Physical Therapy

[Guest guest]

My neurosurgeon sent me to physical therapy. I went for therapy to help with

the pain in my neck and hip. The therapist made his assessments of my

condition, and gave me exercises to do.

He gave me exercises for my gluteus muscles and for my trapezius. I did the

exercises he provided every day. I even looked up some variations so I wouldn't

get bored. I did them using the bands he gave me. I did them using no bands, to

practice good form. I did them with tiny hand weights. And, I did more sets

and repetitions than expected. (When I jump in, I jump with both feet. I was

gonna sink or swim with this one).

I didn't see a need to go back to my appointments, since I already knew the

exercises. But since it had been nearly a month since I learned the exercises,

I decided to go back for assessment. I reported to the therapist that indeed,

and without a doubt, I had become stronger. I can see the difference in the

mirror and I can feel the difference, too.

The problem, though, is that the exercises did not do anything toward fixing my

pains. In some ways it made the pain worse.

While doing the exercises, when I would hit a point of the exercise that would

cause me severe pain, or at least higher than the usual pain. In some ways

creating more pain means that when I return to my normal every-day pain, it

won't seem so bad. Anyhow, I would push myself thinking that this must be the

activation point. This, whatever I'm doing, must be what I need to practice. I

need to perfect this motion and do it more appropriately so that it won't hurt

anymore. I asked him if that was correct, and if that is what he had expected me

to do.

Apparently not!

Next thing out of the therapists mouth is how he believes that I have become

over-conditioned. Can you believe it? And to think that at first, he was

acting like I am a weak and incapable of following his exercise instructions and

orders. He said that (by fulfilling his instructions)I had over-conditioned the

muscles now, and that is not any more useful than the muscles being

under-conditioned. I am going to have to google up that theory. Doesn't quite

sound right to me. But, he did mention that most of his clients usually either

do not keep up with the exercises, or stop at the first sign of pain. I guess I

threw him for a loop. He obviously didn't expect me to try as hard as I have

been.

At least he was finally honest with me today. He told me that while he had

loads of exercises, he could see that I was already doing the ones he gave, and

that no matter how many I do that there was nothing he could do about my pain,

that (and again I question his comment) that the pain had just been there too

long and the nerves are just firing erroneously to tell me there is pain where

there is not and that's just what the mis-firing nerves do now, and he doesn't

have anything to offer me via therapy that can change that. He reviewed my

medical records and latest MRI and said, that there are no physical findings to

show any nerve issues, which I already know, so it must be one of the other pain

options (emotional, mental, psychological, etc).

He told me to get that pain book by called Explain Pain, and to get

some Thera-Pad Stabiilty Trainer things. The stability trainers look like giant

cartoon leafs that you stand on with your eyes closed to help you with balance.

I can't afford the book the therapist suggested. The cheapest one I could find

anywhere online was over $75, but the stability training pads seem do-able. So

far, the lowest price I found for the pads online was on Amazon for $29. But,

I'm going to keep looking, and also going to call some local stores and see if I

can do better on the price.

To end the appointment, he asked me to do some pushups. I think he wanted me to

fail, so that either a) he could say aha! and be able to accuse me somehow of

not doing my exercises, like if I just told him that I made up that I was doing

them and this was his way to really test me, or so he could say that the

reason for my pain is my lack of physical upper and lower body strength and

coordination.

Well, ha ha! I did my push-ups just fine as he watched in silence.

Then he asked me to do some yoga pose called the side plank pose. It looks like

this:

http://www.tracis.info/tracis.info.pictures/Side%20Plank%20Pose%20%28Vasisthasan\

a%29.jpg

I don't know how I mustered the strength and balance to do the poses, but I did.

They were really awkward to me, not having ever done any yoga before. He made

me do left side and right side poses two times each. It took every bit of

strength I had to hold the side plank poses. I was really surprised that my

supporting arm didn't go into spasms or start shaking. I was glad I could show

him that, see I am strong, and I can do these things. And that these things

have nothing to do with my pain. I can totally tell, now that it's hours later

that I did those side planks. I can sure feel them now. Ha ha, feels like I got

hit with a plank.

Lastly I'm not so sure what he was getting at during the summary conclusion of

the appointment. While I do understand there are different reasons for pain,

like physical e.g. nerves, tendons, or mental/psychological e.g. fear, memories

of previous pain, or emotional e.g. emotional or stress triggers, I'm not sure

what he was telling me exactly that was supposed to be helpful to me relieving

my pain.

He said exercises wouldn't help me in my situation, but to keep doing them for

good strength. And he said to make sure that I have a power greater than myself

that I can connect with in some way. For this I was thinking he meant

meditation or religion. He said I need to have at least 30-40 min of aerobic

activity every day. Sounds totally like what I already know. I'm sure that

lecture sounds familiar to most of you as well.

He told me to make another appointment if I felt that he could have anything to

offer me. What exactly does that mean? That once again I am on my own with my

pain?

On my own and not going to any more therapy appointments.

Jade