Can GP refer a patient for Spinal De-Compression Therapy?

[cc120]

Or will my GP tell me that I have to live with the pain again.

[Hidden]

Your GP can refer you to a consultant,then it's up to him to refer you.If you get that far to see a consultant and you feel that's what you need stamp your feet. Your GP can't refuse to send you to a specialist.

[cc120 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Gemini, when I had sciatica a couple of months ago, my GP said that the only thing she could advise is for me to keep mobile to keep the spinal fluid mobile. She said she couldn't refer me to a chiropractor.

[johnsmith in reply to cc120]

Look up the NICE guidelines. Show the Gp the NICE guidelines.

Hope this helps

[cc120 in reply to johnsmith]

Hi Johnsmith, I did have a look at NICE guidelines. I believe there was reference to lumbar decompression which means an operation, but couldn't see anything regarding spinal decompression as done by simply stretching the spine on a contraption.

[johnsmith in reply to cc120]

Stretching the spine on a contraction has been known not to work in a large number of cases. This is because it is unable to tackle individual muscle groups that are in spasm.

Spinal decompression can take place when individual muscle groups which are in spasm have there spasms removed.

McTimony chiropractic does a lot of this sort of work using well trained hands. Alexander Technique also does this sort of work using well trained hands.

My understanding is the NICE guidelines do recommend chiropractic and osteopathic treatments.

An Operation if something goes wrong cannot be reversed. Chiropractic treatment should not damage bones nor leave scar tissue.

[cc120 in reply to johnsmith]

Thank you for your comments on this posting, could you have a quick look at:

healthunlocked.com/painconc...

Pretty please.

[Boozybird]

Do you mean decompression? As in having a discectomy or laminectomy? Or do you mean dome kind of physical therapy such as physio or cranial sacral therapy? Some therapies you can just choose for yourself and go but you pay but others are free through GP referral on the NHS.... 😜

[cc120 in reply to Boozybird]

Sorry, yes I do mean decompression, have edited post title : ). Wouldn't want any kind of surgery, I don't think cranial scacral therapy would be sufficient. So basically at the mercy of whether a GP would refer me to chiropractor (already sent to NHS physios who were completely useless) to get decompression therapy, unless I pay for it?

[Boozybird in reply to cc120]

Have you had MRI to find out what you're dealing with? I just ask as sometimes physios and chiros can be useless or reckless but if everyone knows for example that you have a disc prolapse and its acute then treatment should be better tailored? GPs run their own course nowadays so if the practice you're with doesn't offer in house chiro or refer for acupuncture for example perhaps time to check around.... Some are more pro active than others... Best wishes

[cc120 in reply to Boozybird]

I did have an MRI, which showed up wear and tear on discs and bulging discs, with comment that no further treatment was needed. I subsequently found out that I had a dislocated sacroiliac joint, which I finally was able to manipulate back into place, but then I suffered the sciatica.

So other surgeries might have an inhouse chiropractor. If this one did, would GP have told me, or perhaps she didn't consider my condition serious enough?

[Boozybird in reply to cc120]

It's good you know from MRI what your back looks like and should help practitioners treat you. Check the surgery website to see what they offer or phone the receptionist. When I say in house I mean they let practitioners use a treatment room in the surgery. Best wishes

[cc120 in reply to Boozybird]

Thank you Boozybird, the practice website doesn't reveal anything, but I will try asking (again) the GP when I hopefully see her in a week and a half.

[cc120 in reply to Boozybird]

Hi Boozybird, please see: healthunlocked.com/painconc...

[Boozybird in reply to cc120]

MRI reports often have these findings. Were you in an accident to have dislocated your SI joint? These are usually robust joints but I know chiros like to blame them as pain causing... Sometimes they can be troublesome post childbirth but in my view (I'm not medically trained!) it's usually and more likely the closed packed L5 facet joints that cause pain as they are highly enervated. As your MRI suggests also that you have a right facet at L5 that is irritating the exiting spinal nerve it might be reasonable to assume this is your most likely pain source secondary to a dehyrading disc at L5. Hard to fix but best to try all treatments before thinking about surgery. It is also 5 years since your MRI so if your pain is worse or you can't walk without weakness in legs then time to ask for another and referral for pain clinic treatment? If you want to find a chiro or physio with good reputation then you'll probs have to go privately. You could try the yoga for backs people if they have a class near you? Best wishes

[cc120 in reply to Boozybird]

Thank you Boozybird, the sacroiliac joint displacement was the result of an accident, a fall off a fence onto my hip/upper thigh. Didn't realist the problem till years later. The pain following the accident was improved by manipulating by a physio, who twisted my upper body quickly and I believe lodged the part of the joint under the other part, making more stable but not actually fitting/slotting it into place. Ridges in one side have to fit into grooved the other side, which I believe did happen in bed when I was in a strange position and twisted my upper body and felt and heard a grating. You're right about L5, stupidly damaged this when removing soil in a large wheel barrow, twisted my spine and squashed the disc several times when trying to maneuver the wheel barrow into my hall.

[cc120 in reply to Boozybird]

Hi Boozybird, have you had any treatment yet?

[Boozybird in reply to cc120]

Hi there, I'm a big chicken when it comes to treatment nowadays but I've pretty much tried everything in the past. Chiros and physios have their role in treatment but I manage myself mostly along with meds and my own exercise regime which is almost nothing....I'm thinking about something called Gelstix but the risk may well be too great and I'll carry on waiting for stem cell therapy to regenerate my discs....I might be waiting a long time! Lol

How are you getting on? 😜👍🏽

[cc120 in reply to Boozybird]

I read a little about Gelstix which I've never heard before on: spinal-foundation.org/surgi...

GP has been unhelpful but tried the exercises recommended by someone on here, the rolling spine exercise really helped: simplebackpain.com/howtorel...

I thought stem cell surgery/treatment was to regenerate the spinal cord/nerves?

[Boozybird in reply to cc120]

Sorry to here the GP wasn't supportive. It's hard to find one who knows anything about backs...my GP didn't know anything about gelstix either. She looked bored in fact! I'd be worried that failure might lead to instability and force me into fusion so it's a mulling things over game for me... Stem cells can hopefully regenerate all types of body bits in the future. Apparently the tennis player Rafael Nadal had stem cells for his discs. Haven't heard if they helped... Think the current problem is that they just fall out...like gelstix can....Sarah key's stuff is great. I use it often. How's your back doing? 😃