Hi all rheumatologist sent me to the occupational health and physio.
I didn’t really feel either could help as I know what I can and can’t do and what adaptions I can use if I feel I need them.
What I found was physio when they looked at my age and physical appearance where not that bothered when I said I had pain doing this and that also how my joints clicked and clacked, I got the same old my joints click to reply I replied yes but you haven’t been diagnosed with autoimmune arthritis have you. So physio didn’t work out.
Occupational health where much better but we both agreed I didn’t require the level of support as others at this time and would have an open appointment for the future.
Just wanted to know if others have come across this sort of attitude when telling health professionals your aches and pains. 👍
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Dan13rheumatoid
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Yes I have from my previous GP. When I went to see her about my joint aches and pains she said '"join the club" "it's your age" "take Ibuprofen" 😒 I saw the GP about it 2-3 times! After I moved to a new area and saw my new GP they did blood tests straight away.
Yes I had my gp do that and straight away I went and booked another appointment with a different gp who was more pro active and understanding. Some people take there gp word and don’t go again for years thinking it is old age etc.
I don't understand why you aren't seeing a rheumatologist for your RA problems, instead of GP and I don't understand why physio said "but you haven’t been diagnosed with autoimmune arthritis have you. " Of course you have which is why you are here. Or am I missing something?
What I found was physio when they looked at my age and physical appearance were not that bothered.
When I said I had pain doing this and that, and also told them how my joints clicked and clacked, I got the same old story from the physio who said to me "my joints click" in reply.
I replied to the physio "Yes, but YOU haven’t been diagnosed with autoimmune arthritis, have you?".
Ah, I understand now. I'd misread it. Thank you for clearing that up for me Hezekiah.
Yes ........ it annoys me I tell them then they tell me it’s not RA related or it’s muscular... it nik has I known the 🤬difference but they don’t listen
I also recently got referred by the rheumatologist to physio and OT.
The physio asked why I had been referred and I said I had been diagnosed with RA (after 5 years with palindromic rheumatism). She said "yes but why were you referred?". I said that presumably so I could understand what I could and couldnt do. She said having RA doesnt stop you doing anything - just get on and exercise. I suggested to her that her response was a little naive as most mornings I can barely stand up or move my hands or feet. She said just go for a walk or a swim and you'll be fine - 30 minutes a day. I gave up and left. I do go for walks and do the garden when I can and I dont need a physio for that.
OT were massively better (and sorely disappointed by my experience with the physio). She offered suggestions for pacing when fatigued and came up with great gadget suggestions for when my hands were bad. She explained what they could do if things got worse so I have an open option to return if I need further assistance. She had a real understanding of the issues from RA and the options available to help.
Chalk and cheese really.
If you think that health professionals struggle to "get" RA, try telling them you have palindromic rheumatism! Over 90% didnt have a clue and thought I had made up the diagnosis as they had never heard of it...
I was referred to both as well and told by OH that I could return at any time when needed. She was very good. In my case the physio was also good. She said my muscles were very weak, even though I'm always on the go and busy doing things, and gave me strengthening exercises to do. She wanted me to go back in a week but we made it two instead. All in all I feel very lucky with my care so far
My rheumatologist sent me to physio, podiatry and OT. None of them impressed me, despite my hospital being one of the best in the country. I saw the physio when I was having to walk with a stick. My knees and ankles were very swollen. I told her that six months previously, before the RA attacked, I was able to bend each knee so that my heel touched my bottom. (This is a stretch that lots of hikers do.) I said I wanted to be able to do that again. Whether because of my age (70 then) or her great youth I do not know, but she said she herself would not be able to do that and that my knees bent to a greater degree than those of "someone who had just walked in off the street". She had no appreciation of how important it was to me to get back to how I'd been such a relatively short time before. She just measured the angle of bend and declared it all right. (Update: my left knee can now bend as before, the right one nearly so, but no thanks to her). I said I was concerned about the stiffness in my hands - they could have been carved out of a block of wood. She just said physios don't deal with hands.
The OT was pleasant enough and provided me with a pair of compression gloves that help a little. She suggested I wear them all night, but I said I was getting up two or three times to go to the toilet and it would be difficult getting the gloves off and on. Her response was to tell me they can be washed. Yuck, as if!
I told her my wrists were very painful if I lifted a kettle or pan or even turned a door handle. She said it was important to avoid causing a lot of pain as the joints might get damaged. She suggested pretty obvious things such as using both hands for lifting - wouldn't have thought of that! The next time I saw her I told her I was avoiding the actions that caused a lot of pain, as instructed, and she said she had not told me to avoid them, just to do them differently. She even wrote in a letter to the consultant that I had misunderstood. Well, sorry, but surely the point of performing tasks differently was to avoid the painful actions. I still don't see why she made such a big thing over semantics. I wouldn't go on about this so much except that I felt patronised.
It took nearly five months to get a podiatry appointment and and hour's bus journey to get to it. Nice young woman asked, "What are you here for?" I replied that I thought she'd had a referral letter so she looked on her computer. "I see you've been sent by rheumatology. What do they want me to do?" Not knowing the answer, I suggested maybe she should assess the state of my feet to provide a base-line in case they were affected by the RA later. She did not seem to have any idea about RA at all.
In short, my expectations of all these professionals are now very low. Fortunately my rheumatologist is wonderful.
I had the most ridiculous OT lady come to my house about a year ago and looking back I wish that I had made a complaint about her. First of all she tested me for dementia even though I had been referred because I am finding things difficult to do due to RA and OA etc. I told her it wasn't necessary but she went ahead anyway and then said that I was better at doing it than she would be.
She then got me to walk across the room and back and said that my balance was very poor. I told her that I needed knee replacements and couldn't use my arms properly because of having ruptured tendons in my rotator cuffs. She looked at me and asked me why I didn't get a bike. I thought she meant an exercise bike but she said no, she meant a proper bike and then I could go out and about on it. We live on a very busy main road in the middle of a busy town. I remarked that she had said herself that I had poor balance and that my arms would not be able to reach the handlebars and my knees were worn out and I wondered if she was trying to kill me. She then looked at my list of medication (a lot of different things) and said that I shouldn't be on more than four items and I should leave most of them off even though the majority have been prescribed by specialists.
I really couldn't believe what I was hearing and was glad to see the back of her, but I still wonder what on earth she was thinking of in her suggestions.
Waited after a referral for months before I saw a Podiatrist who told me that she only dealt with people who were about to have their toes drop off.
She asked why had I come (because I'd had infected toes from blisters where I couldn't get shoes to fit me.... had over 20 pairs of shoes... recognise the story?).
Very unhelpful. Gave me catalogues of shoes way to big for my feet and so I went to try them at a (disabled … and I'm not …) shop. (Too many mobility scooters for my liking I want to keep walking).
Just carried on being measured for more shoes, paying for shoes and getting more antibiotics for the infected blisters until eventually I found a pair which were okay (family helped stretch them too).
So I'm put off a podiatrist (despite it saying on my leaflet when first diagnosed... people who can help). My aunt in a different area of the country got 2 pairs of shoes made every year... so maybe it's who you see.
I’ve been waiting for a podiatrist appointment since April got an appointment later this month hope I don’t end up with one like yours Coriander but I won’t hold my breath 😁
Thanks I did ask for that first, but was sent to podiatry who told me I didn't stand a chance of getting a referral to orthotics (I think in this area they want you to go privately).
Definitely I was told by my GP to go privately. I can’t afford it never mind the orthotics I will need they cost a fortune. I have an appointment the end of this month . Waited 8 months.
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