Macleod's Thryoid Examination: youtube.com/watch... - Thyroid UK

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Macleod's Thryoid Examination

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youtube.com/watch?v=c0-A6SN...

Here's a short version of a Thryoid examination -

there's loads on Youtube, mostly for training purposes it seems.

(no temperature check or ankle reflex testing etc. in this one)

Do we all have regular examinations or do we just get bloods tested?

PS I'm sure I recognise the commentator from snooker! J :D

31 Replies

has no-one actually been examined then?

I did have the swallowing bit done once (without water) J

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply to

Nothing like as comprehensively as that!

in reply tohelvella

and that's only the meagre short version, of course docs are not allowed to touch you nowadays! you're lucky if they actually take their eyes away from the PC screen to acknowledge you're really there! J :D

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to

Ummm... are you joking there? Being sarcastic? Docs are NOT ALLOWED to touch you??? Please tell me that's a joke...

in reply togreygoose

not a joke sorry, they are scared of touching us! There's a BIG emphasis on asking first, but many don't even attempt asking!

I have noticed this on USA sites - PT means they 'get hands on' physio treatment, here they don't and only suggest exercises you can do yourself - which is quite silly when you are not instructed how to do them, physically, and the very nature of the problem means you can't actually manipulate the site yourself (e.g. neck). well - my experience anyway! J :D

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to

Good lord! Words fail me. So how do they know if you've got, say, appendicitis? What about when you're pregnant? As I remember there was no end of touching when I had my three! That is absolutely rediculous and self-defeating. You cannot effectively treat people like that.

Grey :(

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply togreygoose

Sorry, more thoughts, so they are scared of touching because... they are afraid of being sued for sexual assault? But they're not afraid of being sued for mal-practice? There's something wrong there...

snowstorm profile image
snowstorm

Nope, the only tests have been bloods!!! Oh, I lie --- once throat was checked for any swelling. Had no idea there were other examinations.

sharon62 profile image
sharon62

All I got was a blood test, never get checked.

Lizf1006 profile image
Lizf1006

I had 4 or 5 of these tests just once from my endo on the first visit. On subsequent visits "how are you feeling" with little comment to my response, and then blood tests discussed briefly. Generally I feel like a 'number' and time to listen to me and really help me is time consuming for the endo. Why oh why can't we have a dedicated thyroid clinic in hospitals?

GPs rarely examine you or do a proper test, nor do they take a history. I found that when I changed practices all the basic stuff was done by a nurse and no doctor ever looked at the results. They diagnose from computer and via the test. Consultants give you the type of examination you might have once got from a GP, but of course they are generally just as reliant on the test and ignore symptoms and don't know how to to treat the disease properly.

tulula59 profile image
tulula59

Never, never, never.

Not in any way shape or form!

Not even a tiny bit.

Nope

Absolutely no.

Confused77 profile image
Confused77

I have had my thyroid palpitated that way by my GP and an ENT consultant but not by the Endo who only asked me to swallow while he watched. I was interested in what the commentator said about listening for the characteristic voice of someone with severe hypothyroidism as I have not heard of this before. Does anyone know what the characteristics are? Also does he really say "feel for a thrill" at one stage in the clip or did I mis-hear it?!?

kittyf profile image
kittyf in reply toConfused77

You didn't mishear "feel for a thrill." A medical definition for thrill is 'A vibration accompanying a cardiac or vascular murmur that can be palpated.' This can indicate heart problems, sometimes a complication of hypo/hyperthyroidism.

Confused77 profile image
Confused77 in reply tokittyf

Thanks Kitty, there were a few words in the clip that I didn't understand but I guess that's not surprising as the film was made for medics. I'm convinced they like to use obscure terms to stop patients from knowing what they're talking about!

sadiestairwell profile image
sadiestairwell

Amazing! No one has laid hands on me at all - it's all in the blood.And I was told that I wasn't hypo despite oedema, hoarse voice, carpal tunnel pain...Thanks for the post.

Hashoo profile image
Hashoo

I think I'd die of shock if a doctor touched me in this country....I think I remember one accidentally touching my arm when trying to take my blood pressure...oh wait, that was a nurse.... but other than that they don't even look at you for too long in case you sue them for sexual harassment!!!...possibly part of the problem!!!.....atm can't even get referred to an endo because (quote) ...they can take care of it at the GP's, so can only comment on them.....I gave them an ultra sound scan of my thyroid proving that I have a goitre and they said "can't read them so don't bother putting it on your file".....

