My mom has a spinal problem, what specialist should she go?

Answer 1

She should go to her primary doctor first. Tell the MD her problems/ signs and symptoms and then the doctor can actually refer you to the specialist which he thinks can help you better with your problem.

Answer 2

Actually (I've been down this road), the first person she should enlist to be on her side is her General Practitioner and talk every thing over after she speaks with each specialist. I'll explain why at the end. Back problems not only are complicated, they cause complications and the medications and any operational procedures will have downsides as well.

During the course of her examinations she could see several specialists, a rheumatologist, an internist, a neurologist, an orthopeadic specialist.

Do you remember the story of the blind men and the elephant. One man touched the elephants trunk and said he's a snake, one touched the elephants leg and said an elephant is a tree trunk. Another touched his ear and said an elephant is like giant flat leaf, the last touched the elephant's side and said the elephant is a wall.

They are all right and they are all wrong. Back problems are sometimes like elephants, sometimes there are several problems and they may even be linked to one another and various specialists can give conflicting diagnoses and treatments. Lastly some of their treatments have bad side effects, which makes some people stop taking their prescriptions, which is usually not a good choice.

I found that life was too much to handle, at the time I had seen only one specialist, a Rheumatologist and I was taking drugs for my back and drugs for side-effects --- eight prescriptions in all.

But I wasn't getting any better, in fact I was getting worse and worse and I was in incredible pain all the time.

I found on the Internet a message board run by a man in Alberta Canada for people who suffer from various back diseases.

The members gave me the advice I needed. The group members adivised that I should ask my Doctor's assistant for a "long" appointment to discuss why I wasn't responding to the Rheumatologist's treatment.

I did schedule a long appointment and he that said that he wanted me to see several other specialists, starting with a cardiologist.

After I saw the cardiologist, my Doctor also gave referals to a Neurologist, an Internest and an Orthopaedic Surgeon because he didn't like something on my x-rays.

After I had seen all these specialists he explained that the rheumatologist was right, I definetly had a very damaged spine, but the damage was irreversable and it also was not the primary cause of my pain and it was also the reason why my mobility became more and more limited. The reason I was getting worse was because of a neurological disease.

I had a small operation to clear out some bone fragments on the inside of the spinal column, they were not a problem but they could cause problems later in life should they break loose. The Orthopeadic Surgeon said they should be removed as a precaution.

I also started on a different type of drugs that dealt with the nervous system and the pain went down significantly and my mobility stabalized.

I don't want to make it seem the rheumatologist was wrong, in fact he was right and it could have very well turned out that he had the better approach.

The person who first put the name to the disease was in fact the cardiologist and that is why my Doctor sent me to him first. The disease of the nervous system has a peculiar affect on the heart.

So my General Practioner had a suspicion of what was wrong. But for a layperson, I saw the Rheumatologist but I didn't follow up by going back to see my General Practioner so he could moniter the effects of the treatments. I was trying to be my own Doctor, which was a really big mistake on my part. But in my own defense I didn't realize this until I joined the message board.

Before it closed down many other persons had the same symptoms as others on the board. They too were advised to let the General Practioner be the Quarterback. As it turned out many of us had the exact same symptoms but some had very different diseases. There was a banner on the message board and it said, "Remember just because you have the same symptoms as another member on this board, you may not have the same disease. Always remember that none of us are Doctors." Thank God for the Internet.

Answer 3

It depends on what kind of spinal problem she has. If she has not been to a specialist I would go to her regular doctor first and let him suggest which kind. Most insurances prefer it that way and she might get a better doctor and faster.

Answer 4

depends on what kind of spinal problem she has. start with a general practitioner. your family doctor. let him or her recommend a specialist. but don't wast time. go now!

Answer 5

I would stick to an M.D.
for bones an orthopod
for nerves a neurologist.
if she older than 60 a referral to a osteoposis specialist.

Answer 6

It depends if you are referring to her spine as in spinal bones then it would be an orthopedic doctor but if you mean spinal as in nerves along the spine then a neurologist.

Answer 7

what kind of spinal problem? Chiropractor or a neurologist (brain and spinal cord doc.)

Answer 8

An orthopedic surgeon is sometimes called a back doctor. It might be the right place to start.

Answer 9

get your family dr to refer her to a neurosurgeon, or pain management dr. I am on duragesic 25mcg. Good opiod for pain I 've had 2 surgeries on L4-L5 just had 3rd surgery fusion with hardware. Limits bending twisting but they say I cant blow out any more discs in that area. tell her good luck. she's gonna need your support back pain infringes on all aspects of life, from breathing, to bending to wash everything will hurt and need assistance

Answer 10

Really depends on the location of spine injury and severity. Your family md can advise. If its rather severe opt for a neurosurgeon.