An_Observer
Rising Star
I recently hurt my back while at work. I was doing something I have done a thousand times and this time, it was too much.
The workers comp doctor took two months to even consider doing an MRI, and he only did that when I was able to notice that my right leg was going numb/pin and needles whenever one of the aggravated spots in my back was hurting severely.
Once the MRI was finally done, the results of that are being dismissed as pre-existing arthritis and degenerative disk disease. This came as an absolute shock as there is no family history of DDD, and until that day at work, my back has never hurt beyond a few moments of stiffness here and there immediately after waking up.
Now, I can't even begin to function on an acceptable level day to day due to the pain. I can't stand, drive, or sit for more than 10-15 minutes at a time without bringing on severe pain and muscle spasms. When the upper spot acts up, I get muscle tremors in my hands and fingers, when the lower one acts up, I get either severe pain or numbness all the way down to my outer 3 toes on my right foot.
I feel the doctor tried to brush it off as non-severe for the first two months just to try to get me back to work. Even now, it seems he is trying to brush it off as "pre-existing".
He wants me to undergo a questionable treatment for the muscle spasms called dry needling which I am very much against. For one, I absolutely hate needles. Secondly, It is treating a symptom, not the problem. Unfortunately I don't have much of a choice but to go through with it or he will clear me for work despite knowing there is absolutely no way I can work, even at a desk job at this point.
On that, I am very close to finding an attorney seeing as I had absolutely no symptoms of DDD or any traumatic injuries to my spine outside of work.
For anyone interested, I first noticed problems while emptying a trash can at work.
I work in produce and we have these 55 gallon cans that off-cuts and rinds from melons get put into. There are supposed to be 4 bags per can which brings the weight per bag to roughly 60 pounds. There has however been an on going issue where one of the employees cutting fruit will only use three or even two bags per can. This employee doesn't care to use more, as they are never the one to empty the cans afterwards. This has been an ongoing problem for well over a year and has been brought to management's attention multiple times yet nothing gets done.
As for the pain, when it hits hard, it is all I can do to not curl up and beg for it to end or kill me. My daily life may as well be non existent for all I can manage to do with the pain.
I've been taking Hydrocodone for the last 2 months which was helping with the pain. It didn't come close to eliminating it, but it made it more manageable. The problem now is that I have built a severe tolerance to it. I may as well be taking ibuprofen for all the good it does now. I also do not like it because it badly messes with my mood when it wears off to the point I am afraid to take it any more for how little relief it provides.
I have looked into CBD oil as a potential replacement, however I am not in a state that allows it as far as I know. (alabama in case someone here knows something) I also don't know if it would be effective for this purpose or to what extent.
At this point, I am at a loss for what to do just to be able to make it day by day.
I am hoping someone on here can give me some advice for relieving the pain, whether with CBD, or something else entirely.
If I come to think CBD would provide relief, it is something I would be willing to try, even with where I live.
If not, other options would be greatly appreciated.
The workers comp doctor took two months to even consider doing an MRI, and he only did that when I was able to notice that my right leg was going numb/pin and needles whenever one of the aggravated spots in my back was hurting severely.
Once the MRI was finally done, the results of that are being dismissed as pre-existing arthritis and degenerative disk disease. This came as an absolute shock as there is no family history of DDD, and until that day at work, my back has never hurt beyond a few moments of stiffness here and there immediately after waking up.
Now, I can't even begin to function on an acceptable level day to day due to the pain. I can't stand, drive, or sit for more than 10-15 minutes at a time without bringing on severe pain and muscle spasms. When the upper spot acts up, I get muscle tremors in my hands and fingers, when the lower one acts up, I get either severe pain or numbness all the way down to my outer 3 toes on my right foot.
I feel the doctor tried to brush it off as non-severe for the first two months just to try to get me back to work. Even now, it seems he is trying to brush it off as "pre-existing".
He wants me to undergo a questionable treatment for the muscle spasms called dry needling which I am very much against. For one, I absolutely hate needles. Secondly, It is treating a symptom, not the problem. Unfortunately I don't have much of a choice but to go through with it or he will clear me for work despite knowing there is absolutely no way I can work, even at a desk job at this point.
On that, I am very close to finding an attorney seeing as I had absolutely no symptoms of DDD or any traumatic injuries to my spine outside of work.
For anyone interested, I first noticed problems while emptying a trash can at work.
I work in produce and we have these 55 gallon cans that off-cuts and rinds from melons get put into. There are supposed to be 4 bags per can which brings the weight per bag to roughly 60 pounds. There has however been an on going issue where one of the employees cutting fruit will only use three or even two bags per can. This employee doesn't care to use more, as they are never the one to empty the cans afterwards. This has been an ongoing problem for well over a year and has been brought to management's attention multiple times yet nothing gets done.
As for the pain, when it hits hard, it is all I can do to not curl up and beg for it to end or kill me. My daily life may as well be non existent for all I can manage to do with the pain.
I've been taking Hydrocodone for the last 2 months which was helping with the pain. It didn't come close to eliminating it, but it made it more manageable. The problem now is that I have built a severe tolerance to it. I may as well be taking ibuprofen for all the good it does now. I also do not like it because it badly messes with my mood when it wears off to the point I am afraid to take it any more for how little relief it provides.
I have looked into CBD oil as a potential replacement, however I am not in a state that allows it as far as I know. (alabama in case someone here knows something) I also don't know if it would be effective for this purpose or to what extent.
At this point, I am at a loss for what to do just to be able to make it day by day.
I am hoping someone on here can give me some advice for relieving the pain, whether with CBD, or something else entirely.
If I come to think CBD would provide relief, it is something I would be willing to try, even with where I live.
If not, other options would be greatly appreciated.
