My doctor is an idiot!

17forbes
17forbes Posts: 33 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My doctor is an idiot, i have been getting pins and needles in my arms and my feet. i know its coming from my neck/back and wanted him to refer me for physio so i could get it free via my health insurance.
He has refered me to have my bloods checked, but need to go whilst fasting. does he think because i am peri menopausal that i am neurotic. Left without any thing. I am running 10k on saturday any advice.
:grumble:
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Replies

  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    Did you tell him you need an adjustment? I'd call and straight out ask for a referral.
  • Genetic_tea_drinker
    Genetic_tea_drinker Posts: 125
    Hey,

    Your doctor has done the right thing.
    You may actually be defficient in B12 (or smthing other issue). If this is the case he will need to correct this before being able to refer you to physio.
    If he refered you to physio without checking your bloods thats not good, because this needs to be corrected first.

    Blood tests aren't always what people want and would prefer physio, but it is for your benefit.
    If after the blood tests there is no problem, then s/he will refer you to physio.

    I'm not a doctor, let me stress thing, but I have had someexperience of blood tests, low vitamins, at one point I wanted to go to physio but I before I did voice this, I let my doctor do the tests and he will 100% right to do what he did rather than writing me off to physio etc.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I think it's probably the case that he wants to rule out something more serious before referring you to a physio. You're probably right that it's just from something like a pinched nerve, but it's a doctor's responsibility to rule out more serious conditions that could cause the same symptoms first.
  • mikejholmes
    mikejholmes Posts: 291 Member
    Tingling could also be a sign of nerve damage, which could be a sign of diabetes. Better safe than sorry, IMHO.
  • Genetic_tea_drinker
    Genetic_tea_drinker Posts: 125
    Tingling could also be a sign of nerve damage, which could be a sign of diabetes. Better safe than sorry, IMHO.

    Diabetes! OMG! I completly forgot about that lol

    Diabetes seems to contribute to everything *sigh* lol
  • ken_hogan
    ken_hogan Posts: 854 Member
    My doctor is an idiot, i have been getting pins and needles in my arms and my feet. i know its coming from my neck/back and wanted him to refer me for physio so i could get it free via my health insurance.
    He has refered me to have my bloods checked, but need to go whilst fasting. does he think because i am peri menopausal that i am neurotic. Left without any thing. I am running 10k on saturday any advice.
    :grumble:

    I'd suck it up and take he blood test. You never know if there may be something else wrong also.
  • Genetic_tea_drinker
    Genetic_tea_drinker Posts: 125
    I think it's probably the case that he wants to rule out something more serious before referring you to a physio. You're probably right that it's just from something like a pinched nerve, but it's a doctor's responsibility to rule out more serious conditions that could cause the same symptoms first.

    Wouldn't a pinches nerve require some sort of a decompression treatment, like carpel tunnel syndrome? (I'm just curious)

    Also sorry for the double post
  • poma91
    poma91 Posts: 181 Member
    It could be something else, are you sure it is from your back! Better safe than sorry!
  • 17forbes
    17forbes Posts: 33 Member
    I am in pain from my neck at the moment so i am frustrated, i have to wait till Monday for blood tests to be done so a weekend of pain and no exercise. :cry:
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    intresting.


    i thought it only happened on the boards, that someone got all bent out of shape when they didn't get the exact answer they wanted. but no, it's out in the real world too.

    good luck on your race. i've raced injured before. suck it up.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I think it's probably the case that he wants to rule out something more serious before referring you to a physio. You're probably right that it's just from something like a pinched nerve, but it's a doctor's responsibility to rule out more serious conditions that could cause the same symptoms first.

    Wouldn't a pinches nerve require some sort of a decompression treatment, like carpel tunnel syndrome? (I'm just curious)

    Also sorry for the double post

    when i had trapped nerves in my back the physio gave me exercises to correct a muscular imbalance that had caused it and also prescribed anti-inflammatories to reduce the inflammation and take the pressure off the nerve

    but go along with whatever tests your doctor says, then if it is just a trapped nerve, the physio can advise
  • glovepuppet
    glovepuppet Posts: 1,710 Member
    nope, it's never dumb to run bloods first if you're not certain what the cause is and there are several options. he took you seriously and decided to investigate, so i don't get what the problem is.
  • drdeeder
    drdeeder Posts: 4 Member
    I was going to write the same thing. Getting your B12 and other items checked first makes sense. Just because you think you know the diagnosis (and you may be right), doesn't mean there isn't another cause you haven't considered. That's your doctor's job.
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    The insurance company probably requires the blood test before they will pay for the other treatment. I'm sorry this happened and hope it all works out!
  • Genetic_tea_drinker
    Genetic_tea_drinker Posts: 125
    Oh wow. Thats interesting. I never knew that physio could be used for trapped nerves. Anti-inflammatories make sense.

    My motto: If there's something wrong with the head, neck or spine take it seriously.
    They are the three areas that I personally wouldn't want to have anything wrong with, so I'd prefer to have a thorough check through.

