Pain is a certain warning that something is wrong with a person’s body, and it is a very helpful indicator for doctors to identify specific issues and decide on the best course of treatment.
Living with chronic pain may be incredibly difficult and unpleasant. Pain that lasts longer than six months is referred to as chronic pain syndrome, and its intensity can range from mild to incapacitating. Unfortunately, because of its complexity and wide range of manifestations, diagnosis is frequently difficult.
Yet, medical professionals can also misdiagnose pain, which can lead to a false diagnosis of the underlying ailment and result in further medical issues.
The trustworthy source of the discomfort could not be discovered if the wrong diagnosis is given. Misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment of pain can cause impairment, have a negative impact on a patient’s life, and restrict their capacity to engage in daily activities. Moreover, it might result in despair, loneliness, mood swings, anxiety, and even overmedicating.
Misdiagnosis of chronic pain might result in further damage and pain. If this is the case, medical malpractice may have been committed against you.
ACUTE VS CHRONIC PAIN
It’s crucial to understand the difference between acute and chronic pain. Acute pain is usually transient, brought on by an injury or disease, and usually goes away after the underlying issue has been resolved.
Contrarily, chronic pain is persistent and lasts for six months or longer, regardless of the efforts made to relieve it. Furthermore, it might be challenging to appropriately diagnose chronic pain patients because many have no identified etiology.
STARTLING STATISTICS ON MISDIAGNOSIS
When a professional medical misdiagnoses a sickness or illness based on test results or patient symptoms, they are committing medical malpractice. The wrong diagnoses could be anything:
- Fibromyalgia is mistaken for arthritis
- Spinal stenosis being mistaken for sciatica
- Even completely ignoring possible disorders like cancer or multiple sclerosis.
It’s crucial to realize that a person with chronic pain syndrome may receive the incorrect diagnosis due to a number of causes, including:
- Lack of access to advanced diagnostic procedures, lack of knowledge on the part of the treating physician, and insufficient appraisal of the patient’s medical history
- Incomplete medical exams
- Reliance on antiquated methods
- Failure to rule out alternative factors, such as an underlying disease or injury
- Neglect of psychological symptoms linked to long-term illnesses like depression or anxiety.
HAZARDS OF CRPS MISDIAGNOSIS
- The effects of misdiagnosis can range from minor treatment plan discrepancies (such as the prescription of ineffective medications) to serious side effects brought on by inappropriate medication prescriptions or the recommendation of unnecessary surgery, depending on the specific circumstances of each case.
- Some patients may eventually travel down roads that lead to opiate dependence as a result of their continued problems with their primary complaint and the physical limitations they sustain if their illness worsens over time without receiving effective therapy.
- A frequent occurrence is when a patient gets chronic headaches but is actually being treated for depression since their doctor misdiagnosed their genuine underlying issue.
- Patients who receive a false diagnosis may also suffer financially as a result of the increased medical expenses incurred by seeking a second more accurate diagnosis.
- Insurance companies may, in rare circumstances, even refuse coverage if they determine that a proper investigation had been done by the doctor previously, which could have led to an accurate diagnosis.
MEDICAL ERRORS AND MISSED DIAGNOSES
Diagnosing chronic pain can be difficult. Misdiagnosing chronic pain, however, can result in unneeded additional pain and suffering as well as injuries that can change your life.
If the reason for your discomfort was incorrectly diagnosed and you sustained harm as a result, medical error may have occurred. A medical malpractice lawyer should be consulted so that they may examine the specifics of your case and advise you on the best course of action.
We strongly advise you to get in touch with us at Specialty Care Clinics if you’re having trouble getting an appropriate diagnosis for your chronic pain. Contact us at 469-545-9983.