![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by georgia on March 17, 2003, at 15:59:19
Hello, I am having trouble with my insurance company. Last July I was rearended and I have been having trouble with headaches and an elbow trouble when things get bad.
I have been going to physio but now the insurance says I should be better or need something else.
I was just wondering if anyone knows how long whiplash lasts and what other treatments are there that she may be talking about. I just want to feel better.
Thanks
Posted by whiterabbit on March 22, 2003, at 0:29:14
In reply to Whiplash headaches, posted by georgia on March 17, 2003, at 15:59:19
I'm sorry that my reply is late, I haven't visited PSB for awhile.
I'm not a doctor, but I've spent many years working closely with doctors in orthopedic hospitals and offices. This is what I would suggest:
If you haven't been x-rayed and diagnosed by an ORTHOPEDIC DOCTOR (not an emergency room doctor, not a general practitioner, not a chiropractor),
you need to have that done immediately. Specifically, you need the following x-rays: a
COMPLETE cervical spine series (5 x-rays, not 3)
and a board-certified, orthopedic surgeon needs
to look at these x-rays. Follow his advice to the letter; if he sees something suspicious, he will refer you for more tests.If you've already done all that and still have no relief, this is my next suggestion: get in the shower, and slowly adjust the water to a temperature that is just as hot as you can stand without being really uncomfortable (don't scald yourself). Direct the hot shower stream to the back of your neck, and SLOWLY roll your head as far as you can in a clock-wise motion. Keep rolling your head in the same direction until the motion becomes easier for you. Then, just as slowly, switch direction and roll your head counter-clockwise until this motion becomes easier, keeping the hot water directed at the back of your neck.
You may need to do this for awhile, every time you get in the shower, before significant relief occurs. If you don't notice any gradual improvement or the headaches get worse, GO BACK TO THE ORTHOPEDIC DOCTOR.
Good luck!
Posted by whiterabbit on March 22, 2003, at 13:35:26
In reply to Re: Whiplash headaches, posted by whiterabbit on March 22, 2003, at 0:29:14
I know that some people swear by their chiropractor, that a chiropractor was able to provide them with significant relief from back or neck pain when other doctors could not.
I say if this works for you, too, that's fine. But first you really should be checked out by an orthopedic doctor to make sure there is no injury or deformity in your spine. NEVER allow a chiropractor to treat you for a serious medical condition like adolescent scoliosis, spina bifida, pars defect, vetebral or spinal cord injury. And DON'T have x-rays taken in a chiropractor's office. In over 20 years, I don't believe I've seen a single x-ray from a chiropractor's office that was worth a damn. The x-rays they churn out are usually taken by a person unlicensed to use radiologic equipment (which includes the chiropractor) with old, unsafe machines, and the film is usually processed in over-used or contaminated chemicals. As a result, the x-ray film is worthless, not the accurate diagnostic tool it's supposed to be. So why do the chiropractors bother? Because there's big money in x-rays. And what the patient pays for is useless crap, x-rays that no radiologist or othopedist would even consider using in a patient evaluation.
Umm, sorry. This has always been a pet peeve of mine, but I do know what I'm talking about!
-WR
Posted by cybercafe on March 23, 2003, at 16:25:13
In reply to A word about chiropractors, posted by whiterabbit on March 22, 2003, at 13:35:26
how about... osteopaths?> I know that some people swear by their chiropractor, that a chiropractor was able to provide them with significant relief from back or neck pain when other doctors could not.
>
> I say if this works for you, too, that's fine. But first you really should be checked out by an orthopedic doctor to make sure there is no injury or deformity in your spine. NEVER allow a chiropractor to treat you for a serious medical condition like adolescent scoliosis, spina bifida, pars defect, vetebral or spinal cord injury. And DON'T have x-rays taken in a chiropractor's office. In over 20 years, I don't believe I've seen a single x-ray from a chiropractor's office that was worth a damn. The x-rays they churn out are usually taken by a person unlicensed to use radiologic equipment (which includes the chiropractor) with old, unsafe machines, and the film is usually processed in over-used or contaminated chemicals. As a result, the x-ray film is worthless, not the accurate diagnostic tool it's supposed to be. So why do the chiropractors bother? Because there's big money in x-rays. And what the patient pays for is useless crap, x-rays that no radiologist or othopedist would even consider using in a patient evaluation.
>
> Umm, sorry. This has always been a pet peeve of mine, but I do know what I'm talking about!
> -WR
Posted by whiterabbit on March 23, 2003, at 18:06:28
In reply to A word about chiropractors, posted by whiterabbit on March 22, 2003, at 13:35:26
I have little experience with osteopathic doctors, so can't really offer much information.
I HAVE worked with D.O.s in the hospital emergency room, and my impression - in an emergency room setting - was that they are every bit as well-trained and competent as the other emergency room MDs. Whether they seem more or less qualified than an orthopedic surgeon to treat orthopedic problems, I haven't had the experience to make a comparison.But I DO know about chiropractors! If new patients have had recent x-rays at another facility (and, of course, if those x-rays are related to the area of injury or pain), they should bring along those x-rays to their first appointment with an orthopedic doctor.
If the x-rays are from a chiropractors' office, I know what they will look like before I open the envelope. They will be much too dark or much too light to make any kind of accurate diagnosis. There will never be any kind of attempt at gonadal shielding for children and adolescents (shielding is not always needed or appropriate -
a trained technologist knows when it can't and when it should be used). Usually there isn't even an attempt to cone down on the spine - I've seen x-rays of whole skeletons, a dangerous misuse of medical radiation (this doesn't apply to nuclear medicine). Often the x-ray films are milky, or even stuck together. And the patients have usually paid really good money for this crap!
Disgusting.-Gracie/White Rabbit
Posted by stjames on March 24, 2003, at 16:18:19
In reply to Osteopathic physicians, posted by whiterabbit on March 23, 2003, at 18:06:28
The D.O.s I see are medical docs, with the full 8 years training. Chriopractors and not medical docs, in the sence that their medical training is limited.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Social | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.