How Much Should Physio on the Back Hurt?

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julesmba

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Hi

I have recently had a Road Traffic Accident where I was in the middle of a low speed shunt. I ended up with neck and back problems and screaming headaches - pretty minor stuff I hope.

I am having physio via the insurance - only meant to be 3-5 visits. At my first appointment last week he identified where the headaches were coming from on my neck, worked that area (very sore but went off straight away) - so he has already cured my neck and headaches in a matter of days! He also pulled my leg to put the hip into a better position. No rsidual pain due to the treatment from that day.

I went for the second treatment two days later. The more problematic issue has been lower back pain and aching thighs. My physio did all sorts of stretching with my legs which was fine. But he worked on muscles at the base of my spine - which was excrutiating at the time - made me shout and bend my back. In a way I don't mind how much he has to hurt me as long as it gets me on the mend, the thing I need to know is whether I should still be in a lot of pain two days later. I have had pain management training in the past, so I can cope with the pain short term if I must - I just wondered if anyone knew what I should expect, and what is out of the ordinary. I was misdiagnosed (hopefully) with Fibromyalgia back in 1999 and I am a bit worried that he hit a hotspot and that the pain might stay with me.

I look forward to some positive advice regarding your own experiences. I hope to be worrying over nothing as this is the first batch of 'hanRAB on' physio I have had.

RegarRAB

Julie
 
Hi, Julie. I have never had much luck with physical therapy and over the span of dealing with back pain for 23 years, I have had lots of therapy. I learned one thing vital....you have to speak out and learn to say NO to any therapy that causes pain. Soreness is to be expectly when working muscles that are out of shape. But to mash on a sore back to the point that you scream? NO way and I give you credit for being in control for I'm afraid that therapist would have gotten a real tongue lashing. Shame on him.

Have you seen a dr. at all? I get the feeling you aren't from the USA so I don't know the law where you are, but here the ins. doesn't have the power to order someone to therapy or anything else. I do know that I would not allow this therapist to touch me again.

I hope things start getting better for you and that you get a doctor and have an MRI to see what is wrong with your back. That is so important to do before you have any kind of treatment!!

Good luck.

Carol
 
Dear Carol

Thankyou for your kind reply.

I have decided to carry on with the physio as the extreem pain got much better after a couple of days, but I will let the physio know how much pain I was in after the last treatment and I'll check if it is to be expected. I guess it probably is - and I will grit my teeth and bare it if it sorts me out. The insurance only said 3 treatments, which the third one is tomorrow, though the physio said perhaps it'll take 5. We'll see...I'm just going to talk more tomorrow, I think I may be expecting him to be a bit of a mind reader too!??

I'll let you know how I go on.

Kind regarRAB

Julie
 
I've spent many a years in physio for many reasons. Not all therapist think alike I have learned. The therapist team that I've used for the last many years feel that if you feel strong or excruciating pain while doing therapy then you are doing something wrong or that your body can not tolerate and you need to stop that exercise or stretch or only do it to the point where you may feel a very light pain or a stretch. The "there is no gain without pain" theory is old and a bad idea according to much research, especially if what you are doing is causing you more damage overall.

I would definately let the therapist know how much pain you are experiencing during and after when you go home. They should lighten up on what they are doing.
 
Years ago I went to physio for my neck. I had some nerve encroachment at the time.

Well I came out of the physio office in much worse shape than going in. The nerve pain shooting down my arms into my hanRAB was awful and my neck was twisted off to the side.

When I went to my family doctor he took one look at me and admonished "whenever you are receiving therapy and you get worse instead of better STOP the therapy at once" It was good advice!

As it turned out all the ultrasound and TENS was bringing more blood circulation into the area and hence tissue swelling that caused an already squeezed nerve to become more squeezed. This treatment is fine for muscle spasms but for nerve encroachment a definate no!
 
Thanks for your replies.

I note what you say, and I did indeed let the physio know how much pain I had felt. He said that it should have been bad for 48 hrs - some schools say it should be 5 days apparently, but he feels that is too much to put someone through. He was interested to see if I felt better after the pain subsided, as I said to him I thought I did until I stopped the pain killers.

He hasn't done any more painful treatment as he now feels that I have probably got a buldging disc which is pressing on my syatic nerve. He is going to have me back for traction to sort this out, as soon as the insurance okay this.

I think he has actually been very thorough and listened to what I have said. Any medical treatment seems to be a bit a case of ruling out the obvious. I just hope he's right with this diagnosis as it doesn't have to be too serious. I am looking forward to getting started on the traction, I hope it works...according to some sites the disc can be mobilised back into place if I'm lucky.

Here goes - fingers crossed.

Look after yourselves

Julie
 
i had physio on my lower back and they did manipulation . after a scan it was shown they had partialy collapsed a disc ! i think some physiotherapists should remeraber they are not doctors or consultants and do the job they were trained to not take matters into their own HANRAB , nor should they do the job iff they dislike the public and hurt them on purpose. It just gives the good ones a bad name to
 
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