So How Is Everyone's PT Going...

[rocknrollgirl]

Well Walking Wounded and fellow PT enthusiasts... How is it going?

I am having mixed feelings about my PT. Nice people, but I am not sure they are doing anything for me that I could not do at home.

I just finished my second week. I have seen three different therapists in two weeks. This is one aspect of this clinic that I do not like. I would like to be assigned to one therapist to work with. But they are all nice.

My sessions start with me doing my stretches that I do at home. Exercises, that I could do at home and then maybe 10 mins of them stretching me.

I did not expect to feel any big changes this quickly, but my knee is actually more sore than before I started. I asked yesterday if that was normal, and the reply was that is should stop as I enter in to the third week. Huh?

I have learned a lot about stretching. So that is good. I think what I am missing is the link of how to transition back to exercise. I do not have a coach, so I am at a total loss of how I know when I can ride outside. How will I know when I can try to run?

The doc said right from the start to just give it a try, but that makes me very nervous.

So I am going to keep my appointments for next week, and then reassess whether it is worth the expense to continue. I will still be at a loss of how to procede, but at least it will be free!

I do now realize that whatever becomes of my training in the future that heavy stretching and leg exercises will have to be a part of it.

[bmccasland]

There may be light at the end of the tunnel - and it isn't the train about to run me over.

Wednesday when Tony stretched my shoulder there's only one position that is still tight and very painful. I was SO happy when the second one didn't hurt - I could feel the tight, but not painful. (the other stretches he does no longer hurts, there were just two I dreaded) We'll see what the prognosis is when he measures my range of motion. I get heat/stim, ultrasound, PT stretching, my exercises, and ice at the end at every session, currently 3 times per week.

My PT is with the same therapist (I believe he owns the clinic) and there are 2 aides, so there's consistency with therapy.

Rocknroll - it seems to me you should be having some one on one time with your therapist at every session - pretty much they're stretching you out, contorting your body in a way that it should but doesn't want to go. Either that or you need something specific like heat/stim just to get you able to move first. It seems my PT spends one on one time with every patient. I can feel greater range of motion with my exercises AFTER I'm stretched out (medieval torturer that he is), than before. Recovery is slow, so don't be discouraged. I think the stretching with supervision is important - I've been caught using bad posture when I start on multiple occasions, usually it's the other shoulder patient that rags on me.

[F8th637]

I was lucky in that I pretty much saw the same therapist while going to PT. There was an aide that I did work with a few times but the line of communication was very open so I never felt like I was starting over.

I hear you on the whole, "I could do this at home" thing. I think a lot of people think that about PT. It's true that once you know what you should be doing you can start doing it at home. For me, I was more apt to do it if I was actually at their office rather than at home. I hope that as time progresses they introduce more stretches and different exercises for you like they did for me. It helped keep me on my toes.

God willing, I won't have to go back to PT for a really long time since I'm now armed with the knowledge that I learned while at PT.

[SheFly]

RNRG - I think you should potentially look for a different PT. Like the others, I got to PT twice per week. My session is always with the same PT and starts with ultrasound, followed by stretching (done by the PT), followed by my exercises (she says it is good to do these while my shoulder has been stretched out, and she often will add or remove stretches based on how I am progressing), followed by stim/ice.

I have the same routine each time, and really like my PT (who also happens to be a friend and a biker).

As I mentioned in my update, my PT is going great, but I need to be a little gentler on the shoulder over the weekend .

Good luck!

SheFly

[Wahine]

RnR - I would be starting to ask if some massage would help, especially trigger point and deep tissue work in your glutes, tensor fascia lata (TFL) and vastus lateralis (the lateral part of the quad). You should also ask them if there is a way to tape your knee that might help, especially before exercise. Bracing is good but does not provide as strong a directional correction for the patella. So taping can be helpful and it's a really easy tape job to do that they should be able to teach you.

As for when to get back to sport, they are probably waiting to see how the first 3 weeks of treatment goes. If you're still sore from the PT exercises, it's likely too early to talk about returning to riding etc.

[rocknrollgirl]

I will ask about the massage and taping. I am going to check in with my tri buddy later today. I think he returns to work next week. He is recovering from his own surgery.

Glad to hear the shoulder crowd is doing well.

[HillSlugger]

RnR, are your knees being taped? The first few times I had this done most of my body hurt (knees, legs, back, etc) and I found it somewhat hard to even walk. It gets better.