# What kind of doctor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 21, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctor/653534 "2013-03-21T13:53:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctor/653534/1 "2013-03-21T13:53:37Z")
What kind of doctor deals with spine problems and the subsequent nerve problems that arise from them? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctor/653534/2 "2013-03-21T13:56:18Z")
Orthopedist. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctor/653534/3 "2013-03-21T14:00:53Z")
Possibly with a Nurologist consult? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctor/653534/4 "2013-03-21T14:12:39Z")
Do you have a General Practitioner (GP) or Primary Care Physician (PCP) that you normally go to first? He/she should be able to refer you to the appropriate specialist in your area. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctor/653534/5 "2013-03-21T14:39:28Z")
For surgical options, eiither a Neurosurgeon or an Orthopedist who does spines (most don’t and even fewer do cervical (neck) if that’s your problem). For non-surgical options, your primary doctor can probably manage with a physical therapist referral. ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctor/653534/6 "2013-03-21T16:30:43Z")
I’m having occasional extreme pain on the sides of my thighs (due to sleeping in a certain position on a too-firm mattress) and probably-not-coincidental low back pain (in the area of L4/L5, which I know has a nerve path that follows that thigh area). I have the ability to seek out a specialist without a referral, and I’d like to avoid paying for the doctor visit just to get a referral. I realize that paying to get a proper referral is exactly why I would be paying (ie I’m not complaining), but I’m on a budget and hope I can get myself pointed in the right direction on my own. (I’m not asking for medical advice :)) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctor/653534/7 "2013-03-21T17:21:46Z")
An orthoaedic physician or neurologist handles spinal injuries (or a physiatrist in some cases). A neurologist would be the best choice for an injury with radiculopathy. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctor/653534/8 "2013-03-21T17:30:45Z")
> [@xanthous](#): > > I’m having occasional extreme pain on the sides of my thighs (due to sleeping in a certain position on a too-firm mattress) and probably-not-coincidental low back pain (in the area of L4/L5, which I know has a nerve path that follows that thigh area). > > I have the ability to seek out a specialist without a referral, and I’d like to avoid paying for the doctor visit just to get a referral. I realize that paying to get a proper referral is exactly why I would be paying (ie I’m not complaining), but I’m on a budget and hope I can get myself pointed in the right direction on my own. > > (I’m not asking for medical advice :)) Good thing you are not, because he would tell you to change mattresses, or get a soft topper and the classic joke - Doc, it hurts when I do _that_, well stop doing _that_. Also you can sleep with a shaped pillow between your knees to hold your legs in position. If you know that how you are sleeping is causing the problem, you really don’t need the advice of a bunch of strangers on a message board, you know you need to change something. The easiest things to change are the mattress firmness and your position. ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctor/653534/9 "2013-03-22T16:17:27Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Good thing you are not, because he would tell you to change mattresses, or get a soft topper and the classic joke - Doc, it hurts when I do _that_, well stop doing _that_. My mattress is fine and I never have a problem sleeping on it. It’s other people’s mattresses: my dad’s, my sister’s, the woman for whom I house sit. I can’t really control sleeping arrangements outside my own house, much as I would love to! 🙂 > [@aruvqan](#): > > If you know that how you are sleeping is causing the problem, you really don’t need the advice of a bunch of strangers on a message board, you know you need to change something. The easiest things to change are the mattress firmness and your position. I start out with pillow between knees, hugging pillow, neck well supported on pillow. How I end up during unconsciousness is also something I also can’t easily control. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctor/653534/10 "2013-03-22T16:18:50Z")
[Here ya go](http://lmgtfy.com/?q=What+is+a+spine+doctor)! ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-doctor/653534/11 "2013-03-22T20:13:49Z")
> [@hrhomer](#): > > [Here ya go](http://lmgtfy.com/?q=What+is+a+spine+doctor)! [Thanks](http://lmgtfy.com/?q=What+happens+when+I+Google+and+don't+get+a+clear+answer+straight+dope) 😉