Neck felt from behind ten + years ago by Endo. after Rheumatologist (without touching me had said I had Graves)he could not have looked down at my eyes for proptosis as we were standing and he was shorter than me:-)

Neck felt from behind early 2012 by ENT (who was trying to diagnose an ear problem) sent me for scan. He spent some time gently palpating my neck and may have looked down at my eyes as I was seated. Soon after hypo diagnosis.

What about observing body and head hair?

2011 asked a Doctor (now retired from General Practice) about tremor he said 'could be Parkinsons just hold that thought'. From first meeting I felt he had come to hate his job and felt relieved when he went on to other things.

Thanks for post good one. Dont watch snooker but his voice does sound to me as if he is creaping around a snooker table!

ravenhex profile image
ravenhex

Whoah a proper investigation.Shock how did they let that person out to do such things. People might get diagnosed properly, the horror, the horror. lol

.Endo never has done any of that. Only once has my GP touched my neck, Orthopedic Specialty several times. Give the latter their dues they did note the tremor and heat differences and poke me about a bit.

greygoose profile image
greygoose

Yes, most of that, but no water. lol What has never happened to me is a doctor or nurse saying "would it be alright if I examine you"! Most of the time it's orders: get undressed! get up on the table! turn over! etc etc etc.

When I first saw Dr D in Paris, I had to fill in a 32 page questionnaire which covered just about everything! He examinded my nails and my tongue and palpated (is that the word?) my stomach, listened to my heart, and did reflex tests and just about everything else you can think of. He even took a full-length photo for future reference. I was with him for about an hour and a half. But all that was just to verify his first impressions. The minute I walked into his surgery, he said: Madame, your thyroid is dead and your adrenals are about to follow it. And that just by looking at me. He then ordered very comprehensive blood tests, which threw my local vampires into confusion because they didn't know what half of them were! lol

in reply togreygoose

WOW, GREY GOOSE IT MIGHT BE WORTH SENDING OUR DRS TO FRANCE FOR THYROID TRAINING, YOU MUST HAVE BEEN OVER THE MOON! EVE,

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to

I was too terrified to be happy. I knew he was obviously a step above the other doctors I'd see, but I still awaited that TSH with dread! As it happened, when he saw the result, he said: pft, we're not interested in that! lol

But Dr D travels round the world lecturing and teaching other doctors about thyroid. Which is good in a way but also means it's now next to impossible for his patients to get an appointment with him. Ah well, can't have it both ways.

in reply togreygoose

SUCH IS LIFE! STAY AS WELL AS YOU CAN X

debjs profile image
debjs

Consultant physician did used to measure my goitre with a tape measure but I always wondered what use it was as it never seemed to be in the same place!

tavy profile image
tavy

No one has ever checked me like this. In over 15yrs! Even the only time I saw an endocrinologist.

delabutte profile image
delabutte

No, I have never had anyone check me this thoroughly. The only time I have ever had a GP(a very arrogant locum at my current GP practice) feel my neck, I was grabbed from the front with one hand with the words "you don't have a goitre", spoken in an accusing tone. I never said I did have a goitre. No one has ever taken any notice of my thick and scalloped tongue - but then they never take any notice of anything I say and the cop out is it "cannot possibly be thyroid related". The Endo's I have seen have been worse than the GPs!

Rainey62 profile image
Rainey62

Never had an examination like this. Only thing I had which is shown on here is to hold the arms out in front of the body at shoulder leve.

serenfach profile image
serenfach

Neither GP or Endo did anything but look at the blood results. Oh, hang on, early on I complained of lots of things, including numb feet. He did ask me to take my shoes and socks off, and glanced at my feet. He then said "come back when you know what is wrong with you", So there you go - for hypothyroid, look at a patients feet. Maybe he had his text book upside down during the half hour on thyroid in training....

in reply toserenfach

I'd Lol if it wasn't so true! "come back when you know what's wrong with you?" good grief! what are they paid for! - tempted to say go see a vet (not implying anything about you obviously) except you'd get a better treatment without having to say a word!! J x

serenfach profile image
serenfach

I live in the back of beyond, and when I was in a car crash, I was told to drive 40 miles to the nearest hospital for an xray, and then of course 40 miles back! I went to my local vet (5 miles), who I know well, and he did an xray then and there, and confirmed nothing broken! Shame he could not prescribe anything for the hashis! Told to keep it quiet though! Shhhh!

Cee123 profile image
Cee123

The only doctor or specialist that has touched my neck is Dr S. Just go by blood results.

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