Help finding scoliosis Doctor in Oklahoma

[cogito]

HI,

I live in Edmond, OK, a suburb of Oklahoma City.
I'm thinking about an injection of one sort or another. I tried finding a suitable doctor last year, saw one, but didn't follow up with him as I didn't think he was sufficiently familiar with scoliosis and came up with an implausible hypothesis which turned out to be wrong.

Using the scoliosis.org doctor search, the only one near me is Robert Wienecke.

I'm wondering if anyone from this area is familiar with him or could recommend another option in case Wienecke isn't right for me.

Thanks in advance.

[LindaRacine]

Hi...

Scoliosis surgeons rarely do injections themselves (at least the ones done under fluoroscopy). It's usually psyiatrists/pain management doctors. Have you brought the subject up with your pain mgmt doc?

--Linda

[cogito]

Thanks for the response. I am at a total loss as to what to do!

I'm starting a new thread with images of my back -- I need to understand what my options are.

[jrnyc]

hi cogito
i dont understand...
i think you mentioned C2-T4 as areas of pain..but i dont remember seeing curve measurements...i am not a medical professional, and personally cant tell anything from your pix...

my own experience is that i have a pain management doc in NYC ...and a scoli surgeon there as well......but i have not decided on surgery...yet...more like i have decided and keep changing my mind...

in the meantime, i am on oral pain meds and i get many kinds of injections...botox has helped relieve my thoracic pain...freezes the muscles...but little has helped the lumbar area, where my worst pain is... ...including epidurals, facet blocks, nerve ablation, sacroiliac injections...and maybe a few i've forgotten...

am wondering about the numbness and tingling...has a doctor discussed this with you...whether it might be coming from nerve involvement of some kind...?
i hope you are able to find both a scoli surgeon and a pain management doctor where you live...

best regards
jess

[cogito]

Hi,

There are no curve measurements because I haven't seen a scoliosis doctor.

I don't even know if the scoliosis I have is the cause of the pain.

The idiot I saw last year, when I first decided to figure out what was going on, said the cause is my shoulder and sent me to a shoulder specialist who said there's nothing wrong with my shoulder. So, I gave up.

But I just can't stand the pain. The opioids I've been given (tramadol, hydrocodone, oxycodone, etc.) help, but I want to find some treatment (been to various P.T.s, chiros, tried yoga, etc.) and not have to use pain meds so much.

I think what I need is to see a doctor who can order appropriate tests, give me a well-founded diagnosis and direct me to the appropriate treatment. The problem is, I don't know where to start and there are too many idiots and salesmen practicing medicine around here.

[jrnyc]

why not simply look up an orthopedic doctor specializing in spinal problems...get the X rays and MRI needed, and proceed from there...otherwise, i think you are working blind, not knowing what problem you are trying to fix...no reputable pain doctor will treat you without such information....

jess

[cogito]

JRNYC,

I don't want to pick a doctor at random. I've wasted a lot of time and money with idiots and scum bags. Too many doctors around here are poorly trained, lack basic critical thinking skills, and/or are just in it for the money. So, I've sought help here, in case there's some member of this board in the OKC area who knows of a good doctor. I've also made a list from RateMD, Angie's List, Vitals.com, etc..

The last orthopedic surgeon (who I saw a year ago) said that because I have pain radiating down my arm and in my back, it is probably my shoulder since that's between the two areas of pain! The shoulder specialist to whom I was referred took x-rays, etc. and found nothing wrong with it-- of course. A year later, with worsening pain, I just can't go through that again. This time, I have to get it figure out!

BTW, I've seen a pain management doctor for some years now, initially as a result of a major car accident which damaged my right hip and SI (as well as failed surgery on the former). But for the past 2 years or so, the pain in my upper back has become even worse than my hip.

My plan is to assemble a list of 4 or so "finalists" and bring them to my pain doctor to see what his opinion is of each. I'll also consult my physical therapist who is well embedded in the medical establishment and treats some of the surgeons at the OU medical center.

This time, I want to find the right doctor rather than ending up with yet another quack.

[Susie*Bee]

Dear cognito-- I just glanced through and didn't see (unless I missed it!) that anyone had mentioned the SRS site... that's the Scoliosis Research Society site. The members devote at least 20% of their practice to scoliosis-- and some are basically all spine and scoli specialists. It lists its members. It does not let you know how experienced or the percentage of time they devote to scoliosis, but it's a good place to start looking for a doctor. I would think most are fairly experienced... I typed in Oklahoma City and came up with 5 doctors, with 3 dealing with adults, with the one you mentioned being one of them. I tried to cut and paste that page to here, but it reverts back to the beginning of that section. To find the Oklahoma City bunch, just click on the "Geographic and Specialty Search" tab just above all the alphabetical letters. Then all you have to do is type in your city and state and click on search and you're all set. Make sure you eliminate the kids' ones. Here's a link to get you there:

http://srs.execinc.com/edibo/PublicDirectory

Best wishes in finding a specialist who will be just right for you! It sounds like it's about time!

[cogito]

Susie*Bee

Thanks for your help. I have the same list... but some of them don't treat adults, some are in other parts of the state.
Of those remaining, two are about 20 minutes away, on the south side of town (I'll see them if I can't find anyone closer) and another I've eliminated because he doesn't accept Blue Cross.

I see my pain doctor later this month and hope he can identify from the list I assemble those he things are most suited to my situation.

[Susie*Bee]

You're welcome. You might be being too picky, though (IMO) looking for convenience over expertise. A lot of us travel hours to see a specialist. I guess it depends on what you want from whomever you see. My surgeon is 2 hours away, if the traffic is good... Hopefully your pain specialist can help you sort it out. Best wishes.