getting worried

[mjm44]

I injured my back on the 10th of Nov ( 8 days ago) and it seems to be getting worse and that worries me.

My DX was strain but now i have shooting electrical shock type pain in my leg, my neck has a stiff cramp feeling, my shoulder aches and burns and my lower back just burns and burns and still, after 8 days feels very bruised and tender. I almost feel like the PA ( my doc was unavailable) thinks I'm faking, she touched the back and says it is noce and soft and there are no lumps or knots.

the pain keeps me awake at night and the pain killers are about gone. I worry about asking for more becasue I don't want the doc to think I'm a drug seeker. The PA and the ER doc both said I should be all better in a few days, I only got a off work for two weeks. What do I do, I know there is no way I can go back like this, I can't even lift a gallon of milk with out pain and I'm required to lift people at work

I worry about not reporting the neck and shoulder thing right away because it just sort of crept up on me, like it wasn't apperent right away but now it's 24/7

how do you prove pain,

this is an injury related to lifting/dropping heavy weight.

it makes sense that the neck and shulder be involved but it didn't hurt right away, so I don't want work to think I'm faking.

I don't know what to think or what to do.

haet patches help some with the lower back but they cost so much and a heating pad limits my ability to move about the house, plus you shouldn't sleep with them. Can you get the patches from comp?

I'm worried about then ew pains because they didn't hurt right away.

[ksgirl]

I also have a lower back injury and even though I didn't injure my neck or shoulders, they started hurting a couple of weeks after my back injury. I think they started hurting because of the way I was holding my body.
I like the way that heat helps my muscles relax, but ice seems to make me feel better. I like to take a long hot shower and then put an ice pack on when I get out of the shower.
I really hope you get to feeling better soon. If you don't tell the dr you want an mri to rule out any disc damage. Best of luck!

[AQA]

1) You can not prove pain. Everyone is different. One persons perception will be different from another

2) I almost feel like the PA ( my doc was unavailable) thinks I'm faking, she touched the back and says it is noce and soft and there are no lumps or knots.
I have no ideal what that means. The part about " no lumps or knots ". If you have a problem with a disk, just feeling of the back would not prove or show anything. That is what tests are for. Such ad mri's, mylograms, ct scans, ect. ect.

3) When I injured my back. I went to my pcp.. He gave me meds. A week latter I was in the er for surgery #1. It is not uncommon for other problems to show up after the muscels have had time to relax.

4) I would report everthing that is going on with your body to your treating Dr.. The heck with worrying about them thinking you are just seeking drugs. If you don't speak up, you may not get the testes you need or they will be delayed.

take Care

[mjm44]

Thanks, ksgirl I hope it is just a case of using my body differently.

aqa, yes I will report things for sure, I just worry about this some, I've never dealt with a back injury or workmans comp and my boss has a hundred questions and they are all asked with an accusing tone. That is why I worried about new pain in an area not originally complained about and I also worried about proving the pain, cuz this lady she is like a private investigator or something, so many snotty questions.

What you both state is making sense, with this is a something that didn't show it self right away or, as I'm hoping, the resultof poor posture and being stiff.

thank you. I'll be calling the docs office in the morning.

[tweety00]

Remember what causes the most pain is what you feel at the moment ..
So if you bang your thumb right now you would feel that pain and other areas wont hurt as bad

Now dont go trying this Dont want to see or know someone who tries this ..

[Lilly]

mjm,
When I orig injured my shoulder it was a sudden very intense pain in the shoulder itself when the accident happened, after it went clunk, apparently it went back into joint and ceased to hurt although it was very sore & sloppy feeling. My back below my shoulder was the worst painful area for about the first two weeks....then the pain started moving up into the shoulder...and that's where it landed and stayed. I had dislocated it and apparently pulled (or as WC always says "strained")some muscles in the area below which caused my back pain. I think in ones' back....there are several areas that will have pain because of all the nerves located in the spine, and yes....you hold your body differently as muscle spasms happen to protect certain areas & the pain is there to let you know there is a problem....and to stay off it. You must relay your symptoms to the doc.....piss on the PA's thoughts & actions towards you (I don't trust em) YOU know your body, and it's telling you something is wrong!
Take care of yourself & good luck, Lilly

[vickinat]

mjm,
I agree with the other's as far as telling the treating doctor about your increased pain and new symptoms. I would also make sure that your employer DID file a workers comp claim. They should have alist of doctors that you can see. I injured my lower back at work,a year ago. I first had the sharp pain across my lower back and into the left hip. I too originally was told it was a strain and sciatica. I finally had an X-ray which was ok, then an MRI which showed 3 discs bulges, an EMG showed chronic radiculpothy of the L5-S1 nerve root. This pain ended up including the leg and buttock area as well.

Then a fews weeks ago I had an MVA and had neck and shoulder injuries along with the aggravation of the previous injuries. I found out from the C-Spine MRI that I have 3 herniated discs, 3 annular tears, 2 bulging discs, 1 protusion and 1 desiccated discs, and EMG showed no nerve damage, and I will get the results of the shoulder MRI today.

I would definetly ask if they would do an MRI, some I/C and doctors want to try meds, such as anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers, steroids and pain relievers first for several weeks and ussually physical therapy, before they will do an MRI. This is only my experience though.

I hope you feel better soon, and welcome to the forum.
Take care
Vickie

[mjm44]

thanks Vicki, I hesitated to ask for a Doc recommended by work, seems to me, and I could be wrong, that the docs that work for WC just want to rush the worker back to work, I mean isn't that their goal?

Thanks for the welcome, you replied to a post of mine last week.

your experience seems to be right on, sis hurt her shoulder and never did get an x ray or an mri or a cat scan, just a lot of therapy and some weird doc who did weird message. her shoulder never did get all the way better and still causes her problems to this day. The made her return to work after a year, she evern got a lawyer who said WC was correct. Doesn't seem right she can't get amri or cat scan. she said if she paid for it by herself she would void out her comp claim for future shoulderproblems,


I was put on pain meds and muscle relaxers and told to take ibuprofen for anti inflamitory purposes.

instead of getting better I have more pain now than I did a week ago.

Thanks for the advice and opinions

hope you all do well.

[Tuffy]

I also injured my lower back and Employee health Dr did an x-ray, gave muscle relaxers, and PT which after a week my pain was worse, went to my PCP who ordered a MRI and Herniated discs were found.

I finished my shift the day of injury and then could not get out of bed the next day and in 4 days the pain was worse. Do not be afraid to go to your Dr and ask for a MRI. If your injury was just a sprain/strain you pain should be getting better by now. Good Luck and remember you and your health come first.

[borninabarn]

If it happend at work report asap.I waited for a week to report it because I was hoping it would get better and I liked the job I was at.It did not get better.Report it now!It will work out better in the end after the long fight,long fight.