Individuals who have suffered injury in a motor vehicle accident or slip and fall accident often do not have a family physician. Often the injured do not receive the medical monitoring that they need because it may take a very long time to be assessed by a medical specialist. Wait lists for specialists of one to two years is common, and causes a great deal of frustration for the patient. It’s especially important to speak with a lawyer right away to secure a strong claim for benefits and care.
Fibromyalgia is a common condition for those suffering injury, and previously required referral to a Rheumatologist for diagnosis and treatment. The Canadian Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Fibromyalgia Syndrome recently has been revamped and addresses the issue of readily available diagnosis and treatment.
The new Guideline acknowledges that a diagnosis can be made by a family physician. Laboratory tests and unnecessary investigations which may be detrimental to the patient should be avoided.
This new philosophy is designed to lead to an early diagnosis which will avoid lengthy, costly, and unnecessary investigations. This philosophy is geared toward primary care management (family physician) of the disease without the need for the long wait for treatment.
The Guideline recommends non-pharmacologic strategies with patients encouraged to pursue as normal a life pattern as possible, using pacing and/or graded incremental activity to maintain or improve function.
What does this mean for the pain-ridden accident victim suffering as a result suffering from Fibromyalgia? It means that the current medical opinion is not to encourage total reliance on prescription medications. Many motor vehicle accident lawyers representing the insurer of the at-fault driver would like to suggest that because you do not consume daily prescription medications then clearly you must not be suffering. The medical opinion clearly does not agree with this proposition. The insurer would like to also suggest that if you are able to lead some semblance of a normal life you must not be suffering. The medical opinion clearly does not agree with this proposition. Consulting with your family physician on a regular basis so that a diagnosis can be made with treatment appropriate to your condition is necessary for your health and litigation.
If you are suffering from Fibromyalgia due to an accident, contact our experts to get the assistance, benefits, and care you deserve at 1-855-446-7765. For more information, visit our accident lawyer section.
