Useless Doctors nowdays...

[Xiph0id]

So the last week my elbow had been getting worse and worse to the point where I would swing a hammer and loose almost all strength and almost drop it.

I went to the doctor today after much research online this weekend with rest to try to be informed before hand.

I had to ask here serveral times what is wrong with it until she finally told me pulled tendons. This was of course after a very brief examination without asking me the conditions of when it causes pain as it's only certain movements.

Tonight I actually had to stop folding laundry, I could not do it.

She gave me a Rx for some anti-inflammatory and sent me for an Xray.
What will an Xray do anyway for a sprain or any tendon/nerve issues?

I'm still not sure whats wrong, she din't recommend and stretching, exercises, suggest physio or anything....

Pills and Xray and done.
Follow up is in 10 days.

I felt kinda like the women I used to see when I was a young stud, in out and done!

Sigh......

[flyguyd]

Get a tendonitis brace. If you swing a hammer for a living it probly tennis elbow.

[het4human]

A friend of mine went to see a doctor once cause she had pain in her lower abdomen.

It's indigestion was the answer she received.

6 weeks later it was emergency surgery to remove a rapid growing tumor that ended in her never being able to have children.

Nice job Doc.

[Xiph0id]

Originally Posted by flyguyd

Get a tendonitis brace. If you swing a hammer for a living it probly tennis elbow.

Already done. Read about it lots last night.
Thanks for the suggestion.

[bison]

Originally Posted by het4human

A friend of mine went to see a doctor once cause she had pain in her lower abdomen.

It's indigestion was the answer she received.

6 weeks later it was emergency surgery to remove a rapid growing tumor that ended in her never being able to have children.

Nice job Doc.

BIL had severe back pain, doctor said you're constipated take exlax.
5 days later BIL was dead.. massive kidney failure.

[troutbug]

When I first went in to get my back checked when the pain was to sever to handle I went to the Medi center in st albert....biggest mistake ever.....Saw some russian lady doctor, she got me to bend a few different ways...asked how bad it hurt....gave me a prescription for muscle relaxants and got me to do an xray and said shed call with results, she figured it was pulled muscles

Never heard from her and it turns out to be a bulged L4 and bad herniated L5 lol

[Unregistered user]

O.P. I had something very similar which resulted in me writing off last summer. Turned out I had a poor fitting bike helmet and started using bi-focals for reading, both causing me to bend back at the neck too much and compressing a nerve. Very miserable, horrible pain, posture is important after all.

[Eddy62]

I had the same problem with my elbow ( constant swinging off a hammer ) I went in to the docs and received a cortisone shot in my affected area and my problem has not re occurred for over 6 years. I am not a doctor but I had the same problem and they call it tennis elbow. be prepared as the time I had it done alberta health care paid for visit but I had to pay 10 dollars out off my pocket for the shot.

arm was sore for 2 days after the shot but when it went away my arm was like new.

[FishingMOM]

I was just able to complete the specialist instructions, it only took me 14 months.
It should have taken 3 months.
So today I get to go argue with him that there is something seriously wrong.

Who has bail money to get me out of jail when I lose my cool with him?

[Dewey Cox]

Yeah, Doctors are so dumb.
That's why I do all my own surgery.

[ÜberFly]

Get a 2nd opinion!! Go to a physiotherapist. Most GPs know f-all about musculoskeletal injuries. Physiotherapists deal with them 24/7!!

Get the right tool for the job!!

[Grizzly Adams]

Sometimes you've just got to give it a rest. Time cures a lot of things.

Grizz

[josey]

For a "tennis elbow" this works great:
http://www.mobilitywod.com/2012/04/b...tennis-do-you/

(You don't have to buy a voodoo band, you can use a bike tire tube)

[ETOWNCANUCK]

Originally Posted by FishingMOM

I was just able to complete the specialist instructions, it only took me 14 months.
It should have taken 3 months.
So today I get to go argue with him that there is something seriously wrong.

Who has bail money to get me out of jail when I lose my cool with him?

I'll offer up the first $20.

[CptnBlues63]

I was diagnosed with "tennis elbow" some years back by my family Dr. I followed his advice, wore the brace and was in constant nagging pain for a year or so.

One day while at my chiropractors for an adjustment he saw my elbow brace and asked what was wrong. I told him. I worked on it two or three times for me and I haven't had a problem since. It's been about 3 years now of pain free activity.

You might want to check in with a Chiropractor if you haven't already.

[covey ridge]

XiphOid,

Sounds like what you have is tennis elbow. I have TE. It is usually caused by over working the small tendons. The pain experienced is from mildly annoying to very sore and up to EXCRUIATING. Your doc should do X-Rays to rule out other causes. Excruciating pain usually only happens when one does not stop activity at the sore stage and pushes through. The remedy involves getting rid of the inflammation, rest and then light exercise. Getting rid of the inflammation and rest and heading need to happen before the exercise starts or it will get worse. Pain killers may help you work through the pain but may cause a worsening of the condition like what happens when you missed the signal to stop and rest and heal. With out proper healing TE usually becomes chronic. Good luck

[Ken07AOVette]

I was fighting tennis elbow terribly bad in February and worried about not being able to fly fish when on holidays, bought a TENS unit and zero problems since.

[FishingMOM]

Originally Posted by ETOWNCANUCK

I'll offer up the first $20.

Ah dont worry I used my words and fired the doctor, now I need a new one.

