I've been dealing with ankle sprains, impingement, chips, and tendonitis all year. I've been doing PT for the last 4 months, and am back to point where I can most things, but still have "oh $hit" moments, pain and some swelling. My PT has done just about all he can do. OS said yesterday to give it "a couple more months" before he'd consider the need to do anything else.
So how has anyone else gone from "being broken" back to "normal"? Did you just say the heck with it (within reason), and just do whatever it is you used to do? Or go a more baby steps route?
PT has told me, more than once, that I'm not going screw it up again, and I want to believe him, but....I've been dealing with this for a year.
A few years ago, I had a really nasty bout of rotator cuff tendonitis & an old spine injury flare up. After I finished PT, I pretty much ended up holed up on the couch for about 6 months before I really felt comfortable just moving. At the time, I was really enjoying NOT hurting and didn't want to do anything that MIGHT make me hurt.
I feel myself falling into that same trap again. I want to do stuff, but am completely paranoid about getting hurt again. It's not completely illogical, I've had this seem healed before, only to blow up again. I never had any one big trauma, like a fall or car wreck, just a bunch of small seemingly inconsequential ones (like walking) that added up to one big mess that the 3rd doc finally figured out.
After awhile you do want to stop PT and live a normal life. But you got to make sure you get all out of it you can. After awhile you do less and less, and think about it less. But I still do stretching.
__________________
Heelie since 09
The good thing is, no one asks me, to help them move anymore.
There's nothing wrong with baby steps. You don't have to go out and play soccer tomorrow. Start with stuff similar to your PT exercises, say. The PT may be able to provide guidelines for further exercise, or try one or two sessions with a personal trainer, if you can afford it. (Should be a trainer who has experience in people with medical issues.)
After my ankle war (had surgery to clean out scar tissue impingement) I was back to "normal" activities like walking around, doing household chores, etc by the time I left PT. I guess it was about 2 months after that before I really felt normal and stopped thinking about it all the time.
Remember, doing things keeps your muscles strong and loose, which reduces the risk of re-injury.
The other day was one of my mini-meltdown days. My OS is good, but frustrating. Whenever I leave there I usually want to hit someone. I have to remember not to have schedule any follow ups at that time of the month again.
I do work out with a trainer, who is great. I've known him long enough that he can generally tell where I hurt when I walk in. Even though it's "semi-personal" group training, he came up with a non-weight bearing version for me when I didn't move so well. I have (jello covered)abs of steel as a result.
With PT's enthusiastic endorsement, I'm playing hooky next week and am just going to forget about all of it and spend a few long overdue days at the beach.
I've been in physical therapy for 5 months after my flat foot reconstruction surgery. I just "finished" a couple weeks ago. The exercises they gave me hurt every single day and I JUST wanted to live normal on my foot to see what it would do and if that pain would diminish without picking at it all the time with those targeted exercises. So far, my tendons don't zing me as bad when walking down stairs, but it is very stiff and still painful in the same spots. Just not flared as bad. I'll give it a few months before going back to the surgeon. But, yes, at some point you need to just leave the PT phase and get on with seeing what the injury is like with just normal life again.
Good luck to you! Sounds like you've had quite a haul!
__________________
"All American Procedure" surgery April 4, 2011
Hardware removal July 14, 2011
Lightstepper, when I was 7 months post op, I would still experience those zings and stiffess (especially achillese tendon area). I am now 16 months post op and doing great. My foot is not the same as my pre surgical foot, but I am able to work all day and go about my life without having to constantly think about my foot. I don't think that I would feel comfortable doing high impact activities but that is my paranoia. Considering the fact that I could not take more than 20 steps without being reduced to tears prior to surgery, I consider the surgery a complete success.
The Following User Says Thank You to roxygirl1 For This Useful Post: lightstepper (11-25-2011)
So typical of this whole yr - I decide to take off to see a couple friends on a whim. 10 hr drive (I love Lidoderm ) I get down there and find that one of them is spending the weekend in my back yard. Haven't seen him for a few years, this ALWAYS happens. Seriously, this has happened like 6 times
before he'd consider the need to do anything else.
) that added up to one big mess that the 3rd doc finally figured out.
Even though it's "semi-personal" group training, he came up with a non-weight bearing version for me when I didn't move so well. I have (jello covered)abs of steel as a result.
