| Lower Back Pain |
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| Due to an auto accident |
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| Yes |
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No |
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| Patient will never get better until case is settled. |
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Is patient trying to get disability? |
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Yes |
No |
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Patient will never get better until case is settled. |
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Is patient trying to get workers' comp? |
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Yes |
No |
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Patient will never get better until case is settled |
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Is the patient narcotic seeking? |
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Yes |
No |
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Patient will never get better...period. |
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Is the lower back pain acute or chronic? |
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Acute |
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Chronic |
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| Give them 6 weeks of whatever you want (PT, chiropractic, hula dancing, deep sea fishing) |
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Try your best to get them to work out, lose weight, stop smoking, stretch |
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5% don't
get better |
95% get better |
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5% actually do it and get better |
95% don't
do anything |
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| MRI |
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You're a good doctor! |
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They demand and get an MRI |
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| 5% have negative findings |
95% have fixable findings |
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5% have fixable findings |
95% have nothing to fix on MRI |
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| Refer to anybody else |
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Send to neurosurgeon |
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| Patient thinks you can't help...which you can't |
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Patient thinks you can't help...which you can't
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