Who does Physical Therapy for pain? - Fibromyalgia Message Board

AnnabelleLee777 · 08-24-2005, 11:57 PM

Who does physical therapy for pain, and does it help? What do you do at physical therapy. I am just asking becuase I have my first PT appt on Monday.

bluelakelady · 08-25-2005, 07:08 AM

hi annabellelee,
i have been doing p.t. off and on for several years. i start again tomorrow. i do mild exercise, guided swimming exercise, trigger point massage and myofacial release massage. i also have exercises aimed at renewing my relationship with muscles that have atrophied due to poor posture from pain. they all help. i spend a day or two down after massage. it hurts quite a bit. however after those couple of days i wake feeling so much better and find i have more energy. i have massage on fridays so i can fall on my face over the weekend. swimming in the heated pool and then popping in the hot tub is heaven. i usually do p.t. for 2 to 3 months then take a break for a couple of months to see how i am doing. they give me stuff to do at home. mostly i remember to do them. when i am in pain what they taught me comes back and i help myself. mostly i hear my voice saying, stand up straight, missy! breath, missy! i call myself missy when i am not practicing my new posture and breath.
i hope you find your p.t. as delightful as i do. remember to guide your therapist. you must communicate what hurts and what feels good. they cannot do their best by you if you do not tell them. and they do want to help you help yourself.
keep me posted as to how it is going.
peace,
bluelakelady

girl75 · 08-25-2005, 09:50 AM

hello, physical therapy is really good for us if we are able to get it. aquatic therapy and gentle stretching is wonderful especially walking. hopefully you will be seeing someone who is familiar with fibro because i think that will help alot.
message is also a wonderful thing.
as hard as it may be i have learned that i have to try and do some sort of exercise everyday to feel good mentally and physically.
goodluck with you pt and make sure you let us know how it goes for you.
robin

hummingbirdhope · 08-25-2005, 11:38 AM

When I Went All They Did Was Tens Unit And Ultrsound Which Only Helped While They Did It.

bluelakelady · 08-25-2005, 01:02 PM

hi hummingbird,
go back to your doctor and tell her/him exactly what you want. chances are the doc does not fully comprehend the benifits of p.t. for you. i get ultrasound also and some other machine that is new. forgot the name. it pulls the blood to the area where the pain is and i turn all pretty and red. within one hour i noticed a change. less pain.
i will ask tomorrow what the machine is. i start tomorrow, yipeeeeee!!!
peace,
bluelakelady
ps. any movement counts. even walking to the bathroom. that sitting down and getting back up can be alot of work on a rough day, giggle.