Physical Therapy

Depending on the health care provider, PT can help or just give pain without getting any benifts from it. I was fortunate to have had an AWESOME provider after my car accident 20+ yrs ago. I truly believed she healed my injuries with Gods helping hands.

I tried the physical therapy, but everything except the ultrasound seemed to make the pain worse-especially the traction and the deep massage (I would hurt so bad I couldn't get off the table). Plus the cost was so prohibitive.

it is too much money i cannot ford it i tryed before

I would like to apologizes in advance, this is going to be a long post, and somehow I hope that the answer might be somewhere in this topic of PT and central core training. Please accept my apology and please read and give an honest opinion of where I might stand.

Hi everybody I just joined and just read this thread. I am a chronic back pain sufferer at l3 to l5 and in my mid back sometimes. I am A Table Games Dealer in Las Vegas. Before I was able to work in casinos, I loaded and laid tiles (roofing) which I truly regret but worst I have been in three auto accidents (none my fault) and have fallen off a roof about 10 times during my time as a roofer because the folks that laid the tar paper on the roof had it going way off the roof and off you go, doesn't feel good falling 2 stories and landing on you back on a pallet or a hump on the ground in the center of you back.

The latest, I was heading west on flamingo waiting at light to head S onto I-15, light turns green, I look to see if any cars are coming and slowing down but you cant really see down that hill and when I went there was this lady coming over the hill at about 70 miles per hr and jacked the side of my car and sent me 350 yards east on the east side of flamingo. That was May 6th 2006 and just as the 15,000k coverage on her insurance was running out which would have meant I would have had to sue her personally equaling no more medical attention for me, my insurance for work kick in so I was OK and getting my shots and trouble shooting to see what it was that was going to fix my issue.

Well come to find out, I have severe Disk Degenerative Disease (genetic, my sister and brother both have it as well but because of my career, mine was progressing fast) boomer right?

Anyway I started out on loratabs to control the pain so I can work and here it is 6/19/2011 and now I'm on 2 60mg Morphine Sulfate ER a day and 4 30mg Oxycodone IR for break through pain.

I'm Depressed, my marriage is falling apart, I lost my job and no longer have insurance and I recently tried to end it all, I need help bad or I'm going to end up losing my wife and find myself 6 feet under. I have managed to ween myself back down to cutting my 30mg oxy's in half and taking 6 a day and cut my self of from the 60's altogether but now my back hurts like a female dog, I'm pist at the world, but at the same time, my head is clear and strong, I feel normal other then the pain.

Id like to get of the meds all together and be at least at half the pain lvl that I am at currently, what can I do? what advise can be given? where do I go from here? How do I keep my wife from hating me and leaving me because I'm pist off at America for being a country of self righteous, greedy people bast***s that don't give a shit about nobody but them selves and a Government that cant pull there heads out of their a**es long enough to come up with a feasible health program that wont cost Americans there life savings?

Canada, UK, France and others all seem to have done it, why can't America. I'll tell you why, their to busy trying to get re-elected! I say known of them get re-elected and we replace the hole darn government and send a message that we are not going to stand for you worrying about your self, we want a government that is going to worry about fixing this country and stop it from falling apart (who am I kidding right, it has already fallen apart, now we are at the point that if somebody doesn't do something and fast, this country is going to turn into a third world country!) Sorry about that, but…

The End.

That was a long post and again I'm sorry but *again*, I just joined and questions, questions, questions that I'm praying I find the answers too.

God bless to all of us in this situation!

So how do you find a good massage therapist? It can be a little tricky for someone in Las Vegas. There are so many out there who are not doing what is really helpful, and there are a bunch in Vegas that use it for a front for prostitution. Obviously that is not what I am trying to find. $65.00 and hour sounds pretty reasonable.

I wrote about this in another discussion, but wanted to say in reality, physical therapy and massage are both ways to exercise you when you can't do it yourself without increasing your pain. Physical therapists often have to be TOLD to slow it down to a low roar you can stand, ditto massage therapists…if they don't tell you to say if it hurts, you tell them if they hurt you, you won't be back…and DO IT!! It is your body and your money, why put up with them if they don't honor your wishes.

Massage therapists who do chronic pain relief are the best, in my mind, and they usually know better than to hurt you!! My massage therapist is a pro and he charges $65 for 1 and 1/2 hours…a REAL NICE deal!! Insurance does not pay (I got an insurance company to pay after a car accident, and I asked!! Someone hit me, my regular insurance wouldn't!!). Another thought is if you qualify for Medicaid they sometimes will pay a home care person who may have the skills or you could teach her or him, if you have experience in getting the right kind of massage.

They may also have regular Physical Therapists as well, but they do not work on you in the long run, which is what you need. I got 2 years' worth with my massage therapist who was the best, and I believe his work has helped me to survive, today. Asking always helps, since sometimes the strangest people will have information you need and want!! Good luck finding what you need, as this is TRULY the best alternative to re-train your body to deal with touching and moving on an incremental pace until you don't need the drugs, and rarely benefit from surgery, since it leaves scar tissue to make your pain worse. As I said elsewhere, I was on morphine and etc., and now take Ibuprophen 2X day now. I am really happy about that!!

Unfortunately, there are no teaching hospitals in my area. It really makes it difficult because I know that the teaching hospitals are staffed with students, but most of the time they are really good and care since they are just getting their feet wet in the field. I have to say I envy your situation.

I love PT, my therapist has helped tremendously. But, it is very expensive. I am a cancer patient at a teaching hospital, U of MI, they have a gym that is staffed. For a monthly fee you can use the gym, ask questions, ask for help, etc. Hopefully you have similar options in your area.

That is really the big problem with PT. It all comes down to money. There are a lot of PT places where they will cater to athletes and then do injury victims as a side job. No glory in getting a person pain free or helping them walk again. Not compared to helping to train a first round draft pick. Makes it hard to find a good place that really helps at a reasonable price.

Therapists can be really bad though, they can actually mess with your back more than it already is, nothing like putting down a few hundred to feel worst a couple days later.

I think that you are right about the pros and cons of PT. I also think much has to do with the person you are working for. Some therapists are better than others. You need to screen them to make sure you get someone that understands back issues and will take their time with you and your problems.

Pros

Can help with pain & may help you lose weight. And make you feel good that you are trying something.

Cons

Sometimes if over do. Can cause more pain the next day worst than before until u get use to exercises.