To be offended by GP comment?

[Macadamia1976]

I have severely injured my lower back. I'm in agony and can't move without pain.
I bent down, lifted a heavy double buggy up from the ground, twisted round whilst bending over to lift it into the boot of my car then overstretched to position it in properly. I did this really quickly and something snapped in my lower back and I suddenly felt searing agony.
After initial urgent care treatment and being diagnosed with a torn ligament, I had a follow up with GP for pain management.
Never seen him before.
He was in his late 30s, maybe 40.
He said "I fail to see how lifting a buggy into the boot has caused this."
I said "Well I was told in hospital it was a combination of bending and twisting my lower back whilst lifting a heavy object. Plus I have an old injury in the same area of my back so I think maybe it was a weak area..."
He said "No, I think this is wrong. It's not possible to be in as much pain as you say you are in from putting a buggy into your car."
At this point I was confused by why he was challenging my injury. I was in pain, and was there for a pain relief medication review.
He said "It's because you need to lose weight."
I said "Pardon?"
He smiled for a few seconds, then said "Yes, you need to lose a stone from your tummy area, if you don't mind me saying" whilst really smiling. "Then your back pain will resolve. You have done this to yourself by eating too much and the stone in weight that sits on your tummy is putting a strain on your lower back. It wasn't lifting the buggy. I'll give you more painkillers but you need to get rid of that stone of weight on your tummy".
I didn't even realise he had even noticed my tummy.
I was wearing trousers and a top.
I am 5ft 7 and weigh 11 stone.
I wear size 12 to 14 clothes.
I've had 2 emergency c-sections so I admit I do have a tummy overhang, but I hadn't thought of this as a problem, I just see it as a result of having emergency abdominal surgery 2 times to save my 2 DC's lives when they were born. I don't really think about it, I'm too busy looking after my DC and working hard in my job.
I was almost crying in pain during this appointment.
AIBU to be upset by his comments?
Or am I in so much pain that I'm feeling oversensitive.
(Edited typos)

It's clearly not your weight or "tummy" that has caused this injury.

But a weak core will mean you are more prone to back injuries. I would see a decent physio for safe post partum exercises to strengthen your core.

Appalling behaviour from the GP. You are not being unreasonable and I hope you get all the help you need. Physiotherapy can be really useful.

I completely agree with the responses.
However the Muppet may have actually unwittingly given you a clue on how to manage your back going forward.

I've a history of back issues, scoliosis, osteoarthritis, slipped discs etc. Years ago I met a wonderful physio who developed a program to build up my limp core. They said so many women have core issues after pregnancy which can weaken your back.

Assuming with C sections your muscles get damaged ? Wonderful surgery to deliver baby safe. It may be worth seeking out a physio who can help you. I hope your back settles soon it is such a horrible pain.

Definitely complain. It's irrelevant that you're not actually overweight. You went in for pain management for an issue diagnosed and dealt with by the urgent care centre. You didn't dream it up. Just because his tiny patronising brain can't compute the nature of the injury doesn't mean it's not real or accurate.

Shocking, please put in a complaint and make sure future appointments are not with him.

You can pull your back from the most littlest things like bending to pick up something you have dropped. He is an idiot and I would worry for any future patients who don’t get the help they need because of his ignorance.

Hope you get the help and pain relief you need for your back.

Are you able to change GPs? If so, you definitely should.

Going forward I would also look at glute and leg strengthening exercises as it is better and safer to pick up heavily things squatting with a straight back so your thighs take the weight, but that requires practice and strong core and legs.

We all rely too much on our lower backs when lifting and turning and get injured.

What an idiot.
E mail practice manager and ask for another opinion.

Please put in a formal complaint OP, and never see him again, absolutely horrendous!

When I was a teenager my super fit, toned, energetic dance teacher slipped a disc by twisting to throw a tea bag in the bin.

That doctor is talking absolute bollocks.

He's a dick and it sounds like he enjoyed being a dick by your description of events.

These things can happen very quickly. I've caused myself endless grief with a careless twist of my knee!

