I really just thought I'd have a bit of a whinge about my ankle, which has been sore for weeks now.
Turns out I have an injured tendon (can't actually remember the name of the tendon... thus proving my point that this post will not be particularly sciency), and I've been seeing a Physiotherapist for the last few weeks.
This whole physio thing has been a new experience for me, and so I thought I'd pass on some of the things I've learnt:
1) Contrary to what I thought, they are not like a doctor that you visit once and then go away and get better. It turns out you have to go back time and time again.
2) Tendons take a long time to heal, and if you don't 'be careful' during that process you'll make things worse.
3) For example, when you can feel that something isn't right in your ankle and all the way up the left side of your leg, you should go and see them straight away, not ignore it for 3 weeks while also deciding to 'step up' your workouts at the gym.... your tendon will likely get much worse if you do that...
4) The job of a physio basically seems to break down into a few different areas:
- Prod and poke (ouch!)
- Massage sore areas (and we're not talking a gentle massage here, we're talking the kind that are so painful you start crying)
- Dry needling (it's sort of like acupuncture, but the 'western, medical based' version, where they stick in the needles and then twist them and poke them around to target muscle knots and tightness...)
It looks like this:
Which makes you look like this:
- And finally, they strap sore areas and send you home with exercises to do.
- Oh, and they charge you a lot of money!!
I can't help but notice that 4 of those 5 areas involve inflicting pain (and yes, I'm counting the whole 'charge you a lot of money' thing in there). At least I'm seeing improvement, which is a relief, although it's much slower than I would like.
Hopefully I'll be all better again in just a few weeks?... *sob*
xo Tammy
This physio sounds AWFUL!!! Well, he might just be doing his job, but eek!!! I went to a 'post-baby' physio for 12 weeks at the hospital after having Maggie, and it was free, and completely painless - they freaked out if I was even remotely feeling pain! I loved them!! Whatever scientific thing happened to your tendon must be awful, but I'm glad to hear you are making progress - the needles sound awful!! :S
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMum: Go see a doctor!!
Delete:)
I love that you called it a science post :)
ReplyDeleteI can't help but wonder if you would have been better to take my usual road of not going to the physio and having things settle down in approximately the same amount of time anyway, but without the added 4 out of 5 areas producing more pain! :) It puts me in mind of all those conscientiously medically-minded sorts who took themselves off, for a fee, to the blood-letting doctors of times past... :) You know I'm not against medical practice, (having been a nurse myself), and there is no doubt that medical intervention is occasionally needed or at least preferred, but still..
I hope your ankle is much better soon! :)
xoxo
Haha, Mum's not against doctors, just against GOING to them.
ReplyDeleteA trait she's passed onto most of us and now we're probably all going to die randomly one day because of those heart pains or something that we always pushed through....
Anywho, so sorry to hear that your ankle is still sore but glad it's seeming to get better! I myself have never been to a physiotherapist and now certainly never intend to after hearing about the whole needle thing....
:S
xo