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I was having pain in my right leg. I couldn't explain it. It became more chronic, and more severe. I tried to determine if it was related to some repetitive stress or some activity I was doing. It didn't appear to be.

I went to my doctor, who suspected this might be cyatic pain. He suggested I get a CT scan of my lower back to confirm his diagnosis. This made sense to me, so I chose to get the CT scan. It showed the damage he suspected. He then put me in touch with specialists to help me understand my treatment options.


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You see, the patient is not allowed to care for himself. This is "for his own good".


I’ll offer a defense of the medical profession (and a disclaimer: I am not a physician but a lot of my relatives are, including my grandfather who was the chair of surgery at Duke for many years).

Beyond the training in anatomy, injury and disease, tests and scans, drug actions and interactions – all those things we think of when we think of what doctors do, doctors are trained to observe, and to observe nuance. This goes beyond just hearing what a patient says about their symptoms; they see things and ask questions that may not occur to a patient – the leg pain that’s really a back problem.

The body is a very dynamic system and we compensate for its changes over time. Chronic pain can lead to poor posture, which can lead to other damage. What a physician saw 10 years ago may well have changed. Frankly, I’m surprised your doctor let you go that long with a “med-check” visit. Yes, in your case, it might not be warranted, but the physician can’t (ethically) decide that over the phone.

-jk