The information he gave us was completely different to the letter he sent to Lauren's doctor. I only found out what was in that letter because I wanted to take it to show a McTimmney Chriropractor before she looked at Lauren.

The letter said she has a prolapsed/bulging disc at L5/S1 and that it isn't hitting on any nerves. I disagree with the last bit because she has severe pain, numbness and pins and needles down the back of her right leg and into her foot. She can barely walk. I am convinced it his pinching on her sciatic nerve. The last words were there is no serious pathology.

We have been to the Chiropractor twice (2nd one today). She gave Lauren a thorough look over and said her hips were out of alignment and twisted and one was over rotated. Her spine and sacrum were twisted and the disc was rubbing on the spinal cord and aggravating the sciatic nerve. Lauren has been complaing about her hips for 5 years now, so it makes you wonder. The Chiropractor uses the McTimmney technique which is a light touch with the hands and it looks at the whole body rather than one area. The body being out of alignment has not helped in any way either. It is too early to say how the treatment is going but she has been the only one who has been able to touch Lauren's back.

We still have to go and see the Specialist to see what can be done to ease her pain and we have been told it might resort to an operation. My daughter said anything because she can't bear the pain any longer. She wants to live a normal life again. I'm trying hard to keep her spirits up. I would even trade places because I feel so helpless seeing her in so much agony. I am 40 she is just a kid!

I hope we get somewhere after our visit to the Specialist because I am fed up with all the care we have had so far. It doesn't give you much faith in the NHS.

I will let you know how we get on. I wish you all luck in overcoming your pain too.

Deborah

This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience

2

hi we are all there with you, ive been in a lot of pain for the past eight months and know exactly what she is going through she shouldnt have to go through that pain at a young age the nhs should have taken priority over her, i am currently awaiting l5/s1 operation which will be done in the next four weeks,keep on to your gp and keep phoning the hospital all the time even go to your local mp to see if he can shift them as the nhs is only interested in balancing the books to make them look good they dont care about the patients, i dont mean the doctors and nurses i mean the managers of the trusts ect you have to keep on to them all the time and dont give up, i wish you all the best and good luck and were all thinking of her

regards keith

This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience

3

My heart goes out to you I am suffering the same as your daughter a the moment and go through all the sames feelings as her everyday. Your story has me in tears for both of you, I am 34 but still see the pain my mum / dad and husband go through watching me day in day out. As Keith says keep at them do not give in, its a vile thing that we have to MAKE doctors belive what we are going through?????

I wish you and your daughter all the very best,

Lorraine xxx

This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience

4

Hi there Lorraine and Keith,

Thank you for replying to my message. Since then we have been to see a Specialist and Consultant. That was last Monday. We have waited 3 months to be told there is nothing wrong with my daughter. Her prolapsed disc is not severe and it is not showing any signs of pressing on a nerve. Partly that is good news and partly it is not because she is still in a lot of pain.

The Consultant, snooty lady, basically said it is not causing any damage and that she should go to physiotherapy, acupuncture, chiropractor and go to a shrink because is it in her head. I questioned her about that saying why does she need to see a shrink? "To manage pain" was her reply.

Well we came away from there confused and not happy. My daughter was very upset because she knows she is experiencing a lot of pain so being told that has really upset her. That night the whole scenario went over and over in my head and I must admit for a moment I doubted my daughter. The next day I thought I know she wouldn't make up such a thing. How could she fake pain like that and describe the symptoms she's feeling. The Consultant couldn't find anything so that's it there is nothing wrong. Why not check another part!! I bet she has never experienced back pain in her life.

The next day I took Lauren to see the Chiropractor (McTimmney) for her 4th session. We told her exactly what the Consultant said. She was not surprised because that's the way they are if they don't find anything. She said you can see by Lauren's response when you touch her that she is not imagining it. She feels it is something to do with her superiliac joint. Lauren's knees are also painful because of her back problem. Consultant didn't seem to think there was any connection. Rubbish!!

Anyway Lauren will continue to see the Chiropractor and get some acupuncture and try to keep positive. Not easy to do all the time but I'm hoping the Chiropractor will sort my daughter out. She rang the other day to say about magnetic therapy (blanket) and see if Lauren would like to try it out. A lady she knows loans them out on trial for a couple of weeks (free). I have done a little research on it and I am willing to try anything even though it has not been scientifically proven to help. Some people reckon it is very good. Worth a try!

I am going to write a letter of complaint to the Consultant even though I know it won't get me anywhere. Let’s hope she doesn't experience a back pain in the future!!!

I will go back to the Doctors and see if they can check Lauren’s knees now because they are painful due to the way she has been trying to protect her back. I must say I feel frustrated and annoyed with any care or advise I have received from any Doctors or Consultant now. I just hope we get to the bottom of the problem and Lauren improves.

Thanks for your kind words and I really do hope you improve over time. Nobody deserves to experience that much pain.

I will keep you updated with any news or progress Lauren might have over the next few months.

Deborah

:?

This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience