21st August 2020

You are an F2 in a GP surgery. A 56-year old man who initially presented with back pain 7 weeks ago comes to see you again

You are an F2 in a GP surgery. A 56-year old man who initially presented with back pain 7 weeks ago comes to see you again as his pain has not resolved. He was initially diagnosed with a lumbar disc prolapse. He was advised to take naproxen and paracetamol, given physiotherapy exercises to do and was advised to rest for a couple of days then try to keep as active as possible. He says that he’s been doing the exercises every day and trying to be as active as possible but is still in a lot of pain. He has also noticed that his left leg has become weaker and he now walks with a slight limp, which is concerning him. He has also found that his pain is not adequately controlled with naproxen and paracetamol, and it is limiting how mobile he can be. Which of the following actions should you take now?

Which THREE of the following are correct? Select THREE options only.