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Physical therapy

Posted , 5 users are following.

max10793
max10793

Hi everyone!

I am 8 weeks post op, complete tear plus I think they repaired a bicep as well.

I have been searching the internet for weeks thinking I could see if all this craziness is normal. I was warned about the pain and successfully put it off for a year and here I am

now often feeling very frustrated and alone in the situation.

I found you all last night and read for hours the situations you all shared are very similar to mine. Thank you all for sharing! I think I've found a piece of sanity.

My question for anyone out there is this.

I have been doing pt 3 xs a week since week 4. I skipped going week 5 because I went on vaca. I get mixed messages about my progress and they shrug my questions off.

"o the shoulder recovery takes awhile and I might beset back a little because I didnt go that week" I was and still am dedicated to doing my exercises everyday. Now we have the enemy covid 19. The office I go to has numerous pt assistants and 1 therapist. I rarely have feedback from them but they do massage and I receive stem.

The room is large but they have the beds and chairs way too close for my comfort!

i do make an effort to distance myself but there are always at least 12 people there.

What to do??

i am very active and healthy except that when I get a virus I can potentially get where I have respiratory troubles. Plus they allowed someone who had bronchitis in last week.

Help me decide

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • max10793
    max10793

    Posted

    I'm praying for wisdom.

    Do I take a chance that someone will cough on me?

    I am so wound up to get better as fast as possible to get back to work, but now I am on furlough anyway.

    My goal is to return by 12 weeks which scares me.

    I am in retail and merchandise. A lot of overhead work and lifting.

    I cut my pt to going twice a week.

    What will happen if I skip it next week?

  • nathan40178
    nathan40178 max10793

    Posted

    I wouldn't risk it. You're body is fighting what it thinks is a horrific injury (your op) so it's using alot of resources healing... Stuff getting a virus.

    Say you have symptoms.... They will send you excercises. If like me, it was only a couple anyways... Easily can find stuff online and do it all from home anyways.

    • nathan40178
      nathan40178 max10793

      Posted

      No worries. Do stick with the PT though... Push yourself to breaking point... In the long run you will heal quicker and have your range of movement back.

      I'm glad I'm out of those dark days!! So painful!!

  • max10793
    max10793

    Posted

    Thanks

    I will keep pushing myself.

    I might call around to see if there any pt offices who are more vigilant about the spread of the virus.

    I was not getting much input from the therapist or his assistants. His assistant was young and experienced and stretched to cover 5 or more of us at a time. Is that normal?

    I had to pursue him to ask him where my progress was and if I could add exercises.

    Hopefully switching offices won't effect my insurance coverage.

    Plus I hope they don't charge me for cancelling next week!

    • nathan40178
      nathan40178 max10793

      Posted

      I had one to one PT... So they documented my progress and gave me specific excercises dependant on what they were seeing.

      I had a lot of weakness on my rear delts, so had a lot of extra work to do there.

      I'm from UK, so used the free National health service.

  • hope4cure
    hope4cure max10793

    Posted

    in many cases patients are given a choice to come in for pt or get proper pt over the iphone. ask about iphone/ipad support and printed out exercises are done as healing stages allows. its not worth it to get sick while recovering from surgery. everyone heals at different levels. take it one day at a time until you are comfortable with each level of adjustments thru the different stages of healing . a new normal is ahead while movement can be challenging and there are new ways to manage pain and how well you move to complete tasks in the future. pt ,time and patience is a major part of the healing journey ahead. lots of icing, rest and eat foods that are good for healing stay away from foods that can cause swelling .

    healing blessings sent your way.i

    • max10793
      max10793 hope4cure

      Posted

      Thanks all!!!

      I am so grateful that you all reached out to me.

      We shall see what happens tomorrow.

      I will inquire with the office I'm contacting tomorrow.

      Great advice on nutrition too. I was lucky in the beginning to have a nurse that

      let me know the importance of extra protein is for healing.

      Its amazing all the important things doctors etc. leave out. This was my first

      surgery of this magnitude and so I learned many things I think most people

      already knew.

      I didn't want narcotics and they gave me tramadol instead. I only used that

      several days and switched to tylenol.

      I decided by week 5 I would quit that as well...

      Well her comes therapy ouchhh.

      Fortunately a nurse friend explained I needed at least an anti inflammatory to get through this.

      She gave me a bottle of supplements called acute plus I take turmeric and a small dose of cbd which seemed to make things better.

      Now that it was nice out and I am gardening things are a bit sore.

      I was told as long as I am not lifting I am fine but I am more active then most.

      This has been my life lesson in patience from God.

      Like a double time out, recovery and a pandemic.

      There were so many dark and painful nights but thanks to all of you I know

      it will slowly get better.

      So hopefully tomorrow I will find a physical therapy office that either will facetime me or enforce some distancing common sense.

      Thanks!

    • max10793
      max10793

      Posted

      Just wanted to give an update. I am going to a new pt office and am

      getting much better care.

      I am actually getting my arm worked every time I am there by the physical therapist for at least 15-20 minutes. They actually guide me through all my exercises and I have learned I was doing several wrong. The p.t. actually read and explained my surgery report.

      Here I am at 9 weeks learning I had a bicep repair as well as a full thickness tear. I had even asked the pa at my last check up if they did something to my bicep, she said no without even having any of my records in the room.

      All of this being said to tell anyone entering this surgery or recovering, BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE!

      Dont be naive as I was thinking, just because your team is nice that they actually care. Its the way it is in healthcare as you all probably know for them to push everyone through as quickly as possible.

      I was wise choosing the best surgeon who is a shoulder rock star,

      but did not realize until now the after care is equally as important.

      Dont let the physician assistant talk fast and rush you out!

      Make a list of questions and actually physically do whatever exercise she shows you. She rushed through a couple exercises I was to do early on and I wasnt doing one correctly.

      Find the BEST physical therapist in your area, not like me.

      I chose the closest to my home since I couldnt drive.

      If it reminds you of a gym thats a fun past time for retired and you do not receive individual attention, leave and find a different office as I just did.

      My new therapy office addressed my issues such as how to find a comfortable sleep potion, corrected me on exercises Ive been doing wrong, took away the weights and cut back my program to fit the fact that Im now 3 weeks behind where I should be.

      I'm at 9 weeks and am having a bad time sleeping at night with the pain again.

      Its crazy how some weeks you feel great and then its all grinding rocks in there again.

      Its not just physically challenging but emotionally exhausting!

      Yesterday I was crying again doing my cane exercises.

      I'm not sharing to have pity but just wanted to uplift and inform anyone out there that needs it. Its my "me too" shoulder support group.

      Stay healthy friends! Wear your mask to therapy!

      Thanks All

  • william20939
    william20939 max10793

    Posted

    not sure who you are using but i use ability rehab and they have taken this covid thing seriously they limit how many people before it was 2/3 patients to 1 therapist but now they dropped it to 1/1 and they clean everything before and after someone touches something plus if you are now using equiptment they will have you wear gloves

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