|
|
|
|
ACJ
Jun 4, 2009, 4:28 PM
Post #1 of 6
(1494 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 25, 2008
Posts: 162
|
So I was hurt a while back and have been in physical therapy for a few weeks now. I tore some fascial tissues on my rhomboid in the scapular region and also have sprain of the thoracic region of my back.
After a bunch of sessions with my physical therapist I have the sneaking suspicion that she doesn't care that much. I come in, she puts heat on me and does a few minutes of soft tissue work on my lower back and then asks if I have been doing my core strengthening exercises. I say yes and she asks me to show her 1-2 of them and then she gives me a new one and sends me on my way.
Maybe I just want to get better quicker but I feel like I am getting dragged along here. She double books the last 15 minutes of her appointments which seems unprofessional to me and when I ask to do more or how we should treat the actual injury site in my upper back she simply says that I have to work on my posture and strengthen my core.
A few folks have recommended going to a chiropractor but I would be fine with sticking with a PT if I just knew how to pick a good one. Any thoughts folks?
|
|
|
|
|
angeleyes
Jun 4, 2009, 5:03 PM
Post #2 of 6
(1480 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 26, 2009
Posts: 58
|
I am currently getting PT for a back problem. My treatment is similar though better than what you get. They do a theraputic massage which feels great as well as electrical muscle stimulation (not sure exactly what that's called). Both the above have helped my back.
Beyond that, they have me do a few exercises while there, that really do nothing for me. I do inquire about what/why they're trying to strengthen x etc in case the rationale is something I don't already know, in which case I incorporate it and start working on it for real.
IMHO which may be completely wrong, you will need to take the recovery into your own hands if you want to get maximum benefit from it.
Be glad however you at least are this far if referred by a doctor. I finally got a doctor who gave me PT instead of just trying to get me out of the office by suggesting anti-inflamatories or muscle relaxants.
You might check out
Stronger abs and back
http://www.amazon.com/...244134196&sr=8-1
Swiss ball abs and core
http://www.amazon.com/...244134262&sr=8-1
Or take you pick of anything else modern that covers core strengthing in a safe and effective way.
I'd also suggest you checkout what has to be said about stretching techniques in performance rock climbing
http://www.amazon.com/...oddard/dp/0811722198
I mention it because it's been the most useful information regarding stretching that I've found.
Take anything else they tell you that seems to have merit regarding your condition, and run with it yourself.
I suspect the only people who get really stellar treatment are those who can afford to pay for something truly one on one like professional athletes.
Or if one is coming back from a surgery or serious injury where you have great loss of strength, or limited range of motion then I think their basic exercises would also help peolple in those circumstances which may include you.
good luck
|
|
|
|
|
onceahardman
Jun 5, 2009, 10:40 PM
Post #3 of 6
(1433 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 3, 2007
Posts: 2493
|
ACJ wrote: So I was hurt a while back and have been in physical therapy for a few weeks now. I tore some fascial tissues on my rhomboid in the scapular region and also have sprain of the thoracic region of my back. After a bunch of sessions with my physical therapist I have the sneaking suspicion that she doesn't care that much. I come in, she puts heat on me and does a few minutes of soft tissue work on my lower back and then asks if I have been doing my core strengthening exercises. I say yes and she asks me to show her 1-2 of them and then she gives me a new one and sends me on my way. Maybe I just want to get better quicker but I feel like I am getting dragged along here. She double books the last 15 minutes of her appointments which seems unprofessional to me and when I ask to do more or how we should treat the actual injury site in my upper back she simply says that I have to work on my posture and strengthen my core. A few folks have recommended going to a chiropractor but I would be fine with sticking with a PT if I just knew how to pick a good one. Any thoughts folks?
1) A great PT doesn't actually get you better. A great PT teaches you how to get yourself better.
Chiros tend to have the opposite approach (bit of a generalization). "You are injured, you have to come to me three days a week, I get you better, then you better keep coming once a week (or so) for the rest of your life do I can keep you aligned".
