DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR PROBLEM IS SERIOUS AND WHERE SHOULD YOU GO TO FIND OUT?

March 01, 2021

We understand that you as a patient want empowerment over your health and by choosing BWT you can be assured we will empower you – but beware the internet!

Because of the restrictions surrounding this pandemic, there have been challenges accessing healthcare services and understandably many folk have turned to the internet for advice.

As specialised health professionals however, it is genuinely upsetting to see some patients with conditions that could have been treated, and more importantly resolved, without the ‘help’ of the internet. There are certain responses to questions raised in our assessment of your problem that raise a ‘flag’ for immediate referral on for further investigations, so you can be sure to TRUST US with a thorough examination and rapid communication with your GP, referral on for an MRI or an urgent Consultant referral, where indicated.

The BWT team recently completed an in-depth update on ‘red flags’ to ensure your safety. Our history taking, whether your source of pain is  your knee or little finger, will involve a series of routine questions that will indicate if there is anything underlying we should be checking out. We must point out that the majority of conditions we see are managed successfully in- house.

There is one condition that we should all be aware of, and here is some advice you can trust regarding back pain symptoms that need further, urgent investigation.

WHEN IS BACK PAIN AN EMERGENCY?
The NHS have raised this issue at a national level – saying there is a risk that people will not get the help they need at this time, because they are concerned about Covid or wasting the time of healthcare professionals.
BWT Physios are trained to spot the symptoms of any condition that raises a ‘red flag’ immediately. This is true of many back related conditions but here you can read about one of them –
Cauda equina syndrome : This is a rare and severe type of spinal canal narrowing where all of the nerves in the lower back suddenly become severely compressed.
Conditions like Cauda Equina are incredibly rare but these are the red flags to look out for.
• sciatica (pain down the back of the leg) on both sides
• weakness or numbness in both legs that is severe or getting worse
• numbness around or under your genitals, or around your anus
• finding it hard to start peeing, can’t pee or can’t control when you pee – and this isn’t normal for you
• you don’t notice when you need to poo or can’t control when you poo – and this isn’t normal for you
Cauda equina syndrome requires emergency hospital admission and emergency surgery, because the longer it goes untreated, the greater the chance it will lead to permanent paralysis and incontinence.

If you are in any doubt about any symptom please contact us on 01202749514, call your GP or 111 for immediate advice and help.