It turned out to be quite serious but healable given timely help. Most people would just give up until much more problematic symptoms develop.

My impression is that NHS has some sort of guidelines explaining default GP reactions to keywords.

E.g., "pain in the back" is the fastest way to end the conversation.

I’m yet to come across a medical doctor who would recommend a chiropractor, but regularly encounter them dismissing that profession. Neck manipulations in particular.

I am well aware of minorities and women lacking equal access to healthcare, and it’s grim. If anyone wants some disheartening reading, your comment brought to mind to things: this was inflicted on women here in New Zealand.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartwright_InquiryWe

And this was a recent report on Maori healthcare, finding that Maori face significant prejudice in their healthcare (see page 17 of the report for a summary). https://waitangitribunal.govt.nz/news/tribunal/

That's not what happened? She saw a doctor within a day, and was unfortunately misdiagnosed.

The 29-year-old couldn’t control her left side, even her face. “Literally the top of my head to the bottom of my foot on the left side of my body could not feel anything.” The next day, Agosto spoke with a doctor at the New York City hospital where she works as a medical secretary. He told her that she probably had a pinched nerve and to see a chiropractor.

I mean you can argue that Australia is a rich country, but it’s available to any citizen regardless of wealth.

It's not available if you have early, MRI-active primary progressive MS. PBAC decided not to reimbursement ocrelizumab for that.

I think Sweden uses Rituximab openly for MS. In the US I've heard some neuros prescribe Rituximab if insurance won't cover O.