Physical therapies, who has benefited?

[arthritis_action]

Gentle massage, stretching, articulation, body alignment and balancing techniques are all beneficial and effective for those with arthritis, keeping you more flexible and mobile with improved posture and a lessening of painful symptoms. Would physical therapy be something you would try to lessen your symptoms of arthritis? If you've already given it a go, what was your experience?

An Arthritis Action membership benefit is four treatments a year with our associate practitioners up to the value of £40. Have a look here to see if we have a practitioner near you: arthritisaction.org.uk/how/...

[cherryfied]

Hi Georgia.

I would definitely recommend physical therapy. It really helped me get back on my feet after a bad flare. When I was in the most pain I worked with a physio for massage and simple stretches to keep my joints moving without stressing them too much. Now I am back on my feet (if a little wobbly sometimes!) but I still see a physio, with my main focus now on balance and strengthening my muscles. So far it has really helped.

Cherry

[Hidden]

I'm going to physiotherapy in a few weeks for my arthritic knees and feet. What I'd like to do is learn the exercises and then practice them at home.

Additionally will check on foot reflexology treatments. I will update later on how it goes.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Physiotherapy is on hold - woman called from the hospital saying the instructor has chickenpox.  I lost it with laughter - such is life....

[Barb_White]

I found every time I went to physical therapy it was a different person and I always found it very rushed in my local out-patient unit. My niece bought me a great hand arthitis kit from the internet and it had some great therapy aids for my keys and shopping bag as well as exercises. It really helped. They also do a knee kit that I will also get as it is great value. I found it to really helped with my pain.

[Hermes123]

Hermes123. I started to reply when annoyingly my computer shut down to update? So I will try once more. There are two sides to physiotherapy! there is the physical and then there is the mind set, both work in unison - but most of the time a persons mental being is left behind.

What do I mean by this? It is all very well trying to repair the physical and say now go off and practice all the exercises you have been shown, as it is for your well being! I think 95% of people get that, especially ex - sport people like myself? But what dose one need to for fill this obligation, mainly in older people but also many other cases? ENERGY! But what stops people who genuinely wish to carry out there obligation, EXHAUSTION! always feeling tied and FATIGUED because that carbon fibre link is missing, I lost count of the number of pain management courses I have been on in various programs where I have been on, when comments and questions have been ask for. But when one replies with a statement like what I have just explained, They look at you lost and quickly move on, so one is left with the feeling what is the point.

[Constance13 in reply to Hermes123]

I don’t know if you are still on this forum Hermes - I have just joined. Just wanted to say I agree most heartedly with your comments.

I have been on three pain management courses and I won’t go again. One gets the feeling the doctors, especially the psycologists, try to convince you “it’s all in the mind”. Of course it’s in the mind, it's your brain telling you where the pain is, not vice versa!!!

[Hermes123 in reply to Constance13]

Hermes123.

Hi Constance13 : Yes I'm still floating about just, off to the hospital once more tomorrow, yes you've gest it! The physiotherapy department I had some explaining to do when I ended up with another appointment. I told them I was fed up being batted back and fourth like a ping pong ball between Doctor and Physio dept. After my last recommendation of Senior Physio's to see a Consultant who could advise me as to what and where I needed to do, due to the fact from my Doctors point of view as I was on maximum amount of pain relief drugs and patches, I needed to see someone at a higher level to see what help they could advise. So appointment made about three months ago, I turn up at the clinic after the normal introductions, I sat down we looked at each other for what seamed ages, suddenly the Consultant said well what have you got to ask me. Funny I thought to myself, then I replied I thought that's what you were about to tell me, then some general question asked and I went home feeling a more than slightly dejected. To cut a long story short, I returned to my Doctor when I stated what had happened and whom I had spoken too, he said now wonder this Consultant specializes in hands - wrist and elbows. So after a number phone calls emails, you can have an appointment shortly, another phone call sorry we are rather busy will fit you in as soon as poss. Thursday yet another phone call from a different person can you make it this coming Monday to the physio dept. I said yes but I still don't know what I'm going for till I arrive. Wish me luck to get some real answers. Hermes

[Constance13 in reply to Hermes123]

You couldn’t make it up could you?😀

[Hermes123 in reply to Constance13]

Hermes123.

Hi Constance, You could? But I'm not : But I did go back and re- read what I had written so long ago. But the same thing still applies, it is still about bridging that gap between upper and lower back, whether one looks at it metaphorically or in reality. There is still that disconnect that has taken 50. years of my life to repair, can you begin to comprehend in that time how much money has been spent on research, not from the NHS. budget, as pain relief is at the bottom of the pile when comes to funding behind all the other worthy causes. But we are no less worthy of funding than any one else. Millions are spent on patching us up? but dose it get rid of the pain : tiredness or anxiety not one bit of it. I did see one worthy note recently from abroad, but at present cannot recall it. But at the time it did appear to hail a brighter future some twenty years down the line, but that count me out once again. Hermes.