Chesapeake, VA asked in Medical Malpractice for Virginia

Q: If I told my doc that the pain was coming from my hip/butt, is it malpractice for him to order MRI on lumbar spine only?

Sharp pain in hip/butt/upper thigh for years. Told probably sciatic pain BUT all docs I talked to said sciatic pain is only one side, whereas mine would go back and forth between my left and right. Sometimes both sides. Sometimes no pain/manageable sometimes debilitating. Went to chiropractor, took x-ray and saw a lumbar bone off kilter. Said it would take an MRI to see what the real problem was. After sessions there didn't help, I went to an orthopedic surgeon recommended by a friend (cured by surgery with this doc). Terrible doc. Never had a bad experience with any doc before. This guy couldn't care less about me. I showed him chiro x-ray ("Chiros are quacks", he says, dismisses xray), explained symptoms (told me I was wrong about sciatica, can't be both sides) and said we need an MRI. Told him pain came from pelvic/hip/butt/upper thigh but he ordered the MRI only for lumbar. Nothing found obvs. He tells me it's probably in my head and go see rheuma or neurologist. 1400 oop for what?

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1 Lawyer Answer
Peter N. Munsing
Peter N. Munsing
Answered
  • Medical Malpractice Lawyer
  • Wyomissing, PA

A: Not sure why it wasn't covered but for anyone that is reading if you are paying for an MRI see if they have a "self pay" rate and shop around.

To answer your question, if you have radiating pain a lumbar MRI will cover those levels of the nerve roots that may be the cause of that pain, if it is caused by a disc.

So you did right, he did right it sounds like, certainly not malpractice. Contact a local attorney that gives free consultaitons for a second opinion on that.

Another possibility is if you have Ilio-Tibial band inflammation; ask a doc to check that out (your chiro may be able to as well).

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