Another interesting observation ref: despondent physiotherapist’s reactions, my ‘lack of improvement’ and the reasons WHY!

[Poppy_the_cat]

Another interesting observation - a positive message of Hope!

After having fought the system to gain access to a good physiotherapist and having had the luck to have a ‘follow-up’ prescription to see her for a second round of treatment…. It did not work.

However, one must observe that 6 sessions per ‘prescription’ that includes a single acupuncture session for 20 minutes, some Myofascial release massage and other similar forms of massage, will like a ‘swallow, not a summer make’!!

Despite having been given a number of exercises- many of them too rigorous for me to do with any ease as they caused me pain- nonetheless I persisted…

One in particular was similar to the ‘Cat position’ in Yoga for the pain I have developed in my lower back, as it has become inordinately concave. She also commented that I had ‘irreversible’ doweger’s hump, from not sitting up straight and holding my spine correctly – explaining that it was painful for me to attempt to do so and that my body seemed to want to automatically ‘slump’ in order to stretch the tension in my neck and muscles never made any impact.

Despite being a very good physiotherapist and very intuitive on the whole, I believe that due to the pressures imposed by the system to ‘fix you’ in the allocated sessions, it was all too easy to resign me to the scrap heap. I was told that there was nothing further that could be done for me and that IF I was lucky as funding is so tight, my GP could request for me to go on a Pain Management Course that would educate me how to pace myself and live with my pain as there was nothing further that could be done for me.

All very depressing really….

Its not the kind of defeatist approach you want to hear.

Being an optimist by nature and having this deep rooted belief that I am not ‘broken’; I know I can be fixed. I see myself as ‘out of kilter’… Out-of-alignment somehow?

Almost as though I am not calibrated! All the pieces could function if only given half the chance. Like a good orchestra needing a good conductor!

You’ve guessed it! I have endocrine issues which is probably the best way of describing it. I am Hashimotos; I have adrenal fatigue and am currently even being looked at from a Pituitary angle… So my own, instinctive visual description of feeling like an orchestra that is out of tune, in need of a good conductor is a spot on, intuitive diagnosis! If only the medical profession would actually listen to their patients!

About 5 weeks ago, the brilliant contributor ‘Clutter’ if I may be so bold as to describe her as such, helped me immensely with her astute observations.

She suggested I could be wheat/gluten intolerant?!

15 years ago I was told by my then GP that I had IBS.

Rather like PoOH bear I though “IBS…more like HUMS, Hhhmmms???? I just continued to be the stoic that I am by nature, and put up with it. All medications were useless and in my opinion made it worse…

Well, armed with hope from Clutter, I excluded all gluten and wheat, assiduously reading all food labels and have stuck to it like glue- no pun intended.

The results have been near miraculous.

Within days, not even a week the difference has been an eye-opener.

What my physiotherapist pronounced as written in stone has turned out to be piffle !

The pain in the base of my back has gone.

I can alter the angle of my pelvis and stand straight…there is no pain

I can straighten my spine; I feel taller and can stand up straight, rather like an unfolding butterfly!

Though no longer feeling like a ‘beached whale with a belly-ache’, I am far from achieving the svelte profile of a minnow – as yet, but life has improved dramatically and that has to be a major bonus.

I have done what I was told was NOT possible.

I wanted to share this miracle with everybody on this site.

I have waited a while to make sure it was not in my over-active imagination, not to have false hope…But its true.

All I can suggest to everybody that has endocrine issues of some kind or other, regardless of testing for gluten/wheat intolerance – do your own test.

Keep an enquiring mind. Cut out the bread, the cakes, the crisps, the crackers, the beer – anything, even certain types of chocolate…ANYTHIING that has wheat or gluten in it and keep a diary.

See how you feel? How is your back ache? How is your body posture? Can you sit at the table more easily? Do you feel stronger and more stable in your core body? Are you less wobbly? Are you less gloomy? Have your thoughts lifted? Do you feel, Yes, I can get over this, yes I can get better… Feel empowered; Try it.