You don't sound overweight, I'd be more inclined to say that being a mum in a hurry caused this. Also, after 2 C sections, did it not occur to him that maybe your core is weaker than usual?

Please complain and try to see a different doctor or physiotherapist, there might be exercises that would help.

I am a similar height and weight as you and it’s almost exactly in the middle of the healthy BMI range, there’s no way it’s solely a weight issue.

Came on to stay exactly what @Ginmonkeyagain said. I’ve got recurrent back pain, I once had an episode triggered by putting my shopping in the car. I would say you will have weak core muscles and once you strengthen them, it’ll make a huge difference. See a physiotherapist for advice.

I would complain and provide feedback for the Dr, he gave you unsolicited and BAD information. Just Losing weight will not help, strength and conditioning will. Hope it improves soon, for me it usually take 2-3 weeks to settle.

Complain. He wouldn’t say that to a man.

Change GP and tell them why or say why you are unhappy. A GP who tells someone with a normal BMI that their problem is weight despite that report from the hospital with orthopedic input isn't worth seeing.

The Gp is an ignorant condescending twat.
I put my back out by sitting down in a chair and standing up again. Excruciating agony ensued for weeks. FWIW I’m a size 10.
Hope your back gets better soon, regular Pilates has helped mine - find some YouTube videos if you can’t get to an instructor. The NHS site has links to lower back Pilates videos but I haven’t tried those.

He's an idiot. He should've talked about pain relief only and then referred you for physio/ core strengthening. He sounds like a sadist.

I’m actually struggling to believe this is real tbh because firstly he’s medically incorrect-loading the spine while twisting is a classic cause of injury…whether that is ligament tear or disc or nerve root injury……..and also because your bmi from the statistics does not put you in the overweight category…….and also because……a small amount of extra weight around your middle would not create sudden, acute searing pain…..and also because to tell a patient they don’t believe what they are saying and they doubt and discount their level of pain (which is obviously subjective) would be not only a dreadful bedside manner and rude and unprofessional but also actually an act of negligence. He’s is not referring you for the investigations and care you need. I’m not saying you have made this up OP or exaggerated or that this is a wind up but it’s just so shocking, it is possible this individual is an extreme misogynist to the level he has compromised his professional standards and duty of care. He needs reporting asap.

(it’s perfectly fine obviously for a GP to tell a patient they need to lose weight under the appropriate circumstances but this instance for the reasons above is not and is not acceptable).

That doctor needs to lose at least a kilo of fat from his head.

To play devil's advocate, perhaps he could have been genuinely trying to help. He may be trying to find the root cause of your issue rather than simply patch with painkillers. He may really believe that you losing weight will reduce your pain in future.

However, weight is such a sensitive topic, it needed to be handled better than this. And he was outright wrong to say you couldn't do your back in in the way you said (I did it putting my toddler down in an awkward way).

But to be honest, the more GPs I've seen, the more I think the system they operate in encourages them to dehumanise their patients. I am also puzzled as to why so many of them have chosen a people-facing career when they appear to have a serious deficit of emotional intelligence.

My DH is a healthy weight, his back is fucked from lugging DD around. Your GP is an idiot.

The smiling while telling you that is chilling. I wouldn't be surprised if he has some sort of personality disorder.

Do put in a complaint. If enough complaints build up, it might build a picture of someone who shouldn't be in such a position of trust/authority.

What an ignorant prick of a man. Of course you can put your back out lifting a heavy buggy! Re his comments about your stomach - how dare he.

Please make a complaint about this twat of a man. At that weight and height your bmi will be well within the normal limits. I am an inch taller and a stone heavier. He is completely out of order.

Op the doc u saw is a twat.

How dare he say anything about how u look.
B4 being pregnant with baby no 4 I have a overhang. I'm 5 ft 9 and weigh probs same amount as u ot slightly more.

I would make a complaint babes. Don't feel any type of way because that man said something to you. Personally I would have told him to shut the f**k up and not to analyse me like that.

Dedo get his name and complain