So physio yesterday, gave me a good workout. I sort of asked for it really because I feel really good and I have been walking 2-5 km a day. However what she did made me realise how far I have to go. She massaged my hip and showed me exercises on my front and back. Some of them to stretch me out so I even up and limp less. I realised how weak my right side is.
The other thing she did was some massage of my scar. It is very sensitive around the area. I have done some reading about it since I got home and see how important it is. I'm not worried about how my scar looks but massage in the early days (once it's healed) can reduce sensitivity and improve flexibility in the tissues.
Anyway, came home, flaked out for 2 hours, have felt terrible since, restless night. Just exhausted. Evidently have ended up taking one of the strong pain meds I have been off for a week. Going to have an easy day.
I had the same scar-massaging experience in physio. My range of motion was not quite as good as I thought it would be due to tightness and my physiotherapist suggested that I self-massage the scar at home by gently rubbing across the scar (which I did...). I did it several times a day for a number of weeks. I personally think that it helped me.
You are doing really, really well, 2-5 kms every day is awesome. My physio told me no more than 15 mins a day. So well done you.
I had a physio appt yesterday as well and realised just how much my muscles have deteriorated over the years through not being used. She got me to lie on my side with my knees bent and pulled my operated hip up and back and I had to hold it there before gently lowering it back.
She also showed me how to release the tight muscles by pressing on the pressure points and waiting for it to release and then applying heat. When she pressed on the one in my groin I swear I nearly hit her as a reflex.
I didn't feel too bad yesterday and actually met friends for lunch but this morning I could hardly walk and went back to bed and slept for another 3 hours and feel much better now. I did the same thing and took a Tramadol this morning which I haven't taken for two weeks.
I'm freaking out that I have to go back to work in two weeks. If I can't handle a physio session, how am I going to handle full time work and kids by myself once hubby goes back to work - eek!
Thanks for your supportive reply. You made my day......I'm lying on the couch with less than an hour left before I have to pick up kids and start the dance drop off, tea time, everything routine. My husband went back to work this week, he's gone from 6am to 6pm so it's down to me now.
I am seriously considering another week. Going to reassess Friday. I'm on my feet a fair bit with work so I'm starting to feel slightly concerned!!
I am impressed that you walk 2-5 km a day .... Your PT seems to know her/his stuff - Mine will massage my scar tomorrow as it feels stiff and painful - it is bothering me for a while already ... she did massage it for a little bit and whoa, sort of painful but not unbearable ... hopefully it will make me feel better and more flexible...
And Gaylene's PT sounds great too ... I am not unhappy with mine, however not sure if she knows what she is doing ... young and very enthousiastic I must say .. I would love to know how to release the tighness in my thigh and other parts ...
Surely you can get another sick note if you need more time off work. My GP was very helpful and fully endorsed my original request for more time off and my second request for a phased return, leaving up to my line manager and myself to finalise details
One of the exercises she has me lie on my stomach, bend at knees, touch heels together and GENTLY squeeze them. Even bending my knees gives a good stretch, I laid on the floor today and it really helped.
first time round like you - I focused on walking and less on exercises and ended up in big trouble with a mess of muscles and tendons, which took months to sort out and hid an underlying problem. Walking wonky s a really really bad idea and doing it for miles and miles really injured me even tho I thought I was doing well.
So this time to do i am focused on exercises and some walking and feeling much better with less tenderness. Each day I can walk further but it's walking well that's my priority. I don't think this is emphasised enough do you?
take care- great you are getting the scar sorted out too - made a big difference to me.
my physio says lay on tummy - make sure you keep hip flat on bed and bend knee right back and pull it with your hand towards your bum. Keep hip flat and it's the best stretch out ever. You can reach round to grab your ankle to start off as long as you straighten up and get flat.
Just wondering how you felt yesterday after your physio session on Tuesday? I was so uncomfortable yesterday I was nearly going to ring my physio but decided to leave it until today. I slept all the way through last night (unheard of) and feel much better. Was wondering if you experienced the same thing?
The exercises that she's given me are brutal and there is no way I can do 20 reps of each three times a day and stay upright so I'm just going to do what I can.
After my quiet day I followed on with chocolate and red wine then went to bed and only woke once!! Unfortunately I didn't feel too good in the stomach but that of course Was not the physio!!
So Tuesday I told the physio how I'd fared and she went a little gentler. She also booked me in for hydrotherapy starting Next Tuesday. She agreed that I should slow it down a little.
i have decided to take another week off work. This will be 6 weeks all up instead of 5. As you'd understand working full time with a family is hard work and I don't often get the chance to put myself first.
I have been out all day at an athletics carnival and feel ok. I have been doing reps of 10 and only twice a day even though I was told 3 times!!
one good exercise she gave me to stretch my hip and thus straighten me up was a cobra exercise where I lie on the floor and gently push up withy hands so my back arches....it has helped a lot.
I am starting to realise this is quite tough but am much more positive now I know it's ok not to go full pelt at everything as it just doesn't help.