    When I was telling the doctor about my symptoms once, he seems very disengaged, but after I mentioned back pain he practically jumped out his seat to examine my back to make sure everything was okay. lol
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    Are you in the UK?
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
    My doctor is an idiot, i have been getting pins and needles in my arms and my feet. i know its coming from my neck/back and wanted him to refer me for physio so i could get it free via my health insurance.
    He has refered me to have my bloods checked, but need to go whilst fasting. does he think because i am peri menopausal that i am neurotic. Left without any thing. I am running 10k on saturday any advice.
    :grumble:


    The doctor is an idiot, so when did you attend medical school? And to further exacerbate your condition you are going to run a 10k on Saturday? Did you tell your doctor that?
  • pippywillow
    pippywillow Posts: 253 Member
    The doctor may be right in having you get blood tests before anything else, to rule out something more serious.

    But even if that is the case he should have explained that to you. If you leave a doctor's office without having a proper understanding of what he is doing and why then your doctor isn't doing his job.
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
    The doctor may be right in having you get blood tests before anything else, to rule out something more serious.

    But even if that is the case he should have explained that to you. If you leave a doctor's office without having a proper understanding of what he is doing and why then your doctor isn't doing his job.

    You may be right, but from reading her post she was more interested in:

    knowing that its coming from her neck/back and wanting the doctor to refer her for physio so that she could get it free via her health insurance.

    She had already diagnosed herself before seeing the doctor - who had attending medical school and wanted a bigger picture of what the problem might be.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    For the record, blood tests are always done while fasting. Having recently eaten can affect results by changing blood chemistry. I always schedule my physicals for first thing in the morning to make it easier for me to not eat before.
  • pippywillow
    pippywillow Posts: 253 Member
    For the record, blood tests are always done while fasting. Having recently eaten can affect results by changing blood chemistry. I always schedule my physicals for first thing in the morning to make it easier for me to not eat before.

    Only certain tests are done fasting, cholesterol for example.
    B12 is not a fasting blood test.
    I would probably ask to see the lab order and find out exactly what he's testing.
  • alison590
    alison590 Posts: 61
    What is the point of posting this? You have obviously already diagnosed yourself. As a nurse I can tell you that getting those tests done are far more important than heading straight to physio, which could be detrimental if they don't know what is wrong with you. And to the people telling you that you may need an adjustment or that is may be a pinched nerve that isn't helpful. Nobody on here has assessed this person. What did you expect ? People to come in here and agree with you that your Dr is an idiot and that you are brilliant for diagnosing yourself ?
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    My doctor is an idiot, i have been getting pins and needles in my arms and my feet. i know its coming from my neck/back and wanted him to refer me for physio so i could get it free via my health insurance.
    He has refered me to have my bloods checked, but need to go whilst fasting. does he think because i am peri menopausal that i am neurotic. Left without any thing. I am running 10k on saturday any advice.
    :grumble:

    Maybe he's trying to rule out blood sugar issues. Regardless, bloodwork to check the function of your major organs sound like a good place to start :drinker:
  • LifeWithPie
    LifeWithPie Posts: 552 Member
    Your doctor went to medical school. for a LONG time. I seriously doubt he's an 'idiot'.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    intresting.


    i thought it only happened on the boards, that someone got all bent out of shape when they didn't get the exact answer they wanted. but no, it's out in the real world too.

    good luck on your race. i've raced injured before. suck it up.

    Suck it up? Really? You don't know what's wrong with her and neither does she. Running a race could damage her even more.

    "Suck it up" is probably the worst thing you could tell someone.

    I ran a race injured a few weeks ago and guess what? I am in worse shape than I was BEFORE I did the race. I now need to go to a podiatrist because of the excruciating pain I am in when I walk. I can't do anything that is high impact. Even the stationary bike is bothersome. So while I "sucked it up" and ran injured I probably did more harm to myself than good.
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    I would also say - skip the race on Sat. Do it another time when you are not having a health problem. The last thing you need is to make it worse.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    Tingling could also be a sign of nerve damage, which could be a sign of diabetes. Better safe than sorry, IMHO.

    Diabetes! OMG! I completly forgot about that lol

    Diabetes seems to contribute to everything *sigh* lol

    Indeed. All major body systems. Entrapment syndrome is also part of the wonderful world of diabetes. I'm dealing with piriformis right now...ouch.
    Literally a pain in the butt :ohwell:
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Pns and needles can be any number of things. How do you KNOW why it's happening? Your doctor is doing due diligence.
  • ShellK71
    ShellK71 Posts: 33
    I have pins and needles and numbness in my hands. It was a symptom of anxiety. So it could be a ton of things. Let him rule out certain things first.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    Pns and needles can be any number of things. How do you KNOW why it's happening? Your doctor is doing due diligence.

    Exactly this.

    Self diagnosing the cause or causes of your Paresthesia I would argue is a terrible idea.

    Listen to your Doctor.

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