Patients forced to live in agony after NHS refuses to pay for painkilling injections

**michaelr** · 5th August 2009 02:15 PM

Patients forced to live in agony after NHS refuses to pay for painkilling injections

This is the downside of socialized health care, it just costs too damn much, and you can't get the help that you want.

This is also Obama's model!!!!

**Formative Years** · 7th August 2009 12:14 AM

The injections will be stopped for people who have had back pain for less than a year and where the cause is unknown. Physical therapy coupled with pain killers is more effective for people with recent back pain problems. Now with that being said, I can't believe the NHS wont pay for this useless and unnecessary treatment.

**Dr.Knuckles** · 7th August 2009 02:52 AM

This is the downside of socialized health care, it just costs too damn much

That's a lie. There've been dozens of links that you yourself have read and replied to that showed that health care in the US is the most expensive in the world. Absolutely, positively the most expensive. To say that another system costs too much is not a misunderstanding or error at this stage. It's a deliberate lie.

**Pragmatist** · 7th August 2009 05:00 AM

[quote name='Dr.Knuckles' date='07 August 2009 - 03:52 AM' timestamp='1249631548' post='1057']

That's a lie. There've been dozens of links that you yourself have read and replied to that showed that health care in the US is the most expensive in the world. Absolutely, positively the most expensive. To say that another system costs too much is not a misunderstanding or error at this stage. It's a deliberate lie.

[/quote]

Thank you dr.

**caffeine** · 7th August 2009 07:12 AM

The evidence on the effectiveness of back pain treatments is all a bit dubious, and I've heard it said that placebos seem to be just as effective as most of the treatments currently used (though I'm too lazy to search for references today). Yes, socialised health care must be rationed, so it's not a good idea to spend £33 million on treatments for which we have little evidence they're doing any good. Whilst I don't agree with every decision made on what does and doesn't get NHS funding (acupuncture's a dodgy one), I don't see this as a particular weakness of government-funded healthcare.

It's not as if people can't still get these treatments if they want them - they'd just need to pay for them. Same as in a wholly private system.

**Sparta** · 7th August 2009 07:28 AM

[quote name='caffeine' date='07 August 2009 - 08:12 AM' timestamp='1249647178' post='1088']

Same as in a wholly private system.

[/quote]

That's what I was thinking while reading the article, and really all that needed to be said.

**Blueneck** · 7th August 2009 07:38 AM

The Government's drug rationing watchdog says "therapeutic" injections of steroids, such as cortisone, which are used to reduce inflammation, should no longer be offered to patients suffering from persistent lower back pain when the cause is not known.

Steroids and cortisone probably are only effective in very specific types of back problems. To give these drugs which have numerous side effects and complications when the cause is unknown isn't really a good idea anyway.

**michaelr** · 7th August 2009 09:15 AM

[quote name='Dr.Knuckles' date='07 August 2009 - 12:52 AM' timestamp='1249631548' post='1057']

That's a lie. There've been dozens of links that you yourself have read and replied to that showed that health care in the US is the most expensive in the world. Absolutely, positively the most expensive. To say that another system costs too much is not a misunderstanding or error at this stage. It's a deliberate lie.

[/quote]

Well when I need it I can get a steroid for my back pain. Listen, I have lived with intense pain since 1983, every few years I really on these shots, but if I lived in the UK forgetaboutit. And why is that??? I will be more than happy to tell you, the government cant afford it. Well fuck that, I can and the government had better have nothing to say about it.

**michaelr** · 7th August 2009 09:15 AM

[quote name='Blueneck' date='07 August 2009 - 05:38 AM' timestamp='1249648692' post='1099']

Steroids and cortisone probably are only effective in very specific types of back problems. To give these drugs which have numerous side effects and complications when the cause is unknown isn't really a good idea anyway.

[/quote]

Ya intense pain.

**Blueneck** · 7th August 2009 09:31 AM

[quote name='michaelr' date='07 August 2009 - 10:15 AM' timestamp='1249654514' post='1125']

Well when I need it I can get a steroid for my back pain. Listen, I have lived with intense pain since 1983, every few years I really on these shots, but if I lived in the UK forgetaboutit. And why is that??? I will be more than happy to tell you, the government cant afford it. Well fuck that, I can and the government had better have nothing to say about it.

[/quote]

Does your insurance cover the steroid shots 100% or have you been paying for them out of pocket?