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Been for fist physiotherapy session, what are your experiences?

Posted , 11 users are following.

christophe24300
christophe24300

Evening all.

I went for my first physiotherapy session today, just wondering what experience other have had and if it helped them.

I explained in detail from the start how I had been and what the pain was like and what it was like now, she then did some movement tests on me and pressed on my back.

She agreed that she thought I had a prolapsed disc and her opinion was it wasn't a bad one ( Hate to know what the pain of a bad one is like!)

When I asked if an mri would help she said it wouldn't as she would follow the same treatment. I thought it was important?

She gave me one back stretch to do as didnt want to aggravate my leg pain with any others.

I told her I had reduced the codeine and the pain had increased and she told me to take what I had been before, I only reduced to try and lesssen the side effects.

I told her I was off work and not earning and asked if she had any idea how long I may bee off as I have been off 3 weeks, she said she couldn't tell me and couldn't sdvise me on claiming a sickness benfit.

I then told her that the mri department told me I may not recieve a letter with a date until the 16th June and that I may be waiting months, she then reiterated that I may get to a point that I don't even need one.

I'm pleased I'm seeing someone other than my doctor but still came out feeling like I have no real idea how long it will take and how long I will be off work and was suprised on her opinions of an mri scan.

I also expressed that I'm worried that all the medication is just masking the pain and how long I will need to keep taking it and she said a lot of people have the same concerns but the are helping at present.

Please can you tel me your experiences and if you may have been told anything similar.

Many Thanks

Chris

0 likes, 25 replies

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  • drinxs
    drinxs christophe24300

    Posted

    i Chris,

    My back issue is different to yours (Buging disc) but I went to a very good Physio who did look at my MRI (she works in Spinal injury rehabilation unit), I was doing very intense back extension exercises (McKenzie method) while awaiting my Neurosurgeon appointment.

    However when I explained to Neurosurgeon  what I had been doing with Physio. he told me it was the exact opposite to what I should have been doing! as with GPs, Surgeons etc. good to check experience & credentials of your Physio.

    Although Physio can help for some people it depends on the back issue.

    Good luck.

  • christophe24300
    christophe24300

    Posted

    Thanks drinx

    She told be a buldging, herniated prolapsed disc are the same thing.

    Just wondering why she doesn't feel a scan is important and how some stretches can help.

    The one she gave to do, is to push up off my arms facing down and hold, I said to her I had seen this stretch and read that depending on what way the disc had prolapsed it that stretch could make it worse, she didn't agree, she wouldn't know which way it has gone without looking at a scan.

    She didn't give me anymore as the majority of my pain is in my leg from sciatica.

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy christophe24300

      Posted

      I would have thought a scan is the ideal diagnostic tool as you can then see exactly the problem rather than someone guessing at it. Sciatic pain is horrendous I think it is like dipping your leg into hot lava?  
    • christophe24300
      christophe24300 ptolemy

      Posted

      Well that was my impression.

      I have to say alone with tooth pain this is a ten out of ten for pain, and still painful on all these tablets.

      I feel she can't give me any time frame as she can't be sure it will work.

  • Nutters
    Nutters christophe24300

    Posted

    Hi Christophe.  Over the years I have found that physiotherapy has helped both of my herniated discs at L5/S1 and C4/5.  However I had a serious flare up in November that the physiotherapy didn't help - she advised me to stop doing the physio until I had had an MRI as she was concerend.  The MRI showed that the lumbar herniation was putting pressure on the nerves - I have been suffering a lot of leg pain down to my foot.  I would advise taking a second opinion to be honest.  But you will find that you will have a long wait for an MRI under the NHS - there are places where you can get them done privately for a reasonable cost without a referral.

    Reading your post again I think you should definitely get another opinion.  It may be that physio is the way to go - but your current person sounds rather arrogant.

     

    • christophe24300
      christophe24300 Nutters

      Posted

      Thanks Nutters

      Where should I go for a second opinion?

      I think it may get to a point where I will have to pay for an MRI, I will wait until the end of the week and see if the doctor has pushed my scan forward from advice of the a n e doctor.

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy christophe24300

      Posted

      There are quite a few places that do MRI scans privately starting around two hundred quid up to around five hundred in central London, which are probably overpriced. I should make a noise about getting one on the NHS and finding out when one will be available. A friend of mine got one quite quickly but she is the type to go on and on at everyone and I think they did it to get rid of her, so her technique does work.
    • christophe24300
      christophe24300 ptolemy

      Posted

      Yeah I will

      Gp told me they can't speed it up so I went to a n e and he said that they can and he would write to them and tell them to speed it up, that was Friday so I will call Thursday and see if he did, if he hasn't I will have to be very direct that I have recorded all my interactions with them and feel I haven't been treated properly and will be making a complaint.

      If that dosen't work I will have to pay for one.

    • anglosaxon1
      anglosaxon1 christophe24300

      Posted

      Google Nuffield or Spire for private consultation.

      Go for the scan asap. In hinsight I would have gone straight for the scan after having wasted a small fortune on chiros, physios and sport masseurs.  

      When I saw the scan, I was quite shocked at how bad the prolapse was and requested surgery (Microdisectomy) over injections. 3 months later, I am pleased I had it done, although it is a long recovery proccess for a 20 minute operation.

       

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy christophe24300

      Posted

      They tend to go for line of least resistance, so the quiet people who do what they are told lose out, which is incredibly unfair. While my friend, who is their worst nightmare, gets what she wants, NOW. Go for it! 
    • Nutters
      Nutters christophe24300

      Posted

      Good point - were you referred to a specific physio by your GP - perhaps there is another service they can refer you too.  Or go privately - you might be surprised at how cheap it can be - I saw one in an inner London suburb for £40 and she was excellent.  I would really push for an MRI on the NHS - if you can't work and losing income this is serious.
    • christophe24300
      christophe24300 anglosaxon1

      Posted

      I have found a local place that is £200 so I might just have to bite the bullet, sounds like it's worth it.
    • christophe24300
      christophe24300 Nutters

      Posted

      I keep explaining the work situation and they don't seem bothered about it.

      I have been referred to the Birmingham NHS physiotherapy, they have centres all over Birmingham so I booked to go to the closest one to me.

  • joyceb
    joyceb christophe24300

    Posted

    Hello Chris.  I'm so glad you're getting some physio but I must say I am staggered that the physio didn't think you should be getting an MRI, because I was told both an osteopath I was seeing originally and the physio I was referred to, that this is the only way to really diagnose what is happening with the spine.  I was told that an x ray wont show this.

    How the hell can she tell without an MRI how bad your prolapsed disc is and whether, in fact, it is that.  I really hope she's right and it isn't too bad but I would still really press for an MRI and sooner rather than later.

    • christophe24300
      christophe24300 joyceb

      Posted

      My thoughts exactly, she hasn't got x ray eyes and if she could see me after stopping all this edication for a good few days I thinkshe would have a different view.

      I know I'm still in a negative frame of mind since joining and posting here, but she's going on like I might not even need a scan and can heal quickly but couldn't give me a rough time and doesn't seem to acknowledge that the medication is masking a lot of the pain.

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