5 months and waiting

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Gibbsk

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Jan 16, 2020
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Learn about ALS
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Country
CA
State
ON
City
Toronto
In September, I had a back injury that laid me out for approximately one month. I started to see improvement. One month in I woke to a terrible pain in my left hip that radiated down my leg. The pain was excruciatingly awful. My physio suggested I get checked for clots. At the time, they noted some wasting (I wasn’t using my leg!). I started pelvic floor work and we have chalked it to sciatica . I lost a lot of mobility in my leg but the pain/cramping is gone. About 6 weeks later I woke to excruciating pressure in my same side neck, as if my head would pop off. It’s been hell since. I’ve been doing physio, pelvic physio, acupuncture. My physio has noted obvious loss of grip strength in my left side, thumb drop, wasting and wrote her her concerns asking for CNS imaging. Similarly my Chiro feels that things are taking too long to heal, and observed wasting on my left. I do have muscle dancing but I honestly wonder if it’s psychosomatic. My fam dr has me seeing a physiatrist. I am going to the US to pay for an MRI. My physio and Chiro both independently are concerned. I’m 41, female. I think that reduced my chances. But, I want to ask has anyone had been to a physiatrist? Truthfully I hadn’t even heard of this profession! Could anyone shed light on experience with this profession?
 
That term is shorthand for a physician whose specialty is physical medicine and rehabilitation. It seems like an appropriate referral for evaluation in your case. If s/he thinks the cause could be neurologic, then s/he can refer accordingly.

Best,
Laurie
 
Physiatrists are physicians who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation. They are experts for assessing and managing mechanical problems, recovery after injury, and recovery after a stroke. They do a lot of EMG/ nerve conduction tests, but they are not necessarily adept in diagnosing motor neuron diseases.

You probably would be well-served by a physiatrist because your problems are most likely mechanical.

I don’t see ALS in your post. Please read this if you have not already done so:

 
This is an excellent resource. Thank you!
 
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