The Physical Therapy/Gentle Movement Accountability & Resources Thread

[oneday]

Hi all! Are you dealing with an acute injury, chronic condition, muscle loss from inactivity or other condition? And your remedy is consistent repetition of certain exercises? Then this is the place for you!

This is the thread for accountability. Whether you're bored, want to build a streak, need plain old accountability or any other reason, post here and let us know how you're doing!

[oneday]

After getting a good rhythm going with PT, I struggled once things got boring. Then hurt my shoulder in a new and interesting way. Some of the assigned moves are impossible, so time to get an appointment on the books to re-evaluate.

In the mean time, I can still do some of the exercises and stretches, so commit to doing that tonight.

[Dollar Slice]

Uuugh. About a month ago I added a new exercise machine to my routine, which has been going great and I think it's really good for me. I'm exercising LOTS MORE! But it fully crowded out my stretching/PT exercises, which I've struggled to keep up for a long time. I can never make them be a habit that truly sticks, for some reason.

Help me, @oneday! You're my only hope! ;-)

[G-dog]

Help me, @oneday! You're my only hope! ;-)

🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

[FrugalShrew]

Joining the party. Thanks for throwing down this gauntlet, @oneday!

[mspym]

I am feeling a lil called out...

[Dollar Slice]

OK, OK. I did a very 'lite' version of all my exercises today. Just to ease back into things.

[Frugal Lizard]

diagnosed with Myofascial pain syndrome and have a lot of recommended physio exercises.  Finding it hard to get through them all every day now that a medication I started September 14th is working quite well. Less time to do physio now that I can sit in a chair and do billable work.

Did the physio this am.
Did the lunch time rest / feet up

[FrugalShrew]

OK, OK. I did a very 'lite' version of all my exercises today. Just to ease back into things.

I did PT-lite today, also. :)

[the_hobbitish]

Do you have to have an injury to join? I finally went to the PT last week for a constantly complaining knee that has been my excuse to avoid the gym for a few years. I felt a bit like an imposter for going for a double-jointed twinging kinda scary knee and not being serious injured. They gave me every other day exercises to start.

[G-dog]

diagnosed with Myofascial pain syndrome and have a lot of recommended physio exercises.  Finding it hard to get through them all every day now that a medication I started September 14th is working quite well. Less time to do physio now that I can sit in a chair and do billable work.

Did the physio this am.
Did the lunch time rest / feet up

Can you break the exercises into sets and do them different days?

[mspym]

Did my glute roll-outs and stretches, rolled my feet and calf stretches.

[Dollar Slice]

Do you have to have an injury to join?

Nah, a lot of PT is for repetitive stress/worn-out-aging-body type stuff. And anything affecting your mobility like a foot or knee is a really big deal! Being able to walk without pain is very important.

[Frugal Lizard]

diagnosed with Myofascial pain syndrome and have a lot of recommended physio exercises.  Finding it hard to get through them all every day now that a medication I started September 14th is working quite well. Less time to do physio now that I can sit in a chair and do billable work.

Did the physio this am.
Did the lunch time rest / feet up

Can you break the exercises into sets and do them different days?

good question for me to ask at physio this week.

Done pelvic stretches and strength.  This am
Done pelvic stretch ans meditation last night.

[Metalcat]

diagnosed with Myofascial pain syndrome and have a lot of recommended physio exercises.  Finding it hard to get through them all every day now that a medication I started September 14th is working quite well. Less time to do physio now that I can sit in a chair and do billable work.

Did the physio this am.
Did the lunch time rest / feet up

Can you break the exercises into sets and do them different days?

good question for me to ask at physio this week.

Done pelvic stretches and strength.  This am
Done pelvic stretch ans meditation last night.

You absolutely can break up your exercises.

I'm extremely honest with my PT about what I do, what I'm likely to do, and what I won't do. I often go back and say "I hate this exercise and won't do it"

PT isn't about perfection, it's about consistency. Like any exercise routine, the key is to figure out how to keep doing it.

Also listen to your body. The more you do PT, the more you see the results, and the more you are able to tell when your body needs what. I don't need to push myself to do PT, I can feel when the effects of not doing it are building up.

I crave doing it because it's what my body needs to not feel totally bent out of shape. Some weeks I focus more on strengthening, but I always do PT at least twice. I skipped it yesterday and my spine is yelling at me to be rolled out and stabilized because I spent too much time writing papers yesterday.

As I like to say: people who are active need PT. People who are sedentary really need PT.
Lol

DH and I have been doing regular PT for nearly a decade. I'm a mangled pile of injured joints and twisted bones, so I literally need it to function. Like, without PT I could lose control over my organs because my nerves will get compressed unless I maintain extremely good posture. Fun times.

DH on the other hand is extremely fit, and PT is his secret weapon for being able to push himself so hard at 50 without ever hurting himself. As I type he's in front of me rolling his butt on a ball against the dresser and whining about it.

One of his BFFs is a personal trainer and keeps injuring himself through exercise and just refuses to do regular PT because he thinks he knows everything about strength and fitness. But he's getting too old to push his body that hard without supportive PT work. Meanwhile DH hasn't been injured since he stopped training with him.

