I go for an evaluation for physical therapy on my back this afternoon. I'll be coming from 'work' at our church, so I'm guessing that I should take some exercise clothes to put on for the PT instead of the skirt and blouse I'll be wearing this morning?
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~ asthma, allergies, anxiety, arthritis, back problems, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia
That would be a good idea! They usually want you to lie on your back while the PT checks for neurologic symptoms, which will involve lifting your leg --difficult in a skirt.
I figured that the therapist would probably want to see what was happening with my leg at various points, and of course she did. It was an interesting hour, and she wasn't horrified by my going 20 years without seeking help for my recurring back problems either. They escalated so gradually I never really realised what was going on. Now for physical therapy three times a week to see if we can improve my poor sad (pretty much non-existent) back muscles. I was on bedrest most of the time for MONTHS earlier this year, and too sick to walk further than the mailbox for longer (adding up to at least 4 months out of the first 6 in the year), and she pointed out that I got pretty deconditioned in all that time. Before I got sick I would regularly walk 3 (or more) miles for relaxation, now I'm struggling with a mile and a half. But at least I CAN walk. For that first mile, the further I walk, the easier it is, until I run out of energy. It's standing in one spot (especially if I don't have anything to lean on) that's the killer.
One downside of all this. Our insurance allows 40 visits, and it sounds like she thinks I'm going to need them all... and we have to pay 20% until I reach the cap. At three visits a week, this is going to get expensive fast...
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~ asthma, allergies, anxiety, arthritis, back problems, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia
