What if I just didn't go to physical therapy?

[Daria]

It's been 1 month and 1 day since I fractured the top surface of my tibia.  Under my knee cap, so it functions like a knee injury even though technically it's a leg bone.  

 

The first 3 weeks it was immobilized and I wasn't bearing weight on it.  Last week, I got permission to walk on it "as much as felt comfortable", and I've been building up my walking abilities.  Since then I've built up to about a mile at a time.  I'm walking all over, doing all sorts of things. Not 100% of what I did before, but maybe 80%.  I was feeling really good about my recovery.

 

Or I was until yesterday, when I went to PT for the first time.  Now my ankle hurts, and my knee hurts.  Today, I found that I was limiting myself much more than Friday, because of pain, when I've been pretty pain free for about 2 weeks.  I took an Uber 2 blocks yesterday after PT, because walking was that painful.

 

I'm not afraid of the pain, but it was really distracting at work today.  I got less done that I planned on because of it.  Which is annoying.  It also makes me wonder, are their fancy exercises really less helpful than walking?  I generally feel like the way to get better at life things is to do them, not to practice skills in isolation, so I have to wonder, does PT even make sense when the patient is progressing fast?  Should I just keep doing what I was doing?

 

PT is across the street from my house, and worker's comp is paying 100%, so it's not a big deal to go.

[HollyDay]

I've been doing PT for 6 months now (go back to doctor tomorrow to see where we are going from here.)  In my experience, based on my injury, the exercises prescribed are designed to strengthen muscles that are weak and stretch whatever is too tight and tighten whatever is too loose.  Talk to your doctor.  Talk to your therapist.  Find out the end goal.  Find out the roadmap to get to the end goal.  Then decide what you want to do.  Tell them about your pain.  Explain your frustration and your considering quitting.  Make sure you understand what is happening and why it is happening.  Knowledge is power.  More info, the better you can decide your path

[JFSinIL]

If it hurts after PT, then talk to the therapist. Odds are it should be somewhat sore if it is being effective.

[gardenmom5]

to facilitate complete healing, you need PT.  I've seen too many people who don't do PT, then don't fully heal.  talk to the therapist, and your doc if needed.  ask questions.  they will be able to provide better service for you if you are honest with them.

[Garga]

Go to the therapist, for sure. My husband's PTherapist would warn him, "You WILL hurt after this session." Sometimes it was a little, sometimes it was a lot. But they knew what they were doing and they needed to stretch things out and work things loose so that the body could heal properly.

 

Now, if you tell them about the pain and they're shocked by it, you might have a problem. But a million to one says that you are supposed to hurt. My dh used to cringe before some of his PT visits because he knew that he'd be in pain afterwards, but it was all part of the process.

Edited April 27, 2016 by Garga

[zoobie]

Don't skip PT! Do tell the therapist about your pain.

[JFSinIL]

Hubby, who had a severe ankle injury from the car crash two years ago, would come home from therapy and immediately stick his lower limb in one of those ice bath thingies that wrapped around the joint.

Edited April 27, 2016 by JFSinIL

[Starr]

I think it would be helpful if they explained why they are doing what they are doing. What are the exact therapy goals? These things need to be documented so you might as well be part of the process. Will walking give you the next 20%? I'm sorry you are in pain.

[Carrie12345]

I definitely regret skipping PT for my foot fracture/ankle sprain.  Sure, I'm fine most of the time. And I still don't see how I would have managed PT with 4 small kids and no sitter.  And I progressed from the boot to a wrap to unsupported walking without any actual set backs. I just wanted to get back to life as usual.

 

6 years later, I can't wear heels to any fancy occasion.  My whole foot area aches in bad weather.  And I'm VERY susceptible to awkward missteps and painful twisting.  I may not be permanently hobbled, but my ankle is nowhere near as strong as it could have been.

[Lolly]

I'll be the odd one out. You don't have to go to PT. Sometimes, they don't help. Sometimes, they make it worse by doing the wrong things. You might want to try a different PT place. Ds went to one place that was making his problems worse. I took him elsewhere after several sessions. The therapist at the second place was flabbergasted at what the first one had him doing. It was the opposite of what he needed. Sure enough, the second PT did not make him worse. He improved. This spring, I went myself. I could tell what they were doing was helping me. But, it was all stuff I could do on my own. Once I learned the routine, I hit a week where I couldn't make it in for therapy. I did do it myself at home. I didn't see a point in paying so much money for stuff I could do on my own, so I didn't go back.

 

So, I would recommend trying someone else first. Then, listen to yourself. I think we know our bodies best. If you are able to do the things you need to do without therapy and therapy seems to be making it worse, I wouldn't go back. I would do it on my own.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Yeah you do not have to go of course.  Or you could wait and see.  No reason you can't go later on if you feel the need.

That said, when I went to PT I came out of there feeling worse.  Day after day it was getting worse and worse.  So I told them.  They completely changed what they were doing.  Originally I guess they just were not on the right track.  The changes made a huge difference and I found the PT very helpful.  I'm glad I didn't give up on it, but had they not changed stuff, I probably would have.  Who in heck wants to come out feeling worse?

 

[Haiku]

PT hurts. That doesn't mean it's not helping. If you don't do what is necessary now to ensure you heal fully, you could be stuck with lifelong problems.

[Daria]

Thanks, I go back on Friday, and I'll talk to her then and see what she says.  I'm not a total wuss, I swear!  But to me, the progress that I made in the two weeks between when the doctor said "you can try moving it and putting weight on it" and when PT started was huge.  The first day I managed to shuffle like 2 steps before I had to have my son come bring the wheelchair to me and rescue me because I was so fatigued.  I couldn't bend my leg at all.  I had to do all these complicated maneuvers to get into bed or off the toilet because my leg simply didn't work.  My right ankle and knee also looked like elephant parts. 

 

Two weeks later, I was walking a mile or so at a time, on uneven pavement, standing up on a moving train with my weight on both feet, tackling short flights of steps, getting in and out of the bathtub, doing all my household chores.  When she measured my knee it bent, on it's own to 123 degree.  Both of my ankles look like human ankles, although if you put them side by side you can tell that one's a tiny bit bigger.  Yes, there are some things that are still hard.  I used to walk 2 - 3 miles some days, now I'm stopping at one.  There's a giant, like 3 story flight of stairs, that's part of my commute.  I've been taking an alternate route.  I'm not planning lessons plans where I'm getting up off the floor a million times.  So, I know I've got room to grow.  I'm just not convinced that PT is what I need to grow it, and when I feel myself losing skills that I fought to get, because suddenly it hurts too much to try stairs, I wonder what's the point?

 

 

[dirty ethel rackham]

I would definitely talk to them about the pain and more limited mobility.  I would ask about the treatment plan and expectations.  That said, it is not unusual for there to be pain and setbacks.  The PA at my orthopedists office told me to hang on to the narcotic pain meds for PT... that I was going to need them.  She knew that my injury was going to be a very painful recovery. 

[EmilyGF]

I stopped going to PT for a very badly sprained ankle during college. I was too busy, I'd already done a lot, and it seemed OK. 

 

That is the side with the hurting knee. That side is harder for me to balance on. If I could go back in time, I'd finish PT.

 

Emily