how do you know when you have a ruptured disc and fluid is leaking from that disc?

Question

I had an injection of cortison in my neck to relieve pain from a migrane and burning in the neck and now it is swollen and hurts worse than when i went to the doctor. I have had this done before and I have NEVER had it hurt this bad or this long.....I don't want to accuse my doctor, but I think that she has done something wrong and I am not sure what to do besides see her again..And I don't feel that I should have to pay her again if it is related to the injection that she gave me....What do I do ?

Answer 1

Regardless of whether she goofed or not, you'll have to pay for the office visit, or the co-pay if your insurance requires one. Even if you've had the procedure done many times before, there is always the risk of an adverse side effect and you should have been informed of it at some point before you were injected.

But any injection can be painful, depending on where they're done and what is being injected.

The best thing to do is to call your doctor's office and ask the triage nurse for advice. Tell them your symptoms and what is happening and they'll be able to help you decide whether you need to be seen as soon as possible or if this is a very common side effect of your procedure and to just wait it out a couple more days.

The other option is to change your primary care provider through your insurance, (a fairly easy thing to do with a phone call), and go see a different doctor if you're uneasy with your original doctors skills. There's nothing wrong with getting another opinion or seeking the help of someone a little more skilled. Because, let's face it...even the person who graduates last in their class in med school is still a doctor. Not all docs are created equally.

Also, it's called "practicing medicine" for a reason. As much as some of these docs hate to admit it, they're fallible. If you're really concerned that your doc did something wrong, don't go back to her. Find another doctor and work with them from now on. Trusting your docs skills isn't a luxury, it's a requirement.

Answer 2

Get a second opinion from another doctor. They will be able to tell you if the injection could have caused the pain you are having now.
It's impossible to tell if you have a ruptured disc without an MRI or CT scan.
Have you ever had a cortisone injection before? It could be a reaction to the medication, and not because she performed the injection badly.
Hope this helps!