1st physio appointment

[shoshanna51]

Hello again everyone,
Hope you are all not too bad today
Yesterday I had a really bad day, felt flu'ey and hurt in so many places and was so tired
Today though I feel a lot better. Just my hip and shoulders and a faint headache, and my vision, which is typical when I have my first physio appointment in a couple of hours. I'm not sure if it better to go in there looking not too bad or looking the wreck I was yesterday. How will they perceive me ???
Anyway, I don't go in there with high hopes, far from it after reading some of the horror stories about physiotherapists and their knowledge of FM on here.
All I can do is hope I get one who knows about this condition and is sympathetic to it's variable symptoms.
I will let you all know how it goes

[shoshanna51]

Well ist physio app was not really of any use, especially given fact that doc had referred me for sternum and thoracic pain and NOT FM !!, had not even mentioned it on the referral letter.
It was just a few stretching exercises which yes may help with the sternum and thoracic pain but will do nothing for my hips, shoulders and neck.
Sorely tempted to not go back !!
Watch this space

[*Lisa*]

Im afraid thats the NHS for you!

NHS will only give you stretching exercises also for fibro. They stopped given hands on treatments years ago plus the NHS do not fund illnesses they cannot cure so soon as you get your exercise sheet off you go.

I have had to seek and pay private for a physio to come out to me and do hands on treatment cause the amount of exercises i would need to do would mean i'd be at it all day

There are many who are very well edicated on fibro its just they are restricted to what they can do for you

[fester]

I totally agree the NHS physio is a waste of time.

No compassion or words of advice, just an exercise sheet that nearly kills you and a physio referral to the local leisure centre for a reduction in swimming fees and gym fees. As if with Fibro we can manage swimming or even think about going to the gym.

I am thinking about private physio but locally the first assessment if £47.00 per hour and £38.00 thereafter. I will be happy to pay if it really works and there is a noticeable improvement.

Sorry to hear of your bad experience with NHS Physio.

[maxtomads]

That sounds very steep - I'm a private physio & charge much less than that. Still, different areas tend to charge differently.
Hope you manage to find someone who can help you.

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain

[fester]

Thank you maxtomads it does sound rather steep.

I totally agree with your comment.

Thank you.

[monica]

Sorry you didn't find it helped, I found the NHS useless too and got angry because it built up my hopes that they would be able to help and plainly they couldn't! Hope you sort something out.

[motherconfessor]

Could you possibly ask for a referral to a specialist musculo-skeletal physio and an Occupational Therapist? My local hospital has a team dedicated to RA and associated diseases, and my PT and OT are brilliant. I'm going on a course two hours a week for 5 weeks on looking after your joints, where they teach you coping mechanisms etc. PT has given me some gentle exercises to help me try and strengthen my tummy muscles, but doesn't lay hands on me, which my last PT did and made me feel worse! Both PT and OT have said I can see them indefinitely, not just for a short few weeks of 'treatment', and understand that Fibro will not disappear overnight. They are very supportive.
Good luck xx

[evie15]

Hi there.

I went to the physio on the nhs last year, referred from the pain clinic as I had asked for massage therapy. I believed this is what I could manage. I explained my condition to a very understanding physio who had never heard of it but looked it up and he gave me massages for the session.

I had to stop going though as my fatigue was getting worse and worse and my pain levels kept rising so I was in agony afterwards.

Just thought I'd let you know they will do hands on physio still.

[shoshanna51]

Hi Evie,
I was not so lucky, the PT did not even touch me. Gave me sheet of excercises to work on and booked another app. I did not go back as could not see the point. She said it was only 6 sessions allowed anyway.
I would love a massage, my husband sort of does it but he is disabled (only 1 arm) and so it tends to be one sided (bless him), also it puts him to sleep !!
Am going to save up to but a Shiatsu massage chair......

[shoshanna51]

Should have previewed that, meant buy not but !

[evie15]

Oh that really is a shame.

TBH my physio was really quite good. He did his research on fibro and was really nice.

I just couldn't cope with it, it seemed to really enhance the pain and then my back would go into really bad spasms after as I cannot lay on my stomache for long without it causing spasms. I would think that he would be perfect for your physio.

I am looking into McTimoney chiros, I was recomended it and think it may be worth a go at least.

[shoshanna51]

Hi Evie,
I get spasms in my back too and in my legs, fingers and feet. I call the ones in my legs "the Hiawatha's" as it makes me hop around like a red indian dancing and making the same noise, even makes me cry with the pain !
I thought it was just me, did not really associate it with FM.
Ah the joy of FM, at least I can blame something for all the problems instead of blaming me like I used to. Used to think it was all in my head.
Hope you having a good day,

[evie15]

[kazak]

hi all,
had my 1st physio app since dx and not only was the physio lovely(and very easy on the eye) he had a form specifically for fm and was very enthusiastic and a total believer that fm does exsist. now even if the exercises don't work at least there are some people in the medical prof that are on our side. i just wanted to post this to give those who have had a bad time that there is hope that things are changing. so gud luck to u all.