Oh the pain of it all.

My pain usually come with what I am doing at the time. I went swimming today for about 20 minutes with my son. Then about an hour after that I could feel the pain coming about 5 hours later I could hardly walk.

 

As for Migraines or Headaches. I was at physical therapy the other day and I was in there for my back pain and as the session went on I started getting a really bad tention headache....gurrr

 

HARA

I was in a standing position at the table they had in a room there. PT guy was telling me to do back bends, 10-20 every hour and to write down what and where my pain is and what it's like. *rolls eyes* After I did what he wanted me to do I came out with a headache. I told him about it and he says, "I didn't do it." I said back to him, "Everything is connected. Don't tell me you didn't aggrivated my headache." lol

HARA

Hara,
Back bends? In all my years (decades, really) of PT I've never had anyone give me back bends as an exercise.

Considering that PT's defensive reaction to your complaint, if it was me I wouldn't be going back to him. I've been hurt by PT's with arrogant or nonchalant attitudes, yet a good one is a godsend.

But you've got to make the decision that feels best for you.

PaLady

Hi Hara,

I'm sorry to hear that you are hurting & that PT caused you such a headache! Just what you need, right?! I'm glad that you are going to look into getting a different physical therapist. Like PA, I've also been hurt by PT's. I honestly have lost all trust in PT's, as every one that I've had except one (and I didn't have her for long, because she had surgery herself several weeks after I started & didn't return until I was nearly finished) - I've counted at least 6, maybe more - has either had a major God complex, or turned out to be a real jerk (to put it lightly). One PT basically caused me a second shoulder surgery. The important thing is to speak up. If something hurts too much, don't do it! And don't let them tell you otherwise.

The PT that precipitated my second shoulder surgery did not listen to me, and hence my shoulder was "re-injured" just 2/3 wks post-op (I say "re-injured" because it was actually a different injury, although it involved the area that I had just had fixed). After that I suffered for nearly 2 years, before we realized that I had seriously damaged all the ligaments in my joint capsule (I kept complaining of pain, but the doc just thought it was post-op pain & inflammation and that I was a very slow healer - which I actually am. I accepted that for a long time, until I made things even worse by returning to my sport, despite extremely limited practice & competition and heavy favoring of my good shoulder - which eventually lead to its downfall, but that is another story in itself.). Well, the point of all this rambling is that it was partially my fault as well, because I should have demanded that she stop immediately because I knew that my surgeon did not allow my to do the movements that she was making me do until four to six months after surgery!! And this lady was supposedly a PT who specialized in shoulder rehab.

So the moral is: Trust your body & only your body, & don't do it if it hurts too much. Don't allow anyone to do/make you do something you don't want to do, are scared to do, is hurting you, or you know your doctor doesn't allow. And listen to your doctor's instructions, although some PT's may claim to be gods, they aren't! Your doctor's instructions (PT guidelines) are more important than theirs!

I apologize if my attitude offends you or anyone else. I know that there are good, even great PT's out there. I've just had rotten luck, which has made me lose my trust & I don't want anyone else to be hurt!!'

Skeye

Post Edited (skeye) : 5/31/2009 7:23:50 PM (GMT-6)

I am with PaLady on this one. I have been and done more PT than the law ought to allow, for both my neck, shoulder, back and both knees. Never in my life did I ever do a back bend. I think I would be scouting me out another place. Then to have the guy say I did not do it-I would be out of there. Susie

I'm with PAlady and Susie on PT,

Most of the PT people I have been to do not know how to (or more to the point, not to) treat a patient with spinal fusion. They just don't seem to understand that with fusion you lose motion and flexibility in that part of the spine. In addition, by forcing movement, especially bending back, you can inflict loads of pain and do some damage. I actually had one PT idiot work on me (very briefly) with ipods in his ears! To put it mildly, I have not had any success with PT and my back. I do not want to do anything that causes unnecessary motion at the spinal joints above and below the fusion. Those areas are already getting an excessive beating in normal, everyday activities because of the fusion. I guess they don't train for that in PT school.

The muscles in the area around the fusion have atrophied because they don't get used because of the fusion. Now I walk with a forward-leaning gait that limits my walking time. All a result of the extensive fusion. Funny, they don't tell you all these things before the fusion surgery!

Hope all you other night owls are having a low pain early morning.

Modelmaker

Sounds to me like that PT was using the McKenzie method exercises.. specifically the extension in standing exercise. I've never found any of them to be useful, and they've always caused me more pain than they've resolved.

McKenzie method said...


Stand upright with your feet slightly apart. Place your hands in the small of your back with your fingers pointing backwards and your thumbs pointing forwards.

Bend your trunk backwards at the waist as far as you can, using your hands as a fulcrum. It is important that you keep your knees straight as you do this. Once you have maintained this position for a second or two you should return to the starting position. Each time you repeat this movement cycle, you should try to bend backwards a little further so that in the end you have reached the maximum possible degree of extension.

One of my PT's used some of the McKenzie method on my neck years ago, and some of the exercises worked very well. I still use them today. But they were for my neck and upper back area. I think the experience of the PT is appying various techniques is what is crucial. I have been given a sheet of exercises, or shown how to do them quickly, and ended up hurting myself at times. A good PT has to let you learn, listen and watch your response, and adapt from there. I just suspect little attention was paid to the cervical spine as the exercise was being done.

I hope you find a PT who listens to you, Hara.

Good luck!

PaLady

Hara, I hope you find the new PT to be more helpful to you. It sounds like you had a bad experience. I have heard of many experiences similar to yours. It just shouldn't be like that.

I have my 1st PT on Wednesday. And I am a little nervous. I know not to keep on doing things that hurt too bad. But what if I am told to do an exercise that I shouldn't be doing? I don't know what types that would be. I need to relax about all this. I need to turn my thought process around: I will have good results from going to PT. It will be helpful for me. OK, all better now. lol
Anice

PALady, Thanks again. I will remember everything you said. I am going into this with a positive attitude and will take it one step at a time. I know there will be parts of the PT that will cause pain. I am just concerned about causing "damage". But I will be able to talk with the PT, and I should get a pretty good idea about the personality and how they think.I will keep in mind about how my body feels.It'll be fine.
Anice

Hara,
I would definitely stop doing them if I were you. But again, I'm not a doctor.

One thing I would suggest if you continue to have problems is to stop PT and call your doctor. Explain what is happening. If you're seeing another PT in the same office as your previous PT, there may be tension there because you may be seen as complaining, or not wanting to follow instructions. You may need a referral to a different PT agency altogether.

Let us know how today went.

Hugs,

PaLady

Great news Hara, PT is meant to help not cause headaches!!  Hope you have a low pain day!

XXOO

Patti

I am very happy with what the PT did she was so nice. I was on one of the tables they had there and I immediatly started to stretch out my back a little by swinging my legs side to side. This was just after I did some bridge thing. She asked me what I was doing and I told her my back felt a little tight and I was trying to stretch it out a little to loosen it up. She said she has never had a patient do that before...lol  

HARA