Re: Physical Therapy

[Guest guest]

At 10:38 AM 12/15/2001, you wrote:

>I wanted to ask if those electrical pads really help muscles? Whatdo you

think?

>

Tania,

I'm assuming that what he is using is a TENS unit-has pads that stick to

the skin and a small battery operated unit that resembles a pager. I wore

one for a short while a couple of years ago. The point of it for me was to

get the muscles that were constantly in spasm to actually relax. The unit

made them tense then relax so they weren't constantly in a state of spasm.

Helped a bit, but not enough to justify the expense IMO. Richie is the

first one I've heard of using a TENS unit during recovery from a 'surf job.

I'd like to hear if he thinks it is doing much good as well....

>I've only done simple exercises given me in the hospital, no

physiotherapy, does a person really need it? Some do & some don't I guess.

>

Again, IMHO, I think everyone gets *some* PT, even if just the hospital

staff explaining how to do the butt squeezes, leg lifts, etc. For many,

that appears to be enough. For me, there are muscles that have essentially

never been used, and here I am 41 years later, trying to convince them that

just hanging around is not going to happen any more. Time for them to

carry their weight (literally!). I had to see a PT to help me do the

exercises (she literally carried the left leg through its paces) as I had

very little feeling in it, and could barely move it at all. Once I got to

the point that I was able to do the exercises myself, I quit going

(especially as the insurance benefit had run out and it was coming out of

my pocket). The book " Heal Your Hips " has a lot of great information. I

don't have ready access to a deep water pool, so I am somewhat limited, but

find it a very usefull book anyway. The other thing I found a PT good for

was to check my gait. Was I turning a leg out? Was I lurching, or walking

evenly? Was I toe walking (after spending several years walking on my left

toes to help compensate for the leg length discrepancy)? If you know of

someone who can help you judge your gait, that is always helpful.