What Doctor to See | Arthritis Information
What doctor do you go to see for muscle/tendon/ligament problems?
I was thinking a bone & joint Dr, but not totally sure.
Thanks!
My husband always sees an orthopedic for his tendon/ligament issues- but all they ever want to do is operate. When he says no they send him for physical therapy.
I would assume an ortho. Of course, ortho would probably want you to go through rd first since every dr. I go to points the finger at the RA.
Do you think it's ra related or is it something totally different?
RA or fibro related... not totally sure.
I have told every doctor I have seen, even the cardio about my right thigh/hip/leg problem and well, it is just getting worse. Not pain worse, but limited ROM and that spot in my thigh with the "lump" that even the ER Dr said was a muscle in spasm is still there after a year and has moved up my thigh.
Cardio took MRI of it, and they called and said MRI was good. Nothing else.
I just want to be able to lift, bend and have more mobility in my right leg.
Even after Remicade infusion it is not fixed. It is more limber, but not enough that I can put my own sock on that foot.
Now that I think about it, it is probably my own doing. Back when I would be stubborn and walk around and go "shopping" and not ride a mart-cart. When my body was flaring and all.
All of my "ailments" are probably all my fault one way or another.
When I was once really frustrated with my RD(I was having an awful time with the chest wall) I actually wrote him a letter. I love my dr., he is great, but he kept glossing over the issue and focusing on the joints. I wrote about all the ways I was being limited with this problem, and due to the fact that it is the chest, very concerned as well. I tend to cry when I get frustrated and will joke around to diffuse frustrating situation so I don't think he ever really understood at my appointments just how much it was bothering me. When he got the clue, I ended up seeing a couple of specialists and discovered that I do have reduced elascticity in the ribs which is affecting my breathing. Point I am trying to make-you might have a real isssue going on.
Do you think if you really pushed the issue with you rd he would focus on it a bit more. It sounds like you have a pretty good relationship. Honestly, until mine read all the ways it was affecting my daily life, he just didn't get it.
I just hate brining my LONG list of problems to her LOL! I feel like, if I tell her all of the problems she will feel like she is failing me. Especially when she was sooo worried about that TIA & Remicade stuuf. But I think she has moved pass that. Or at least she did not bring it up at my last appt.
I know... how am I going to get anything "fixed" if I keep it all to myself.
My Neurologist even took MRI of my hips too. Because I told him of it. But he never said anything about it either. Just told me nothing on the MRI showed I might need surgery. But he also took MRI of my spine, too. So... I was thinking that was he was talking about.
You just need to call up Dr. House!
Seriously though, you have been talking about this problem for a good long time now. I know you must be incredibly frustrated. Maybe a new ortho would be good. There is obviously something going on. When you see the same dr.'s repeatedly, they already have a diagnosis in mind.
After that first letter that I wrote, my RD asked me to keep doing it. He puts them in my chart along with his notes. He actually reads them in the hall before coming into my room. It is also a teaching hospital and he is the #1 guy in the area. It looks like "Make Way for Ducklings" when he walks. He is always followed by his "groupies" as I call him. Anyway, he passes the letters along to them to read as well. As he says -Patients can describe this illness the best.
sounds like you need a course of physical therapy...if nothing has shown up on MRI or x'ray you are likely dealing with contracted muscles which PT can helpI strongly believe in physical therapy, but it appears you have so many issues, have you every tried a Physiatrist? I went to one after my car accident, they treat everything...your bones, muscles, ligaments, etc........
They do a whole lot of things, incorporating physical therapy, perhaps trigger point injections (I had good succes with those) etc etc...........
One thing that my pain dr. did when I was having the crazy chest wall, shoulder, neck pain was to pretty much put the muscles down my whole arm asleep. That way he could move the arm around without me guarding it and see how much of it was a joint issue, and how much was a muscle issue. There are so many strong muscles that are connected in that area. Kinda the same with your leg. Obvioulsy your leg from the hip down is a pretty large area. There could be so many reasons for the pain-your back, hip, knee......It could even be a problem with your otherside and you are having to overcompensate with the rt. side.
could you have bursitis?
I have it in my hip really bad and about twice a year I get a cortizone shot in it.. boy does that hellp
I will suggest a sports medicine doctor. They know injuries and have a PT practice attached to them, so its easy and they know what is going on in PT. I have noticed whenever PT is prescribed, that sometimes the ordering doctor cannot grasp what is going on as they are not in the PT side of it in a hands on way. Good luck Joonie, and stop beating yourself up. That's only adding more injuries :) CathyOrthos have the best bedside manner of all doctors, they are always so nice. But they are always so focused on "fixing" versus dealing with a long term problem. And I was referred to PT at a place that mainly dealt with surgery rehab, and I really don't think they knew what to do with me. [QUOTE=Debrakay]I strongly believe in physical therapy, but it appears you have so many issues, have you every tried a Physiatrist? I went to one after my car accident, they treat everything...your bones, muscles, ligaments, etc........
They do a whole lot of things, incorporating physical therapy, perhaps trigger point injections (I had good succes with those) etc etc...........
[/QUOTE]
excellent suggestion
JSNM- have you've been lucky with sports medicine specialists dealing with RA issues. i've found the ones I've seen really weren't schooled well in RA and as a result got very frustrated with one joint issue affecting other joints
buckeye2009-03-21 18:08:28Justsay - Usually a PT office connected to an orthopedic group of doctors is a "POP" clinic.
That is a "Physician Owned Practice". In straight terms, they refer to their own physical therapy clinic as they get a cut in the money and don't refer elsewhere even if it's best for the patient. You may want to check out where you're going. If you're having good luck, that's great however, that's usually not the case.
There is your basic physical therapy, and practices that are specialized in an area. Our office does all kinds of physical therapy, however, we specialize in orthopedic care and the spine. Again, we still do all kinds of PT.
Thanks DebraKay, I still think a sports medicine doctor might be a good choice.
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