Been for fist physiotherapy session, what are your experiences?
Posted , 11 users are following.
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
drinxs christophe24300
Posted
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
Posted
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 christophe24300
Posted
christophe24300 ptolemy
Posted
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 christophe24300
Posted
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 Nutters
Posted
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 christophe24300
Posted
christophe24300 ptolemy
Posted
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 christophe24300
Posted
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 christophe24300
Posted
Nutters christophe24300
Posted
christophe24300 anglosaxon1
Posted
christophe24300 ptolemy
Posted
christophe24300 Nutters
Posted
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 christophe24300
Posted
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 joyceb
Posted
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.