Dull the symptoms or solve the problem?

eventerbabe

Well-Known Member
Dec 16, 2004
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I have been "lame" since October. I don't know what I did to my ankle but I damaged something, somehow. I've been limping ever since. Pain is now chronic. Not unbearable in wellies as my muck boots are so rigid they immobilise the joint! Back of ankle is swollen and I can't get anything other than comfy flats on. I never, ever go to the doctors but hubby made me make an appointment. So, after a 4 week wait for said appointment I finally got to see a GP who told me to take pain killers and smother in voltarol for 4 weeks and if no better come back.

That got me thinking about the standard of care my horses get versus the treatment I got for my ankle. My vets are very much about finding the cause of issues. The therapists I use look to finding the cause (normally his nibs stifles!) and working to strengthen them, thus getting to the cause of any equine lameness. My GP on the other hand wasn't interested in what was causing my pain, just about doping me up on pain killers. I shredded the prescription and won't be taking his advice.....

Has human medicine, particularly general practice, got something to learn from veterinary care? I am now using my arc equine on myself and having the sports therapist who treats Kez look at my leg instead of sticking with the NHS.
 
If you went private I bet you would see a difference? We pay the vet and not saying they are money making because ours isn't like that-I mean they get to invest in all the latest machines.
We had a new scanner when the cob was lame, swear she just wanted to try it out! It ruled out a problem but still required box rest and revaluate. Is your gp doing the same? Or did it feel more go away?

Ps I hope it's not your ligament because that takes months to heal and I got told to keep on hopping as would heal too short.
 
Oh GP wasn't interested. I felt very much like I was wasting his time. Very ironic given I work with his wife who frequently comments I should see a doctor coz I've been limping for months!

When I got home yesterday my tax statement was waiting, with a statement of just how much national insurance I've paid. Unless I'm mistaken does that not partly go towards the NHS? Given the £4K+ I've paid in in the last 12 months I'm sure he could do more than prescribe voltarol!

Sadly we've had to use private medical insurance multiple times over the years in my family. For mums op, dads skin cancer, sisters tendonitis (which started like mine) and my grandads cancer treatment. I, when covered by my dads work medical insurance, had treatment for back and knee injuries privately. I'm now using my own £400 piece of kit (the arc) and paying for private Physio.

It was just the complete lack of interest in the cause. In total contrast to recent vet visits where the focus has been to treat symptoms but also investigate to make things better, not just mask it. Surely, for long term health, that is the better option?
 
I sometimes think it all depends on who you see - one of my old gp's was never shy about referrals. He automatically referred myself and OH if there was even the slightest hint it could be further investigsted. Hmm. Sorry you are lame. I hope it heals properly and soon - it is no fun at all when you keep horses and have to keep going!
 
I find gp's suck for me, I'm not a crier or a whiner, and that seems to go against you.

Years ago I'd had a 'fall' Bull riding and hurt my back, I went to the docs 3x about it and was told paracetamol if needed and carry on as normal including riding. On the last visit they relented and referred me to physio who found Id fractured my spine, but after 13 weeks it was too late to worry about it. Same gp referred a friend to addenbrokes for what turned out to be a pulled muscle in her back because she cried a lot :mad:

Now days they just blame any pain on my fibro and give me more pain killers so it's pointless even going, pretty sure I've torn my rotator cuff but i know what they will say so havent bothered.
 
Well I was told i would be referred to physio after my accident in October. When I spoke to my GP a couple of weeks later they told me that it would take months for a referral I would be better to go private. I've still had nothing. I've been told by friends that I can self refer myself. Interestingly neither the Dr or the hospital told me this at the time.
If you want an emergency appointment at our surgery you have to do a phone call back and the Dr will decide if they think you need to come in. I was in so much pain this is what I did. The Dr just said if your concerned come and see us. Well I wouldn't have been ringing to get an emergency appointment if i wasn't concerned about my pain level. I put the phone down and cried. I felt very fobbed off. 4 months on I'm still having problems but I see no point in going to the drs. I can't afford to go private. So I'm just going to have to live with the pain. Actually that's actually more or less the words the Dr used as well.
 
Well I was told i would be referred to physio after my accident in October. When I spoke to my GP a couple of weeks later they told me that it would take months for a referral I would be better to go private. I've still had nothing. I've been told by friends that I can self refer myself. Interestingly neither the Dr or the hospital told me this at the time.
If you want an emergency appointment at our surgery you have to do a phone call back and the Dr will decide if they think you need to come in. I was in so much pain this is what I did. The Dr just said if your concerned come and see us. Well I wouldn't have been ringing to get an emergency appointment if i wasn't concerned about my pain level. I put the phone down and cried. I felt very fobbed off. 4 months on I'm still having problems but I see no point in going to the drs. I can't afford to go private. So I'm just going to have to live with the pain. Actually that's actually more or less the words the Dr used as well.
I haha just self referred for physio today, had an email back with some initial exercises within hours and have to call in 48 hours totget appointment. My docs are useless but the physios are normally marginally better.
 
Ouch that sounds painful! I think like said above it depends on who you see, like everything some seems better than others. Hope your ankle is better soon!
 
This sort of thing makes me so damn angry!
The only difference between human medicine and vet medicine is as horse owners we pay, hence the speed and detailed tests we get for our horses. The NHS for the most part is a joke.
Last year I paid to have my torn rotator cuff repaired, it took about 9 months of going back to the GP before they even sent me for a scan, the scan showed full thickness tear plus other issues going on and I was told I would need surgery to correct it if I ever wanted full use of my shoulder back.
The GP said, I'll refer you for physio, I hit the roof, spoke to my horse physio who told me to go back to the GP and told me exactly what to say, which I did, GP says I'll refer you for surgery however there is a very long wait for non urgent surgery and to be honest if it's been longer than 12 months since the initial tear the chances of a good recovery are slight! Bare in mind by this point it had already been about 10 months, I waited for a date, 3 months later I got said date, only to be followed up a week later by a letter cancelling, that happened twice so in the end I spent pretty much all of my savings and got it done private (in the space of a week).
Our GP's are the same, they are under so much pressure they have little time for anyone unless you go complaining of chest pain or breathing problems, I'm also sick and tired of being told 'it's your age' what the heck has that got to do with anything?
Like most of us I visit the GP only when I absolutely have to and it galls me that we pay so much into the system through National insurance contributions yet we don't seem to get anything back from it.
To those of you who have been suffering a long time, go back to your GP and keep going back every damn week if you have too, tell them it's agony, you can't work, you can't sleep, it's making you very depressed, make a bloody nuisance of yourselves even if none of the above apply. Hopefully they might sit up and take notice then.
Sorry for the rant, it makes my blood boil how we are treated, unless of course you are willing to pay for it yourself, then you can been seen in a matter of days and get any tests and treatment you need. Grrrr
Having said all that when I found myself in A&E a month ago they were pretty amazing on the day, did loads of tests and sent me home with no clue as to what was going on, apparently I'm in excellent health according to the tests, but clearly something isn't right, told we'll send you an appointment for further tests as you'll need to come in for them, still waiting........
 
To those of you who have been suffering a long time, go back to your GP and keep going back every damn week if you have too, tell them it's agony, you can't work, you can't sleep, it's making you very depressed, make a bloody nuisance of yourselves even if none of the above apply. Hopefully they might sit up and take notice then.
It doesn't work with ours, I said most of those things because it does apply, they just give me more pain meds.
 
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