Second injury caused by first?
Hi all. I have a question that hopefully someone in the know can tell me how to handle this situation.
I hurt my lower back last November. I was lifting something too heavy and felt a pop in my lower back on the right side. Long story short, it was a soft tissue injury. No herniation or spinal injury. The workers comp insurance company sent me to an Occupational Health physician for my back. About a week after my back injury, my right knee started to really, really hurt. It felt like the knee cap was slipping/sliding accompanied by sharp pain. When I went to the Occupational doc for a follow-up, I told him that my right knee was really bothering me. He asked me if I had ever injured it, which I hadn't. I never had a problem with my knee until I injured my back, and I told him this.
He got very impatient with me and said, "You know, you're no spring chicken. Hartford isn't going to pay for a knee replacement because you hurt your back!" I stated that I wasn't asking for a knee replacement, but pointed out again that my knee never bothered me before the back injury and asked if there could be a correlation.
He told me that he'd chart it but really dismissed me with a wave of his hand, like I was asking stupid questions. I don't even know if he charted it.
Halfway through my back healing journey which included physical therapy, I had to have emergency abdominal surgery. The restrictions placed upon me after my surgery prohibited me from doing the physical therapy, and the occupational physician released me to go back to work.
Now it's May and the back pain is better, but not resolved. I have an attorney who has referred me for an IME with an orthopedic doctor for my back. I am hoping to go see him next week. The knee has NOT improved at all. If anything, it's worse. It wakes me up in the middle of the night when I turn over. It hurts when I try to stand from a chair. Getting out of the car is hell. Once I get going, I am usually fine. The knee will buckle occasionally but not more than 1 or 2x a week.
So here's my question. How do I broach the subject of the knee with this IME doc? I know that he isn't going to try to be my friend in this situation and I am expecting to be dismissed again. However, I firmly stand (<------ see what I did there?) Ahem. I firmly stand on the fact that I never had a knee issue until the back injury.
Suggestions? Advice? Anything?
Thanks!
TLDR: Hurt back at work, somehow knee got affected worse than back. I need knee help now!