How do you actually get military doctors to help out?

As a tricare recipient you are always authorized a second opinion. Most soldiers don't realize this because their PA is their primary care and you can't go outside of them. But you are entitled to demand a second opinion. If that doesn't work you can contact a patient advocate or the hospital ombudsman who can move things on your behalf.
Also, if you have crippling pain and you ETS, foregoing an MEB, you're making a long term decision based on short term circumstances. You can overcome the resistance of your provider with time. You can't go back and med board once you separate. Don't fall for that, "ETS and the VA will take care of it" line either. When you're walking away with a medical retirement and a disability check as opposed to ETSing with nothing but an award, you'll appreciate the advice.

"Recently, I was told that they won’t recommend a MRI because of the cost and they will probably find something wrong and will have to fix it which can cause more problems" Is completely the wrong answer and deserves a by name call out through open-door policy, ICE complaint, etc. I would also even recommend a letter to your Congressman, because them avoiding the real problem could very well be making it much worse.

You can go to a civilian doctor, he might find something the military doctors missed but you will have to pay.

I'm sorry to read about your pain and emphasize with your experience. Since you posted to a large forum, I have three thoughts you should consider: chronic pain without a primary cause or description of a surgical requirement = new job. However, you don't want MEB because you're up for a promotion. Will a promotion solve your low back pain? If you cannot continue to work in your MOS and/or the Army then you should be referred for MEB consideration to see the rest of your options.

You are certainly eligible (don't like the word entitled) for a second opinion. It will most likely be within the military healthcare system because we have lots of providers. Similar to if you worked for IBM and didn't like their medical network, you could pay to see someone else out of their network. this isn't a military problem, it's a healthcare system problem.

It sounds like you have had multiple opinions so be careful what you wish for. MRI for chronic cases will most likely lead to surgery and there is no surgery for pain. We all know people who wish they never had "that surgery".

1. Take care of it while in service!!!!!!!
2. Get a second, third, fourth opinion!!!!!!!
3. Re-enlist indef!!!!!
4. Your radiating pain on your leg might be sciatic nerve pain.
5. Demand to get a MRI done. Is pretty much the only way to identify deformed (herniated) disks IOT to get proper treatment.
6. If it hurt go back to sick call, or the ER if required.

Why am I suggesting the aforementioned? Because I went thru the same. From 2009 until my retirement in 2016. Physical therapy, narcotics (which made me to tell my PCM to go pound sand) Because it sucked so much I was referred to a civilian pain management clinic and eventually an epidural injection was delivered; 90% improvement.

Put your fight gloves on and talk with whoever is the patient representative at your local medical facility; take care of yourself.

AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS DOCUMENTED ON YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tell them, don't ask, for a referral to Orthopedic surgeon, screw the family doc...they don't know bupkis!!! That way you will get an MRI, a good read on the problem, and if you need or can fix it or if it is pain management.

Go to the Patient Administration Division (PAD). They can assist you with getting a MRI and with getting your medical needs met. The PAD office works for you the patient. Good luck to you....

"Pushing through everything except SU" is, IMO a mistake. It may be that your doc is avoiding the MRI due to his perception that your promotion is more important to you than your health. You said you were told "they won’t recommend a MRI because ... they will probably find something wrong and will have to fix it which can cause more problems."

I spent 24 years working for the AMEDD, and never once did I talk to a doctor who avoided a treatment because of the cost. However, I frequently saw doctors avoid a treatment, because they didn't want to cause trouble for the Soldier. If you lead your doctor to believe that you just want to get by with the minimum, because your career is more important to you than your long-term health, then they will honor that, and they will avoid diagnostic tests where they might find something wrong that "they will have to fix because it will cause more problems" -- for you. It is never a problem for the doc to fix something. That's why they went into medicine. That is what they want to do.

I suggest you go back to your doc and make it clear that your long term health is more important to you than passing a PT test and/or getting promoted, and that you are willing to follow his advice to get this fixed no matter what. Once he understands that you are willing to face the consequences of possibly finding a larger problem (which could very well lead to an MEB), I suspect you will see him change his tune.

I’ll give u my two cents from actual experience. U have to fight them in this and request referral to pain mgmt. if they don’t oblige, use open door, ice IG etc. it took me 5 years of lower back pain to finally get a neurostimulator implant in my back which took 80% or more of back pain away. It really masks it but to not feel it is awesome. I don’t do SU anymore and now working back to running for APFT. Find the right person and they will take care of you. You also have a right to change PCMs. My back pain started in 07. It took 5 years to get into pain Mgmt. Much like u several rounds of meds PT etc. then once i was finally in pain Mgmt it took another five years before i got my stimulator. So keep at it. If u have any questions hit me up and I’ll answer whatever i can from my experience.

Sounds like you have a ruptured or bulging disc in between your L5 and S1. There’s stretches you can do to alleviate the pain. I have the exact same pain and stretching really helps.