Before I start, please accept my apologies if my posting is out of place but I dont know where else to turn. I am 41, single, mother of two school age children. This past March, I slipped and fell on black ice while at work. I was assisted up and walked into my work but immediately felt symptoms. I was evaluated at a local clinic and given workers compensation paperwork and released to fly back to the UK to where I live and work. Upon being evaluated at my local military clinic, I was told that I had whiplash (neck strain, back sprain, and knee contusions) however, I was released to return back to work. Eventually, I was evaluated by private doctors and told that I had whiplash syndrome with an 80% of recovery in two years or less. I stopped working because I was told that the sitting with my job was aggravating the symptoms.
My symptoms include numbness and tingling from the breast down (front and back) when sitting and standing, a piercing sharp pain from the left vertebrae approx t5/t6, chronic neck pain, limited ability to move, bend, extensive muscle spasms in upper and lower back based on sitting and standing, chronic headaches. I feel like I have a wedge between two vertebrae that prevents me from having full mobility. I am extremely sensitive to cold temperatures and it feels like I have a girdle of pain that intensifies with cold weather and restricts my movement. Besides a variety of different medications, I have had steriod injections into the spine, four rounds of physical therapy, three months of osteopathic treatment. I have chronic stiffness. I have had a series of MRIs which showed an abnormality on t5/t6 at 13 weeks after the injury but the radiologist reports said either it was microfracture or degenerative condition. Two months later, I had a complete body bone scan that revealed neither a degenerative condition nor a fracture.
I know something is terribly wrong and that I am running out of time to regain my function. Because my injuries are work related, I have to have all procedures recommended by my doctor. My doctor has literally asked me if I thought the symptoms could be in my head..which I know they are not..I live near Leeds and I am looking for any advice on getting a proper spine evaluation to prevent any further damage and to document any medical diagnosis..please help!