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Physiotherapist useless as expected (Rant)

Posted , 7 users are following.

gremlin168
gremlin168

Sorry guys but this is going to be a rant here.

After 2 years of going through daily pain, ankle weakness and frustration following an avulsion fracture I finally get a glimmer of hope, my doctor says my X-Ray looks okay and says physiotherapy will help. 

Great, what did I expect? I expected to have SOME indication of what is wrong with my foot, the first 10 - 15 minutes was great, someone actually listening to my symptoms, asking in depth questions and seeming to show some actual concern, then the usual NHS s*** fest started.  After doing some stupid foot bending and stepping on one leg she says ''yeah the ligaments seem fine to me, I am going to give you some 1 legged exercises to do and come back in a week, but you probably wont need physio''. 

What the actual F***, no explanation, basically sounds like she thinks I am either lying or over exaggerating and said no chance of me getting an MRI?  Just scrap the whole s*** show of the NHS all together imo.

Any tips moving forward from here, is my option my forward now shelving out hundreds of pounds for some equally useless moron? 

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • kpower
    kpower gremlin168

    Posted

    Hey Gremlin,

    Your frustration is obvious, and it probably does us all some good to rant and rave sometimes about situations that are vexing.

    Your story has too many missing blanks to be able to offer any cogent advice. It does seem that you are hamstrung by your NHS, which seems to limit your choices when it comes to health care.

    Two years of unrelenting ankle pain (you did not mention if your mobility has been impacted noticeably) certainly is screaming out the message that you have a chronic soft tissue malfunction somewhere, and you need help.

    I hope you find a compassionate foot and ankle specialist that can step in and guide you to a better future with that ankle.

    • gremlin168
      gremlin168 kpower

      Posted

      Hi, sorry I should have gone into more detail.

      Two years ago I suffered a Webber A fracture on my left ankle, at the time I had an X-ray, was put into an aircast boot and was out of it within three months or so, however there was no follow up checks done on it and no rehabilitation.  I decided to just soldier on with it really, up until the last 4 months or so it hasn't been unbearable, but recently it's getting worse, despite my X-ray coming back okay (though she did mention she didn't know if the bone was aligned correctly  frown) and the physiotherapist saying my Ligaments seemed okay today I have the following issues:

      - Chronic pain (usually though on a scale of 1 - 10 is only about a three, the left side of my ankle / lower leg always aches).  The pain increases if I walk a fair distance though it is never ''agonizing''

      - The ankle feels stiff / alot weaker than the other ankle

      - I quite often get pins & needles with weird shooting sensations now and again

      - I here quite alot of clicking noises coming from the joint on a daily basis.  

      Overall I am not in constant agony, but it is an ongoing issue even if not severe, I would just like to have a doctor to take the time, sit down with me properly, go over my X-ray results in detail, get an MRI scan done (NHS wont do this unless your ankle is hanging off due to their funding) and discuss potential problems.  

      I just feel a bit at a loss, I suppose my best bet is just to accept that it's going to be like this the rest of my life. 

    • anna62340
      anna62340 gremlin168

      Posted

      Hello Gremlin168

      , whilst my situation is different; I am only 2 months post operation, waiting for screws to be removed, I can walk without crutches etc, I have a lot of sympathy for your case and understand your frustration. It seems to me that NHS starved of funds is unable to offer sufficient post discharge care. My experience of physio has been similar to yours: no hands on manipulation, just getting exercises to do at home. No real advice how far to walk daily etc. Private physio is very different but I cannot afford many sessions.

      My GP cannot answer my questions about the state of my ankle (weird bruising, swelling appearing after 5 minutes walk) so I just plod on but I often wonder whether I am overdoing walking or not doing enough exercices and whether my recovery is being harmed. And there is nobody I can ask.

  • rose71920
    rose71920 gremlin168

    Posted

    HI gremlin , 

    You can certainly hear your anger and frustrations and I don't blame you! What doctor are you seeing? Have you changed? Got a second opinion? Ask to see a Orthopedic specialist? I will tell you when I switched doctors I finally had /got answers. Much needed too as I was just as frustrated. 

    My opinion and suggestion : DO not stop at one doctor. If you have faith in him /her then fine, but after two years you have to move forward with someone new, new eyes sometimes makes all the difference in the world for ankle injuries and so on.

    Good luck,

    Rose

  • sue48263
    sue48263 gremlin168

    Posted

    Hi, yes I would defo ask for second opinion too, speak to gp and get them to refer. The other thing you could do is write to PALS  at your hospital where you are seeing and tell them all about it. 

    Also you could find a specialist and pay for private consultation then go from there to build a case ? 

    Don’t give up find your answers ! 

    Good luck 

  • Donsgirl89
    Donsgirl89 gremlin168

    Posted

    Another doctor I went to 5 took 17 month but I am getting my screws out in 3 weeks 
  • stephanie96027
    stephanie96027 gremlin168

    Posted

    I think it's very important that you get a therapist that you trust that you like and that you feel confident in their judgement I really love my physical therapist this is like the 6th time I've been here and you know it's mostly been for my back but now for my ankle and I think he's just wonderful and I think that you should really get someone that you like and if you don't like the one that you have try someone else and give him a fair shot

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