Spine and Back Health

Lower back and pelvic pain

05/11/2008 03:38PM

Question:

I was in a car accident about a month ago and I have numbness in my right big toe and tingling in my other toes. I also have pain in my right hip and leg and in my pelvis when I have sex. The doctor at emegrency said that I had a bruised spine and sprained lower back and right hip. Could this cause my symptoms and what kind of doctor should I see?

Answer:

Hello, thank you for your question. Whether your symptoms could be caused by the diagnosis you’ve been given is something I can’t answer. Only a qualified health care provider who has examined you and taken a full history can do that. If you are still in pain, you should see your primary care physician. If you don’t have a primary care physician, you should get one. If that’s not possible, you could go to a drop-in clinic or urgent care clinic. What kind of doctor you should see depends on your diagnosis and exam findings. You might eventually need referral to a pain management specialist, a physiatrist (also known as a “rehab doc”), or possibly an orthopedic specialist, but that depends on what your doctor finds. Good luck.

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Response by:

David J Hart, MD
Director, Neurosurgery Spine, Assistant Professor
Department of Neurological Surgery
University Hospitals
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University