Which doctor should I call?
Hi all, I have a Rheum, a pain management doc and an orthopedic surgeon. My hands, shoulder and back have been in terrible pain for 10 days. My RA labs (Sed Rate, CRP) are “normal”. I am pretty sure my right shoulder has a torn rotator cuff (happened on my left side 2 years ago). But my hands and back are not related to that. My PM was going to give me a steroid injection in my hands, but my shoulder (and back) are/is the most debilitating pain.
Which doc should I call for an appointment? The Pain doc (see if the steroids shots will help everything)? The Ortho who might want to inject my shoulder if it’s not bad enough for surgery? My Rheum to ask him who to call? I’m so lost and hurting so so bad I can’t think straight. Any help would be amazing!
Having been in the same situation, I went to my Rhuem who injected my shoulder and refereed me to the orthopedic. He also ordered as many scans (X-Ray, Ultra sound) which were required before my OP could order an MRI. So when I got to the OP, I did not have to step through those two scans to get to the one that was needed, the MRI.
Rotator Cuff resurfacing is now scheduled for January which had to fit my infusion schedule.
Rick - ModeratorHi Rick,
OMG! Yes! For me it is the opposite. My Ortho is thorough and good about ordering scans.
My Rheum spends very little time with me. Never offers info but is great if I have questions. And never orders anything. 🙁
I have to have my rotator cuff resurfaced too. I had my left arm done two years ago, now the right arm is "going".
It is so helpful to know I'm not alone in this.
Thank you!
Kim
Hi KimKRA. So sorry you are struggling. It certainly can be difficult to figure out which doctor is right for which problem. I can tell you that my wife, Kelly Mack (a contributor here), tries to rely on her primary care physician to serve as a sort of care coordinator. She wrote about it here: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/coordinating-care-between-doctors/. Of course, as noted in the article, it is also necessary to do a certain amount of the herding oneself. If you do not need referrals, maybe you can make different appointments for the various issues. If the doctors will communicate, it may be possible for them to determine any connections. Hoping you get some answers and relief soon. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
Thank you! I will read the article!
Hi Kim! Thank you for sharing and taking the time to post your concerns. Like some moderators mentioned above patients have usually seen their rheumatologists first. When I had issues with my knee, my rheumatologist sentt me immediately to see an orthopedic surgeon. You usually need a