[a little redneck]

You have to be a good story teller and if it hurts say so, they aren't mind readers. If they don't 'get it', then go to a different doctor. Most are good, some are real good and some don't hear what you're telling them and shoo you away so they can get onto the next patient.

You have to be your own advocate, good luck. The system does work when you really need it.

[Red Bullets]

You may want to read what others are saying about your doctor or use the website to help decide which doctor you would like to see. Or maybe even leave a post there about your doctor.

http://www.ratemds.com/doctors/AB

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Sometimes you've just got to give it a rest. Time cures a lot of things.

Grizz

yep

[Lucky707]

Doctors at walk-in clinics are the worst. I sometimes wonder how they are still allowed to practice.

[pickrel pat]

Ya..... doctors are stupid..... Probably just people who couldnt make it on the rigs physically.

[troutbug]

Originally Posted by pickrel pat

Ya..... doctors are stupid..... Probably just people who couldnt make it on the rigs physically.

The best yet was when my wife was pregnant and getting sever pain in her stomache. Doctor didnt do any tests or anything, told her to take a tylenol and sent her home.

Later that she turned white, threw up on me and passed out.

Saw a different doc and turns ouf she had gall stones.

Dr.fade....worst doc ever...people in town here refuse to see her

[rem338win]

I have a train wreck load of bad experiences wit Docs, but the tops is when my wife was 15 weeks pregnant with our second daughter. He couldn't get a heart beat on the Doppler and hormone testing said the hormones were dropping off.
Doc said "baby is dead, so sorry, I want to book a D&C for tomorrow."
Wife said "I have a history of really low fluid which messes with Doppler and my hormones should be dropping"
Doc said "no way,baby is dead, you're too small to be 15 weeks you need a D&C".
We said "your the doc, you know best. We would like an ultrasound before the D&C for piece of mind".
He grudgingly agreed and a few days later I'm in a waiting room waiting to go in and hold my wife's hand while we find out how bad it is. Technician comes out to get me and I ask "how bad is it?" He looks at me and says "what do you mean? You've got a healthy 16 week old baby..."
I started crying right there. The stupid SOB was going to stick my little girl in a damn blender because he was to damn smart to listen to my wife.
Don't worry, the doc lived.

[bloopbloob]

I was almost crippled for life because a gp told me I had a sprained knee, when I actually had a torn ACL, MCL, and PCL, and meniscus. Repeated trips back over the next 3 months and I'd had enough and knew he was wrong. Got into the Glen Sather sports clinic, he immediately diagnosed me with the 3 torn ligaments and cartilage, he cancelled an Edmonton Oilers surgey to get me in the next day. The ligaments had shrunk so bad over those 3 months they could not be saved. Surgeries cost over $120,000, had to have holes drilled in my bones, my hamstrings were cut and unfolded, then sewn through my bones and screwed in. My new doctor asked for the GP's name and was going to report him for negligence because my injury was so obviously not just a sprain. Don't know what ever came of that...

[bloopbloob]

I also have avoided dentists like the plague for years, as no matter how much freezing they give, i still feel it all. Until this year, when my old dentist got arrested, and got a new one. She wasn't sure why I wouldn't freeze, but 5 minutes of questions with the head Dentist and it Turns out I have a rare secondary nerve pathway, which no dentist every thought to consider before. No more pain with another shot in the right place. So now I have about 10 years of dental work to catch up on...

[Unregistered user]

I guess that's why they call it a practice.

[C & C]

There has been some good advice in the thread. Is this your family Dr. or just a walk-in clinic?

You need to remember that although you may only seek medical advice when it’s needed there is a large portion of the public that abuse the system. They are there for drugs or because their cat scratched their elbow and it’s been a day and still red.

If it’s a walk-in then they don't know you and may have never seen you before. There isn't a great information sharing system yet so they can't bring up previous medical records easily. The elbow x-ray is likely a precaution and the anti-inflammatory will help even with tendon problems.

REST the arm, give it some time and then follow up. You can go to physio even if the Dr doesn't suggest it and ask there about your symptoms. People pay to go to physio and that weeds out a ton of the drug seekers and cat scratch people.

Try to remember that Dr’s are not always going to diagnose you instantly and unfortunately some of them have lost of bit of their caring from the numerous people that abuse the system. Like said above you need to be your own advocate, if you feel it’s more serious say so, ask for some diagnostic imaging (maybe a U/S in your case or a MR if you think it’s needed). Lastly if you can get a family Dr; there are a few here and there and at least get a yearly done. They will have your records and it becomes much much easier to diagnose you, know you and your pain tolerances and know that you are not just seeking some drugs.

[Lucky707]

Originally Posted by bloopbloob

I was almost crippled for life because a gp told me I had a sprained knee, when I actually had a torn ACL, MCL, and PCL, and meniscus. Repeated trips back over the next 3 months and I'd had enough and knew he was wrong. Got into the Glen Sather sports clinic, he immediately diagnosed me with the 3 torn ligaments and cartilage, he cancelled an Edmonton Oilers surgey to get me in the next day. The ligaments had shrunk so bad over those 3 months they could not be saved. Surgeries cost over $120,000, had to have holes drilled in my bones, my hamstrings were cut and unfolded, then sewn through my bones and screwed in. My new doctor asked for the GP's name and was going to report him for negligence because my injury was so obviously not just a sprain. Don't know what ever came of that...

Testing for torn menisci and ligaments on physical exam takes under a minute. Your new doctor is very right.