I don't live in Switzerland but I often visit my partner here for a month or two sometimes
I suffer from lower back pain since many years but I've coped with it. But I've never really had a diagnosis since the last 10 years as I've just been coping with the pain with massages and stretching gels etc. I I had an mri in 2007. In UK where I live they don't offer cold laser therapy and red laser therapy on the nhs. I've heard positive things about this treatment for back pain
I'm in Switzerland now visiting my partner but since 2 days and I have come up with an enormous pain in my back which is causing me pain walking and even getting up from bed. Hot bottle pain killers stretching nothing is relieving this nerve pain. The pain is resonating in more to the left of my lower back. My usual back pain would normally be at the centre.
I have an ehic card
Does anyone know where or what can I do? I'm near berne
I had pain approx 5 years ago when I was here once and I went to hospital in berne and they did a small xray and gave me pain killers. But they never gave me a diagnosis. It was more like a quick thing.no intensions to really properly resolve the issue or diagnose(probably because I don't live here so I was treated like a tourist in and out thing)
I also continued to receive bills at my UK address. I had read on the ehic that I didn't have to pay for anything and ehic ensured me that. Can anyone clarify this too? They eventually stopped sending me letters
I'm in pain now again but alot worse. It's preventing me from doing many things.
I would really like to go somewhere where a specialist can possibly visit me, update do a new diagnosis and give me treatment like the ones mentioned above possibly. But it would need to be covered with my ehic. Does anyone know where or what I can do?
I want to avoid radiation via xrays, also mri can see more in depth
I plan to stay here at least 1.5 months now
Thanks
First check if you EHIC is still valid in Switzerland:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-resid...r-ehic-or-ghic
If you came here in 2020 it should be valid. If you cam here 2021 it is only valid under special circumstances.
Unfortunately the website is not too specific. I have been here since 13th December but would have no way of proving it as I had been travelling through Europe prior and didn't keep receipts. By car ofcourse
I don't know where I can go where I can get the above treatments and diagnosis. As my pain is quite bad. But obviously the costs would need to be covered.
I don't know if I should go to emergency hospital in Bern,
You probably should have sent those bills to the correct authority in the U.K.... with EHIC someone has to pay the bill. EHIC from the U.K. is no longer valid post Brexit, you need to get travel insurance in future.
I think you’re sort of confusing things. The EHIC card will cover you for emergency treatment; that might cover you for an immediate solution to your back problem if the card is still valid. Otherwise if you want to see a GP/specialist outside of emergencies for a consultation about whether cold/red laser therapy would help you, then it’s down to you to pay the costs. EHIC doesn’t cover that and never has.
I'm sorry about your pain. I am by no means a doctor and don't really have much helpful info to share, but have you tried cold therapy instead of heat? Sometimes cold therapy is better for pain than heat (as heat can sometimes make pain and inflammation worse). Also, be sure you're getting enough vitamin B12 because that can help with nerves and nerve pain. My mother in law was having severe lower back pain for years, and then her B12 was found to be too low. She had some B12 injections and it ended up helping her back pain immensely.
Also, if your pain is inflammation-related (inflammation causing pressure on nerves), perhaps one of these patches could help, which you can buy at the Apothekes/pharmacies here (no need for a prescription):
Those patches help a lot with my mother-in-law's lower back pain. I use them when I have upper back pain and it really is amazing how much they can help.
Above all else, though, it does sound like you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.
I hope you're feeling much better very soon!
Travel insurance will unlikely cover a pre-existing condition.
Actually, these days, several do so long as you’re a UK resident.
Stay Sure
AllClear Travel
Insure and Go
Direct Travel
Heck, even the UK Post Office offers it
https://www.postoffice.co.uk/travel-…cal-conditions
Sure for a price, I know people who have been quoted over £1000 a week for travel insurance with full underwriting £1500 is not unheard of either. Standard ones that cost £30 a week won't
I have suffered from back pain since 2019. Had to go through multiple procedures including a Microdiscectomy due to a disc herniation. If you are having pain walking and doing everyday tasks, this could be a red flag.
You could do some diagnosis at home. You may lie down and do a leg raise test to check to see if you have any tightness in one leg vs. the other. This is a basic test for potential Sciatica.
Please don't delay seeing a doc/physio ASAP. Will save you months of nightmarish pain
Still likely to be cheaper than paying for it out of your own pocket.
Indeed, insurance companies look to make a profit & have administrative expenses. In all likelihood they would just repatriate the person to the UK & let the NHS deal with it, unless it's an emergency where the person can not be repatriated they never pay out very much. When you compare Swiss health insurance of say 300 a month with 2500 excess v £30 a week with £50 excess you can see the difference.
Yes but I wonder what emergency could give me as an immediate solution? And what if it doesn't work?
Does doing an mri come under "emergency “?
Also diagnosis
I definitely don't want them to do any spine surgery as I'd rather try other options first as emergency
Probably tell you to take some paracetamol or a stronger pain killer.
EHIC won't pay for repatriation, cheapest option would be fly to the UK & go on the NHS, that is assuming you are resident in the UK & entitled to the NHS. You mention UK address that is not the same thing.
Yes im British born and bred but to see a specialist in UK takes 1 year or longer. If I go to emergency they won't even do an xray by my past experience, then with this covid don't know if I can come back here. Thanks though
UK resident is the question, nothing to do with citizenship.
EHIC will not pay for treatment that you would not be given in the UK, you need private health insurance or to pay cash if you want to jump the queue.
If you were to become a Swiss resident, Swiss health insurance would cover you from arrival without any underwriting, however any excess would be payable.
I noticed you had a similar emergency 2 years ago, 'whilst just on holiday' https://www.englishforum.ch/daily-li...ml#post3043139
From 2015, perhaps you are taking the piss?
You have to go back to UK - unless you have taken Travel Insurance to cover you for the whole duration of your stay. EHIC will just not cover long term back pain and the ensuing treatment.
How long have you been here already this stay?
Yes I'm a UK citizen. Yes the pain was slightly different in my last blog. I have a history of back pain. I'm definitely getting it sorted this year. At this point I will find out how much it costs privately here. As I'm not ready to go back just yet.
If I become a Swiss resident I would need to pay monthly insurance like my partner does here but I noticed that when he has to see his doctor he has to pay(gets a bill of 100chf approx) or anything medical related he gets a bill because I think you have to pay the first 1000 yourself before the insurance pays. Somthing like that. Doesn't sound that gr8
NHS is not for UK citizens, hence my question to confirm that you were actually UK resident. As 'you are not ready to go back yet', it sounds like you are living in CH. Shame you did not start the residence process a month ago.
Franchise varies from 300-2500 + 10% of the first 7000. Premiums are significantly higher for a 300 excess.
I been here since 13th December so I probably should go back. Just afraid I won't be able to come back due to lockdown in UK and everywhere