Neck Injury in 10yr Old - Headaches & Ongoing Pain - Problems Getting Her Proper Medical Help ??

[rockinhippy]

I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas how to tackle this situation as I don't feel me DD is getting the best medical care - fell a bit like hospital passing buck to GP - no aftercare/follow up offered - GP just offeres sympathy & says to mention it at upcoming Rheumy referral for another issue & they'll arrange physio GP office being ridiculously slow processing referral letters & I'm not even sue its going to get DD the required help anyway.

DD had a bad fall over a month ago now - head first on a gym crash mat, meaning a bad sprain on her neck - they were concerned it might be fractured, but after seeing 2 senior Doctors they decided on the sprain diagnosis - initially we were told it would take a couple of weeks to heal - it didn't - on ringing A&E asking about follow up & explaining that it hasn't healed & DD is still in a lot of pain, I was told no follow up(we've had it for other injuries) & to see GP -

rang GP, who was very sympathetic at DD having yet another injury :( , now had hospital notes & said it would take at least 6 weeks to heal, headaches are normal with it, but if any numbness tingling etc, seek urgent medical attention.

Sunday DD stumbled, not badly so, but jarred her sore neck - on running my nails down both sides of her neck & arms, she tells me that one side of her neck & shoulder feels "different" when touched - further chat, shows it to be numbness & tingling, so we take her back to A&E as per GP instructions - A&E very thorough, decide it is pinching nerves, but explain the nerve pathways involved mean that its thankfully not her spine, but the big neck muscle (diagram shown) that is still swollen & pinching nerve causing the altered sensation & also explained how the headaches are connected & what nerve problems she WOULD have if it were spinal - which thankfully it isn't, just more time & physio needed in a couple of weeks & GP sorts out Physio.

DD has been waiting on a Rheumy referral as its been noted by several A&E Doctors & her old Physio after a leg injury that DD is Hypermobile - this makes her more accident prone & slower to heal - I had to fight GP to get referral taken a couple of years, despite it linking DDs other problems together - ended taking DH with me to be finally heard & agreed referral - 6 weeks & not heard anything, so I ring to see whats gone on - NOTHING - I put in quite snotty letter to GP expressing my disappointment & that DD has had yet another injury & that we need propper professional advice on how best to deal with her & why has the referral not been made - GP rings, apologises - (she's part time for maternity reasons, so I suspected she's bogged down, so I try to be fair & not make too much fuss) - She doesn't admit any error, puts it down to waiting on blood results - which we had a month ago but does say she's sorting it out immediately.

In the mean time we get referred back to GP for any follow up on DDs neck injury - GP says Physio for it will come via Rheumy for Hypermobility - even though this particular injury ISN"T related to that, if I mention it, they can do it quicker than she can & it saves her double booking

I've had 2 hospital referrals through for myself from appointments made AFTER I spoke with GP about DDs Rheumy appointment - still nothing for DD - so I ring receptionist again to see if its been sent out yet - initially they try & fob me off, so I have to be pushy & eventually after been left on hold for 15 minutes get told that its in the pile to be done, but seems its been missed - thats a whole month after the GP DID hand it over to them to type up & I've asked the GP since then if its been done & she said yes, she's passed it over - I did get very cross with the receptionist & insisted that its done as a matter of urgency as DD is suffering & as a result the help she badly needs will be delayed, they just apologised & said yes

Sorry for the ramble, I hope this makes sense I'm fighting migraine & having had to go up to the School again today as DD has yet another violent headache I am stressed, worried & frankly upset

I don't know that the Rheumy IS the right route to get DD the help she needs & it now looks like its going to be at least a further 6 weeks, probably more for me to quite possibly find out its not & in the mean time my DD is in pain really struggling badly & I just don't know what I can do to help her - I will take her to see a Chiropractor, but I don't know at what stage that is safe to do & so far don't even know when I will see someone who can help/advise

So I'm wondering if any of your DCs have had similar injuries, how it panned out & what was the procedure/time scale on seeing physio etc


if you've got this far

TIA

[rockinhippy]

Re read that & realise a lot of its gobledegook

I should have also added - DDs neck movement is still severely restricted, even though the injury has healed a lot, though not completely by far.

To simplify does anyone know?

Will/Can a Rheumatologist refer DD to a Physiotherapist for the after care of an injury that even the GP agrees has nothing to do with the reason she has been referred.