There is a joke told by PTs:
Q: How many chiros does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One, but it will take 38 visits.
|
|
|
|
|
ACJ
Jun 6, 2009, 12:59 AM
Post #4 of 6
(1415 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 25, 2008
Posts: 162
|
Hehe, yeah I have heard that about Chiros as well. I think part of the trouble for me is that I have become interested in going to PT school and a little frustrated with the situation since this is my first exposure to a physical therapist (no observation hours done yet).
I just want to make sure I am going to someone who is going to help me out. I don't want to listen to her talk about her family 1/2 the time and then realize on my seventh session that I am an athlete and not a couch potato (very frustrating).
Maybe I'm just not saying the right things but it seems like she doesn't hear me when I tell her where the pain is and what I really want to work on.
|
|
|
|
|
onceahardman
Jun 6, 2009, 1:27 AM
Post #5 of 6
(1410 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 3, 2007
Posts: 2493
|
ACJ wrote: Hehe, yeah I have heard that about Chiros as well. I think part of the trouble for me is that I have become interested in going to PT school and a little frustrated with the situation since this is my first exposure to a physical therapist (no observation hours done yet). I just want to make sure I am going to someone who is going to help me out. I don't want to listen to her talk about her family 1/2 the time and then realize on my seventh session that I am an athlete and not a couch potato (very frustrating). Maybe I'm just not saying the right things but it seems like she doesn't hear me when I tell her where the pain is and what I really want to work on.
Your concerns are legit. You need to make your feelings known a bit more.
"No offense, but I'm an athlete, and I kind of think you are treating me like a couch potato. I really haven't improved much, and I am considering maybe going someplace else, unless you want to take another look, and have some other ideas".
If that doesn't work, I have a brother who lives in Taylorsville, near Hickory, who is also a PT.
|
|
|
|
|
boracus
Jun 11, 2009, 12:00 AM
Post #6 of 6
(1360 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 29, 2005
Posts: 70
|
ACJ-
Interesting thread. On the whole there are reasons stereotypes exist and it totally infuriates me when people run across Chiros that want to see you for 30 visits and charge you up front. (incidentally I am a Chiropractor) I think that much like any field there are those that want to simply show up, put in the hours, get payed and then go home to do whatever it is that they do.
I'd have to say that from my perspective, AngelEyes has it pegged. Unless you're a professional athlete the chances of you getting stellar treatment are pretty slim, and here's why...
Even if an academic program for a physical therapist, doctor, orthopedist, chiropractor...etc has a "sports medicine" component to it, chances are it's a joke. I know several PT's, a few Orthos and of course many DC's and all of them tell me that none of their schooling had any really useful information when it came to sports medicine. So 99% of the therapists out there treat any patient the same regardless of whether that person is a couch potato or someone who is trying to make performance gains in a sport. Most of the "sports medicine" hype is simply a marketing ploy.
Any therapist that is actually good at treating an athlete has probably invested quite a bit of time and effort into understanding the nuances of injury modalities common to that sport and the best ways to treat them.
I would love to see this change across the board. I see the problem being that most clinicians are trained as just that, there is no further specialization in how to be a clinician/therapist that can take an athlete from injury or post op all the way through rehab from getting them back to their ADL's and then progressing them on to the point of performance gains.
The problem is that most therapists out there simply don't have the knowledge to make recommendations on how to keep an athlete improving w/out re-injuring themselves(ie they know about rehab but not about training for performance)... conversely the ATC's and Personal Trainers out there may know how to train someone to perform better but then they are woefully out of their depths if they have to deal w/ a client that's injured or is predisposed to recurring injuries and they certainly aren't able to diagnose and treat the injury themselves.
So I'm not really sure what advice to give other than to keep asking questions and looking for someone who "gets" what it is that you're trying achieve w/ your performance goals.
cheers,
BA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
