#I'm already scripting it and you should too /nf

[theasexual-jackson]

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[wheelie-sick]

i was wondering

so i have mild, chronic back pain and chronic fatigue

i'm really nervous to ask for a mobility aid since i don't have any diagnosis of anything relating to the reasons why i might need a mobility aid

i feel like a cane might help, since i have trouble with some pain and fatigue when walking

thoughts/opinions appreciated /gen /nf

okay, I can't tell you if a cane is right for you personally. I'm not a doctor and I don't know you or your situation. I'll still try to be helpful though

any good doctor or physical therapist is not going to determine your need for a mobility aid based on a diagnosis (or lack thereof) it's determined based on how your life is impacted by not having an aid.

here's the script I've used to ask for aids in the past

paraphrased because it's been a few years-- "I've been having problems with walking because of [symptoms]. [examples of my problems-- things I've missed out on, needs that haven't been met, basically just showing that not having an aid negatively affects my life] the treatments we've already tried have not worked well enough, what's the next step?"

I don't bring up a specific aid right away and I'd recommend that you don't either, leave it as an open question. as a rule of thumb doctors love questions and hate suggestions. with that question you might get an answer that isn't a cane, be willing to try other things first. canes do have a lot of downsides ranging from how other people treat you to shoulder and wrist damage, if other options exist with fewer downsides then those should be tried first.

if your doctor doesn't know what to try next then it's a good time to ask "do you think a cane might be helpful?" if your doctor says "no" then I'd suggest asking for an explanation. asking for an explanation has always been important for me because it helps me weed out bullshit reasoning like "you're too young" from the legitimate reasons not to do something. no matter what the reason they give is it is always okay to ask for a second opinion from another doctor.

if your doctor suggests continuing with your current treatment (or lack thereof) and seeing if things improve I'd suggest asking about anything you can do in the meantime and reminding them that your symptoms are a problem in your life right now. you can also ask if a cane would be helpful for you while you wait to see if your symptoms improve.

I'm not super familiar with using a cane for back pain or fatigue so I can't tell you much about either. (if anyone reading this is familiar with either, please add on!)

I hope this helps, good luck!