My mother, in the last 6 months, has been having severe back and hip problems. She is struggling to stand and walk. She has a cane but still can only go a few steps then has to stop or sit. She went in for an MRI a month ago, but they have pushed back her appointment to the end of Aug. She is in so much pain, and all they have done is sent her to PT. I want to help but it's hard to help if they haven't confirmed what is going on with her. I just want her to get some relief any suggestions?
Are you saying she went in for the MRI and they rescheduled her when she showed up so that she had an MRI at all?
Or, she had the MRI but they pushed back her follow-up to talk to her ortho doc?
How old is your Mom?
Does she live at home? With you? At a facility?
Is she on Medicaid?
Did anything happen before the pain started, like did she have a fall (even a minor one)?
It's especially helpful to know if she's on Medicaid as this would partially explain why they are dragging their feet about her diagnosis.
I agree that she hopefully has a patient portal you can either help her access to communicate with the medical staff.
I don't know why or how they're sending her to PT if she's in that much pain -- people don't do their PT well or at all when they are suffering. Call her ortho doc's nurse and tell them your Mom's pain is like 9 or 10 on their scale. Ask what she should be taking for pain relief and that your Mom cannot do PT with level of pain. You can still take her to Urgent Care or the ER if the "standard" OTC pain relievers aren't helping her. But make sure to contact the doctor's office to report how much pain she's in and cannot go to PT.
Waiting for MRI, haven't even got the appointment yet for it and the pain management doctor was suppose to set it up over a month ago.
She has had physical therapy, in house needs out patient now. But that hasn't been set up either.
Honestly Im not sure if she is even going to be able to be still long enough for the MRI.
Her pain level is better as of now, but honestly I don't see a good outcome for the long run with this. She and my family say it's just a little sciatica. So it's good that your eyes are open.
About all I can say is , if the physical therapist says don't do this or that, they are not lying, mom can't reach, hurt it and January, would not slow down, then we were right back where we started, pluse some. Every time she has a really bad spell , there is less she can do after.
It is horrible horrible to see are parents in that kind of pain. Her GP told her there is nothing more they can do. I myself am not POA, and sence no one in my family sees her decline I told her the same thing the GP said, but that is just my circumstances.
Best of luck, this totally stinks to high he!!.
And until her appointment just make sure that she's taking whatever pain relief medications she's been prescribed even if it's over the counter on a consistent basis.
In any event, do contact her doctor and ask for an immediate update and advice about pain management. Even if the MRI showed nothing seriously wrong, arthritis and musculoskeletal problems are very painful and should not be ignored or postponed by doctors! 😑 And PT does NOT fix everything, contrary to most doctors beliefs.
Alternating heating pads with ice packs helps me quite a bit, along with alternating ibuprofen and extra strength Tylenol. I also take Tramadol 1-2x a day for pain.
Best of luck to you.
And at my house we call Tramadol, dammitall 😜
So this is a matter of getting the diagnosis with an MRI. Then the prognosis and how best to deal with this pain. She isn't alone. Bad backs are common and almost inevitable with aging. We were never really designed to walk upright!. Meanwhile, minimal of sitting unless you get a zero gravity chair to keep pressure off sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the body. She can stand, walk, lay in semi-fowler's position (look it up). Take pain meds; keep constipation away with daily citrucel or stool softener such as colace.
Good luck; hope you'll update us after the MRI.