I really feel like crying right now. I had gone to the doctor's office a couple of days ago, saw one of the guys there, he's not a doctor but something close to it, he sees patients too. Anyway, he knows me pretty well, but i really don't like him alot because he seems to poo poo alot of things i see him for. But one thing he did say that was right was "oh i thought you had a little fibro years ago" when i told him another doctor where we moved from diagnosed me with it. ANYWAY... so i'm sitting there telling him how very bad my lower back hurts, when he asked if i would go to a physical therapist, that he thinks it would help me alot. I reluctantly said ok. WELL, the physical therapy appt. was today and this guy took me in a room, closed the door, and put me in all kinds of weird positions. A couple of which i really didn't feel comfortable doing around him. Then made me walk down a hall and back.After all of it was over, he really made me feel terrible. He talked extensively to me about how i wasn't walking right and to come back three times a week so they could work/teach me how to "move" right. And that fibro was just your muscles and nerves "lying to you"???? WTH??? He even let me know it all in how i responded to them, and to move more and keep active. ??????? <sigh> WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?
And on top of all this, I am trying to get disability so i KNOW this is not going to go over well if a physical therapist said this. It's like they are slamming people down with " It's all in your head" why don't you just go stand out in the street and get hit by a car because we REALLY DON"T CARE.
Now i don't even want to go back to that physical therapist AT ALL. but then i don't know if that would look bad if i cancel my appointment with the doctor. What should i do? PLEASE help :(
that sounds really good. i forgot to mention one thing. the physical therapist wanted me to come in 3 times a week for a total of 12 visits, but when i got up to the appointment desk afterwards, i told the girl up front doing appointments that i can't make that many trips there because i don't have money for gas to do all that a week. so she just frowned and then made just one appointment for me. Will that mess me up? will the doctor just say "oh you're not doing what the physical therapist SAID to do" ? i don't know i just feel like they're trying to trip me up and it's not right as much as i have to suffer with all this.
Hi tired and hurting. I work with a personal trainer when I can that referred me to a Kinesiologist because my shoulder was rolled outwards (moved furniture one “good” day) and I know that the hip on one side isn’t working properly., I walk like I’m drunk sometimes. I put off going because I knew it was going to be painful and hoped massage would help. I finally went this week, I was right the first treatment on my shoulder was as painful as my worst flares about a 14 out of 10, and it took everything I had to keep it together. The session yesterday wasn’t as bad when he worked on my shoulders and hips. He did hit some places which lifted me off the table but a lot less. I find that it really tires me out and I usually get a headache, but when I finally got out of bed today I found that I wasn’t stiff and I was moving a lot easier. Will it cure fibromyalgia, no, I don’t think so, but I think it will make my good days better.
I have worked with physiotherapists for other reasons and I find that they are gentler, but expect it takes longer to get the same results which is why I chose the other route. All this to say that physiotherapy may help you move better. I don’t think we do ourselves any favors by not moving at all as it just weakens the muscles impairs our flexibility and adds another dimension to fibromyalgia. This from a person that almost didn’t get out of bed for eight months.
I would not work with someone that gave me bad vibes and that I did not trust, as well I would try to find a clinic where the physiotherapist works in a large room with other physios or medical practitioners. I know where I live there are lots of physiotherapists that are female. I’d also look for a clinic that indicates they treat fibromyalgia as there is hope they understand it exists.
Do you need a referral from your doctor’s office if so you might want to do some research and have them refer you to a clinic that suits you. I would tell the doctor’s office I was not comfortable with the doctor they had referred me to, and since physio is a hands on practice, you need to be comfortable with the person that is treating you.
Hang in there, you’ll get through this, just be sure you manage it and don’t let it or them manage you.
One of the books or articles I read said that of course the pain is all in your head - EVERYONE'S pain is in their head because that's where your brain is, and the brain is what processes pain.
As for your muscles and nerves "lying to you" - that's a stupid way of saying that you're not really "injured", your nerves are just extra sensitive to pain. What other people feel as pressure, people with fibro might feel as pain. So I think the PT was trying to encourage you to "work through the pain" because you wouldn't be causing damaged to your body, even if it hurts. He sounds smarter than the people who say fibro is just inflammation, but it doesn't sound like his bedside manner works for you.
If you can find a PT who makes you more comfortable, do it. Otherwise, talk to him and tell him what makes you feel comfortable or uncomfortable. And try to figure out if the discomfort is because of him or you. Would you feel more comfortable doing the moves in front of a woman instead of a man? Or is it just that you feel silly doing the moves at all, in which case you should figure out how to get over it. Most women seem to have body image issues and we need to learn how work through them.
When I was last to see my doctor I voiced concern that with the new diagnoses on top of the fibro moving at all hurt in many places and I was concerned about losing my mobility so he asked if I was interested in seeing a physical therapist? I said I was hesitant because other people in this community did not have very good experiences with them. I said I hope he doesn't kill me! My doctor's response was Well, don't let him. Be sure to tell him if it's hurting too much. Tell him what you want.........some things that you can do at home so as you don't lose your mobility and some things to help with the pain. He wrote a prescription for me but I haven't gone as yet. Some days I move around more and I think that I can do this on my own, but then I hit some bad days where I hurt all over more than anywhere else and I tell myself that I must make an appointment with him.
Perhaps you need to give your Physio more feedback, tell him when it's hurting you too much because that's when we give up and don't go back for any more appointments. If he wants you to come three times a week and you are such a hurting wreck the day inbetween that you can hardly move then it's not very helpful. Maybe he needs to start out more gently.
Well, keep us updated. I plan to phone for an appointment on Monday so I will report on my first appointment and we can compare.
I intend to make it clear to the Physio fellow that I am not looking to be cured but rather just to keep my mobility and for some help with pain control.
Do NOT go back to the PT, tell your doctor why and if he poo poos you, find another doctor!!!!
In my opinion physical therapists should not be allowed near anyone with fibro. Their motto seems to be "no pain no gain" and they are so sure they can fix you, and never listen because they already know best! I had a horrible experience with a physical therapist, he put me through a series of contortions and exercises that resulted in 24 hours of stabbing agony. When I called to complain the next day, he said, oh, I didn't know you had Fibro in your legs. I reminded him that he was standing right in front of me when I told him that I did, but of course, he hadn't been listening.
I strongly suggest you find another doctor who doesn't poo poo you. Are you seeing a rheumatologist?? If not, go to one, if so, find a different one. I know it is hard to find the right doctor, but I also know that having the right doctor not only helps you manage, but will help you get your disability.