Are there any rules on how long it takes for a DC to be seen by Paediatric Physiotherapist after the projected injury healing time ??

as what we are looking at here is VERY different to previous experience with a leg injury - in that case Physio was via A&E & A&E follow up aftercare & was booked in for as soon as the projected healing time was up - which means we should be looking at a further 2 weeks - but we are looking at a couple of months, which worries me as the longer its left, the more seized up her neck will be & the more problems it will cause - the head & neck aches are affecting her badly at School :(

TIA

[rockinhippy]

Anyone ?? :(

[NotQuintAtAllOhNo]

Can you take her to a chiropractor or osteopath? Bring with you her x rays.

Ds1 (10) had a very bad fall on a trampoline where he fell on the side of his neck trying to do a sideway summersault twist (as if there even is such a thing). He was really sore for a month, but it does not seem as severe as your dd.
He could not move his head for a week, could not hold his head up and needed to rest it against a wall, cushion, etc. It only started getting better when I started putting wet heat from very hot wet flannels, and then massaging his neck, applying tiger balm after.


When I took him to a follow up with a chiropractor a year later, he said it would have been OK to massage his neck even from when the pain was accute. Not saying you should start massaging your dd. But I think it could be worth taking her to be seen by a chiropractor, as they work with muscular skeletal injuries, and manipulate bones as much as muscles.

[jammietart]

No experience with my DCs but I have an ongoing issue with my neck following a strain (including loss of feeling in my fingers, limited movement, pain). And I would recommend a chiropractor. Amazing. You'll prob have to pay to see one privately (I'm non UK so not sure how it works) but maybe the GP will refer you? The problem with injuries like this is to avoid the discomfort you limit movement, do things differently etc which I think only adds to the initial injury and so it continues.

[rockinhippy]

Thanks both of you :)

I had done massage under the advice of A&E Dr & used aromatherapy oils I know to be okay & useful, We also used freeze spray which limited the need for painkillers - scares the hell out of me how many of those she's needed over the last couple of years - tiger balm sounds a good idea though - I'd forgotten about that one - THANKS Notquin:) - your DS sounds similar to my DD - makes up her own bloody dangerous show off moves too - Kamikazee Kid

They didn't take X-rays - she's had to have too many over recent years due to other injuries so they were very thorough in testing her in other ways with the intention of X-raying if anything looked very dodgy - thankfully the senior Doctors thought not

Thanks Jamie - Chiropractors ARE private over here, but we have taken her to a very good one who specialises in DCs in the past - I know she moved, but think I can find her again - at least I hope so - I had intended to take DD to see her again, but I was wanting the pain & movement to improve more first - maybe thats wrong & I need to go anyway - your comments on the movement hurting, but lack of it adding to the initial injury is spot on -

though trying to get he moving not only hurts, but kicks off violent headaches too, so as stoic & tough as I know her to be, this injury is proving much more difficult, hence why a physio telling her to move more, or even just exersize sheets to follow would be a big help, but I'm getting nowhere asking the Doctors :(

Looks like chiropractor it is - at least if I can find the woman we saw before, I trust her to only work on her if she feels its safe & not overwork her for money as some I've seen do here

[BlissfullyIgnorant]

OMG! Please don't go to a chiropractor with a known neck injury!
When is the rheum appt? Ask for an MRI as the GP seems to think this is an issue for them. Where do u see the rheumy?

[rockinhippy]

Bliss - The Chiropractor was a HUGE help & got her neck moving & reduced the daily headache in ONE session, second session got her out of her sling & using her arm again & it wasn't an undiagnosed injury, neither injury was - I had full details to pass on - & Chiropractor actually have more training than Doctors - 7+ years, plus top ups I believe & are strictly regulated - I would not do anything to put my DD at risk.

She has since been diagnosed with HMS, the specialist agreed that seeing a chiropractor was a GOOD thing & we now do have NHS physiotherapy for her too - but 3 more weeks until her first appointment :( - sadly, as much as I love the NHS, its been pretty damned useless in DDs case - leaving a young girl in a lot of pain & struggling for months & having to cope with school, no follow up treatment to several injuries, even though A&E spotted her HMS prior to official diagnosis & knew it would mean she would need extra care - its wrong we had to go private, not all can & that saddens me, but we did & it HELPED!!