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weatherman
USA
184 Posts |
 Posted - 11/27/2006 : 09:16:33
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Reading some of the recent posts brought back some memories about the tunnel vision of doctors, even aside from the TMS issue.
Back in 1979 I injured the ball of my foot traumatically, and it continued to hurt for a long while. Naturally I started by going to an orthopod - isn't that who you go to when you have a skeletal pain problem? (NOT!). I was basically told to rest etc. - "live with it", and that eventually it would get better. Fortunately a friend told me about an out of town podiatrist, from whom I received orthotics. I now realize that was essentially a placebo cure, but one important fact - after I got the orthotics I was instantly able to resume my normal activities, and life became a lot less hopeless. I.e., a placebo cure is not ideal but it was certainly a hell of a lot better than nothing. And the TMS theory was not yet out there. But now for the punch line: the orthopod didn't even mention the whole podiatrist/orthotics avenue! Either these different types of medicos are more interested in protecting their turf than helping people, or their training is incredibly narrow.
Likewise, an MD would never refer someone to a chiropractor, although quite a few go themselves on the sly. Now, I know that chiropractic is mostly placebo medicine - I had gone to a couple myself before embracing the TMS theory. But, I will give them credit for one thing. Both were insistent about the need to stay active, even when pain was present. If it's going to hurt anyway, you might as well keep doing things you enjoy. The typical MD approach to such things seems to be to rest it for a week, and if it still hurts rest it for another month, and if it still hurts to give it up. It brings to mind the old skit:
PATIENT: "Doc, it hurts when I do that."
DOCTOR: "So, don't do that."
Orthopods are totally confounded by any problem not involving an identifiable tear or fracture. If you break an ankle, an orthopod is the answer, that's what they're trained to fix. But if your ankle just hurts... that's a different story.
I guess I'm saying that getting a normal MD to embrace TMS is probably wishful thinking, as they won't even consider alternatives
within their own structurally-based universe.
Weatherman |
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MikeJ
United Kingdom
75 Posts |
Posted - 11/28/2006 : 08:51:43
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Weatherman, that's a very good point. Pain is very subjective, at least according to my doctor.
Me: "Doc, it hurts when I use my right hand to write."
Doctor: "So use the other one."
One week later...
Me: "Doc, now both hands hurt!"
Doc: "Well, then don't use your hands."
Me: "But I need them to work."
Doc: "You should change careers." (She actually advised that.)
Me: "Wow .. thank you doctor, I haven't really thought of that!"
Doc: "That's why I'm here!"
:-)
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Tunnel vision in medical community
