Posted on Jul 31, 2021
What should someone do if doctors in the military don’t take your injury seriously?
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Hi, I am a SPC with 18 months left in my contract. I’ve been experiencing lower back pain for a year now, went to see my PCM then got referred to chiropractic, then referred to physical therapy, then to pain management, and back to PCM. They all came to the same conclusion that my lower back is really tight and I need to go home and stretch. I’ve been on profile for 9 months now and the pain keep getting worse. It’s affecting my daily routine, my sleep, and even my sexual life. I’ve been telling my doctors that but they keep telling me that lower back pain is a common issue, and that I should keep stretching. The chiropractor and physical therapist that I seen both told me that I shouldnt be on profile because they believe that it’s just a chronic back pain, and I should be actively running / working out to get it better. I told them that I’ve been working out, stretched, and tried to run on the cardio everyday but it only make my back pain worse, but they said it’s normal because that’s how chronic back pain is. I am really stressed out because I’m only 23 and this back pain is negatively affecting my life. I dont know what is the next step in order to escalate my back pain issue since non of my doctors take it serious since they keep trying to make me off my profile and tell me to go home and stretch for nearly a year now.
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Profiles Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) ETS/EAS Career Counselor Career Advice
Posted >1 y ago
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First off, don't ETS. Do not be the dumbass that ETS's with medical issues. Next to AIT marriages and buying V6 Mustangs at 21% interest, that is one of the dumbest mistakes that people make. If you are too broke to be in the Army, don't stay in the Army, but don't ETS either. There is a system called a Medical Evaluation Board that is designed to separate Soldiers with medical issues that are service connected. MEBs are initiated with a Permanent P3 profile.
Your PCM is brushing you off. Your PCM as a civilian may very well brush you off as well, or just prescribe drugs. As a Tricare recipient you are entitled to a second opinion. You are entitled to have a second provider review your case and determine if they see something your PCM does not. Maybe your PCM is new, maybe they are biased. Either way, you have a right under Tricare to request a second opinion and you cannot be denied that.
Now, if everyone you talk to says your back is tight, then maybe they are right. Everyone can't be wrong. Dr Losack, the Chiro at JBLM is an excellent Chiro and a retired LTC Recon Marine, so if he says you need to stretch more, you might want to go into his office and use those hot pads and the inverted table more often.
Good luck, I hope your back pain gets better. 23 is too young to be broke
Your PCM is brushing you off. Your PCM as a civilian may very well brush you off as well, or just prescribe drugs. As a Tricare recipient you are entitled to a second opinion. You are entitled to have a second provider review your case and determine if they see something your PCM does not. Maybe your PCM is new, maybe they are biased. Either way, you have a right under Tricare to request a second opinion and you cannot be denied that.
Now, if everyone you talk to says your back is tight, then maybe they are right. Everyone can't be wrong. Dr Losack, the Chiro at JBLM is an excellent Chiro and a retired LTC Recon Marine, so if he says you need to stretch more, you might want to go into his office and use those hot pads and the inverted table more often.
Good luck, I hope your back pain gets better. 23 is too young to be broke
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SPC (Join to see)
I hope they are not wrong, but the thing is I’ve been told to stretch for 9 months straight, and the symptoms are getting worse and worse. It’s affecting my physical and sexual life negatively. I dont want to just stretch anymore, I want a different method to treat my back pain so I can be healthy to ETS/ or continue to sign another contract.
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MSG Frederick Otero
Try this, get a civilian physician to examine you and your records before your review and submit the finding for review assuming it is conflict with the military diagnosis. The military seldom will disagree with the finding of a civilian physician and it will warrant a closer look by the review board. Tough if your broke but worth the effort to get a better understanding of the primary issue that my have been missed. Good luck.
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SFC Casey O'Mally
SPC (Join to see) Have you discussed with your docs what stretches you are doing, how often, and the results?
My experience has been that if you are honest about what is working and what is not, they tend to work with young adjust exercises and find something that works OR explain why you need to keep at the existing exercises to see results.
Honesty and transparency are the key to success.
My experience has been that if you are honest about what is working and what is not, they tend to work with young adjust exercises and find something that works OR explain why you need to keep at the existing exercises to see results.
Honesty and transparency are the key to success.
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SPC (Join to see) send me a private message and I will help you navigate the system better.
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You have to just keep pushing. I have been dealing with them keep telling me I have nothing more than "patellar femoral syndrome" with my knees. First it was one knee, now it's both. I have had one MRI in 8 years. When I got to where I am now, I asked about MRI and the provider I saw said "Have you injured it recently?" I should have said yes - I said no. "Well it's probably fine."
When I did whatever I did to cause this abdominal pain issue in 2013 (the only logical answer I got was torn abdominal wall muscle), it took months trying to get anything done. First my PA at the time didn't even believe me. Her first question "When's your PT test?" She thought I was just trying to get out of a PT test. Then she did an exam and changed her tune and first thought I might have a hernia. But I didn't. Then I got a run around on referrals not getting put in and having to keep on her ass to get them in. At one point, I got put in for the wrong scan. The hospital off base called to say my PA needed to put in a new referral. She put me in one that is a breast scan - I needed an abdominal scan.
With my back - I got referred to a chiropractor. He told me "You just have a weak core." Sent me to PT. It didn't really help much. I don't have constant back pain but I randomly get back spasms. Or it hurts doing random things.
I just started having hip pain the last couple years.
I mean I feel like I'm falling apart. The only time I stopped going in was when my daughter was 6 weeks to 3 years old because she got diagnosed with a rare kidney disorder and she was in and out of the hospital, infusions, etc, and I've been a single parent since she was 1.
I finally went in and got a permanent profile for my knee because I was on and off temp profile. Luckily I was at a joint unit so people weren't so obsessed with PT. That was the time to get those things taken care of - and was even told that when I got there (actually both joint units I was at).
You are your own advocate. You have to advocate for yourself because no one else will.
When I did whatever I did to cause this abdominal pain issue in 2013 (the only logical answer I got was torn abdominal wall muscle), it took months trying to get anything done. First my PA at the time didn't even believe me. Her first question "When's your PT test?" She thought I was just trying to get out of a PT test. Then she did an exam and changed her tune and first thought I might have a hernia. But I didn't. Then I got a run around on referrals not getting put in and having to keep on her ass to get them in. At one point, I got put in for the wrong scan. The hospital off base called to say my PA needed to put in a new referral. She put me in one that is a breast scan - I needed an abdominal scan.
With my back - I got referred to a chiropractor. He told me "You just have a weak core." Sent me to PT. It didn't really help much. I don't have constant back pain but I randomly get back spasms. Or it hurts doing random things.
I just started having hip pain the last couple years.
I mean I feel like I'm falling apart. The only time I stopped going in was when my daughter was 6 weeks to 3 years old because she got diagnosed with a rare kidney disorder and she was in and out of the hospital, infusions, etc, and I've been a single parent since she was 1.
I finally went in and got a permanent profile for my knee because I was on and off temp profile. Luckily I was at a joint unit so people weren't so obsessed with PT. That was the time to get those things taken care of - and was even told that when I got there (actually both joint units I was at).
You are your own advocate. You have to advocate for yourself because no one else will.
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SPC (Join to see)
So my question is even though they said you only have a weak core, etc. and nothing major, how’d you be able to get permanent profile? Because I’ve been on temp profile for 9 months and they dont seem to be interested in putting me on permanent profile.
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