My Dr. told me to be a coach potato

janie1234

janie1234

Cathlete
My Dr. told me to be a couch potato

So I like to workout. 6 days a week 1 hour a day. Just last year I've increased my running to help with my sleeplessness, but for some reason I've had a sort of numbing toe sensation in my toes that I've sorta always had but has really been bugging me more the past 2 years. It has been an off and on thing. So I saw a Dr. 4 years ago about it when it first came up and my Dr. tells me just to stop excersizing and questioned why I even like to run (she was extremely overweight by the way not that it should matter but she also just got through telling me about a great new burger restaurant in town that makes a 3lb burger and has the best mystery sauce in the world.)
Well last year the pain has resurfaced and since I'm paying a small mortgage for my medical insurance I decided to see a Dr. so my new nicer Doc promises to get to the bottom of this since it seems to be reoccuring and sends me to a specialist who performs an electromyogram test, . . something I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. I basically get poked with needles that go into my muscles and then shocked to see if my nerves are intact. This took almost 2 hours!! So the Dr. asks me why I run and said that I should just be a couch potato like he is. He said that he hates excersize and that I'm to young to be spending my day working out and that excersize leads to injury. Someone please tell me why a Dr would ever tell his/her pt to NOT excersize? I don't get it. I'm not professional athlete. I work out because I love being outdoors and feeling healthy. I don't get it. So now I'm out of comission because I had my body poked with needles and shocked and I'm sitting here worrying that my medical Dr. will tell me never to excersize again. I'm in a pretty bad mood. :(
 
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Are you kidding me? I'm reading and rereading your post and am speechless! These people are DOCTORS???

Jo
 
(scratching my head in disbelief) Change doctors again and get one that knows what they are doing. Jeesh!

Sorry you have to go through this. That's awful.

Janie
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Wow - I can see him expressing concern if he thinks you're overexercising which is feeding your injury, and thus to cut back. But to not exercise at all. That's nuts. I would find a different doctor.
 
I actually would report that to your insurance provider. That kind of BS is what got people unhealthy to begin with. I had exercise limitations put on me but my crappy student clinic doctors and technicians helped me figure out ways to work around my problems so I could still exercise. Just stunned...
 
dorothyrd said:
My doctor runs half marathons. He totally gets it. Find one like him.
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I wish, . . .my eye Doc is a runner he gets it and has even tipped me off to some great running trails, . . but he is an EYE Dr. I think my new general practice Dr. gets it she has really been trying to help me out but the specialist shock Dr. she sent me to obviously doesn't. :(
 
NY25 said:
Wow - I can see him expressing concern if he thinks you're overexercising which is feeding your injury, and thus to cut back. But to not exercise at all. That's nuts. I would find a different doctor.
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I actually asked him this and to him walking to a car parked in the parking lot was exercise to him. I highly doubt doing the recommended 1 hour 6 days a week is overdoing it though. I don't do super duper long runs (20 miles a week) and they are always at a steady pace. I lift with Cathe 3 days a week and if Cathe has taught me something in the past it is to always listen to my body and use good form. Ho humm, . . I'm just bummed about the whole thing. My medical insurance is through Kaiser Permanente and is an HMO. I sorta go back and forth with this, my kids pediatrician is fabulous but I can tell Kaiser has a sorta fast food medicine mentality of getting people in and out of the office so that they're Doc's can see as many patients as possible. I don't get it Kaiser always has comcercials on health and they sponser the local Napa Valley Marathon. I'll just be bummed beyond belief if I have to give up being active. :(
Thanks everyone for the advice. I'll see what my GP says hopefully she's on board with my goal to stay fit and healthy.
 
I can't believe 2 doctors told you to sit on your arse and do nothing!:eek::eek::eek: Moving keeps us from getting old and many health probs to boot. I could see if they said cut back on the running, or sub the running with something else, but to not exercise???? Yikes!! I know you said its an HMO, call your ins co and see if they have someone better in network they can recommend, bc the current one is crazy.

Nan

ETA: I was at my Dr today for a back strain that won't go away. She said "keep doing your regular routine, just eliminate anything that bugs or tweaks it. Back strains take time to heal, 2-3 months, but sitting like a lump will make it worse" Gotta love her!! And her scale weighed me 1.5lbs less than mine. Love it!
 
speak to the hospital

There are usually services to help patients when their doctors do something/say something that is obviously bogus. How insane is it to tell you to stop exercising when in this country we have an obesity epidemic? He is absolutely nuts.
 
It sounds like the same issue I have - a Running Room manager told me that it may be Morton's Neuroma, and I am having it checked out next week. I've had it for a few years now, but it is getting worse. If you Google it, you will see suggestions for treatment, etc.

Oh, and if you go see a Sports Doctor and athletic therapist, you won't have someone stupid tell you not to work out. They just don't get it, but they will get heart disease, diabetes, higher risk of cancer, etc.
 
WOW! I can understand your frustration! What is wrong with the medical community? Every day, I see stories about how overweight Americans are and this is what doctors are telling their patients??? Incredulous! As I continued to gain weight, my doctor kept telling me that I wasn't overweight. They really need a reality check!
 
morningstar said:
It sounds like the same issue I have - a Running Room manager told me that it may be Morton's Neuroma, and I am having it checked out next week. I've had it for a few years now, but it is getting worse. If you Google it, you will see suggestions for treatment, etc.

Oh, and if you go see a Sports Doctor and athletic therapist, you won't have someone stupid tell you not to work out. They just don't get it, but they will get heart disease, diabetes, higher risk of cancer, etc.
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Hi. I thought that I had a neuroma from the beginning but current Dr. did not seem to think so since the pain is in both feet and has moved to my hands. :( It also seems to happen at night when I'm not even running. My toes sorta swell and look kinda grey.

Sports Dr. is a great idea. I think I'll go and see if there is one in the area. Of course I'll probably have to pay out of pocket. I don't know if my HMO has any sports Dr's in network. I'll have to check.
 
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