My own empirical results have been enough for me.

I have discussed it with my GP who is happy to be guided by my findings and he has agreed that for now, rather than make myself feel worse again just to be tested, I should just take it as read and keep going- stay off the gluten and wheat.

Good luck

;0)

[Clutter]

Poppy, I'm blushing! Thank you. I'm glad the g-f suggestion helped but it wasn't a great insight as gluten is a common problem for hypothyroid patients, particularly those with Hashimoto's.

Massage not 'sticking' is a sign of adrenal fatigue and if you use the search box you'll find plenty of posts on adrenal fatigue and advice how to correct it.

[Poppy_the_cat in reply to Clutter]

Dear Clutter - thank-you again.

May I ask what do you mean by 'sticking'?

[Clutter in reply to Poppy_the_cat]

Poppy, usually when you have a massage the effects last for a couple of days or more but they don't seem to last when people have adrenal fatigue.

[foreversummer]

I'm so pleased for your Poppy and a huge well done to Clutter for passing on the info! Its great to read such a happy outcome and this should help others ease their suffering.

[Poppy_the_cat in reply to foreversummer]

Absolutely! I can see from reading all the content that is published here, that there are so many people out there with so many complex issues that continuously get treated with either total contempt by their endos or total ignorance from their GP's that I believe in doing my bit, however small.

If anything good comes my way, I want to share it in case it helps others too as it was originally shared with me.

;0)

[Hidden]

of course ypur GP is happy - that way they never have top give you gluten free food on prescription!

If you have Hashi's you should as a rule avoid gluten as these diseases feed one another.

I am 1.5 years into being g free. It is a hassle at the best of times and v expensive (i dont eat meat either) but i am no longer crippled by daily diarrhoea. Still have ibs type symptoms at times but i have heard this is the case for some coeliacs.

I was also told many years ago by the nhs i had ibs - criminal, when all the signs were there. It is amazing how ignorant the nhs is about coeliac. UK hospitals do not even cater for coeliacs and it's 2014!; I have to take my own food when i have operations.

Now that i am smarter (i manage and self med all my diseases), i read back over old notes from 2008 where a tw&t NHS gastro wrote "her tsh is normal, therefore i am confident she has ibs".

Sad isn't it. So many years of my life i will never get back.

[Clutter in reply to Hidden]

I'm shocked that NHS hospitals don't cater for coeliac and gluten-free! They really need to get a grip on how important nutrition is in recovery.

[crimple]

Until the medics accept that what you eat has major impacts on our health there will continue to be a lot of ill people popping all kinds of un -necessary medication. They are too focused on reducing calories, fat and sugar but don't understand nutrition, the importance of vitamins and minerals.

I had to fight for a referral to a consultant who diagnosed intolerance to wheat, chicken and eggs over 15 years ago. Now I am on gluten and dairy free too since January after finding out my TPO antibodies were very high. The TPO reading has now come right down. Clutter, you should not be shocked that hospitals don't cater for GF etc. If you mention special dietary requirements they think you are being fussy! I had to provide meals on wheels fro my daughter whenever she was recovering from a number of operations. She needed a wheat free diet but they made no attempt to provide it

[Angel_of_the_North]

Isn't dowager's hump a result of Cushings or high cortisol?

[Poppy_the_cat]

Thank-you for that very perceptive observation.

I had no idea.

Having just looked it up I can see some similarity in my symptoms- however I am hoping its not Cushings., though after initial testing it seems my very high output levels of cortisol throughout the day is a constant.

I await my visit to the specialist on the 11th, so I am trying to stay mentally occupied and not think about it too much.

Thank-you for your reply.

;0)

[penny]

Massage is only a temporary 'fix'. It feels lovely, reduces stress and un-knots muscles but it does not cure. (I am a masseuse and body realigner.)

"If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got."

You might want to look at "Your body speaks your mind" and "Cellular Memory".

Sometimes our posture reflects emotional trauma, which is 'trapped' in the cells. When the trauma is released the body heals. It can be very powerful and liberating.