He actually trains harder now, because with PT support, he's able to push his body much further. He's in the best shape of his life now. It's ridiculous.

Despite being utterly fucking mangled and barely able to walk myself, PT also keeps me in great shape. Most people who see me on my crutches assume I'm an injured athlete. It's crazy what an hour a day of exercise does even if it's just very gentle PT exercises.

Basically, PT is WAY MORE than just rehab for specific injuries. It's the glue that keeps aging bodies held together properly.

[the_hobbitish]

Did my bodyweight squats, quad flexes, and abductor leg lifts. I feel like I may have never worked my abductors before. Side abductor leg lifts looks so easy and yet = sore.

[oneday]

Uuugh. About a month ago I added a new exercise machine to my routine, which has been going great and I think it's really good for me. I'm exercising LOTS MORE! But it fully crowded out my stretching/PT exercises, which I've struggled to keep up for a long time. I can never make them be a habit that truly sticks, for some reason.

Help me, @oneday! You're my only hope! ;-)

Remember… the Force forum will be with you. Always.

[sonofsven]

Yeah, I feel called out. A lifetime of abusing my body has resulted in numerous injuries and chronic pain. Covid wiped out my gentle yoga studio. I resolved to swim at the pool three times per week which didn't last. I resolved to simply do the in pool PT that I learned back when I had semi regular PT in the one year I paid $$ for a good insurance plan  instead of my normal high deductible HSA plan and that didn't last.
Thank gawd for epsom salts, TENS, and ice.

[tygertygertyger]

I got a gym membership last week. So far I've enjoyed the whirlpool and sauna only. After seeing this thread and having a conversation with an older colleague who learned she's borderline for osteoporosis, I finally went and did exercise last night. Between the bodyweight squats and walking lunges, I can feel it in my glutes every time I lean down.

I broke a femur years and years ago, and though I did the minimum of PT, I think I'm really noticing how little I did now that I'm getting older.

[oneday]

Welcome everyone! If you are wondering "is this the place for me": yes it is! Join us for mobility & functionality gains and pain decreases.

Great job @Dollar Slice @Frugal Lizard @FrugalShrew @the_hobbitish @mspym @tygertygertyger and anyone else who took positive steps towards a more healthy body!


You're welcome, @FrugalShrew :)

I am feeling a lil called out...

Not in a bad way, I hope!


@Frugal Lizard great to hear the medication is working! This thread is here to support you with the part that is more labor intensive :)


@Malcat I second your advice. Have been like 1000% honest with PT this time around and it has helped! He discarded some exercises that I didn't like & gave others. He also said to break it up into different days if I'm not making it through all of them. This is in contrast to the written instructions, some of which (for stretches mainly) say to do them 7x per week. He even offered to send email reminders periodically! It's been great, much better than prior rounds.


@sonofsven I also lost my yoga studio to Covid :( Plus moved an hour away. Once I can move a bit more freely I may look for another one nearby. Nothing like a class for accountability! Are you planning any steps beyond the salts/ice/TENS?

I'm really noticing how little I did now that I'm getting older.

Same!




Attempted to make the appointment yesterday, but got cut off while on hold near the end of the workday. Maybe they cleared the lines? Will try again today.

Last two days I have also done the lite version of PT as I figure out what my shoulder can and can't do with the new pain.

[Sailor Sam]

I've been walking around on steel decks and otherwise abusing my body for almost 2 decades. I've got a long, dreary list of chronic injuries, and a matching list of PT exercises. Just started a new series for my new hip pain. This is the kind of thread I need.

[Dollar Slice]

Welcome, Sailor Sam! *salutes*

This is in contrast to the written instructions, some of which (for stretches mainly) say to do them 7x per week.

After my mom's knee replacement surgery, she had written instructions telling her to do a particular movement 1000x a day. She asked if it was a typo, and they said no. She followed up with her physical therapist and they just about fell over at the idea of doing any exercise a thousand times a day. And that was only one exercise of many she had to do!

Today I did my stretches/balance exercises but took a day off the strength exercises since my muscles were sore from the first day of getting back into them. I may end up doing those 2x or 3x a week or something, I'll have to look back at my original schedule to see how often I was doing those.

[Metalcat]

Welcome, Sailor Sam! *salutes*

This is in contrast to the written instructions, some of which (for stretches mainly) say to do them 7x per week.

After my mom's knee replacement surgery, she had written instructions telling her to do a particular movement 1000x a day. She asked if it was a typo, and they said no. She followed up with her physical therapist and they just about fell over at the idea of doing any exercise a thousand times a day. And that was only one exercise of many she had to do!

Today I did my stretches/balance exercises but took a day off the strength exercises since my muscles were sore from the first day of getting back into them. I may end up doing those 2x or 3x a week or something, I'll have to look back at my original schedule to see how often I was doing those.

That's the thing, as clinicians we are obliged to tell you what you need to do in order to get hold standard results, but we also need to be able to modify our recommendations for what is actually going to work.

The thing is, we don't know who will do what. What's realistic for one person is insane for another. I've had totally reasonable people fail to do even the smallest task, regardless of how urgent it is for their health, and I've had busy, overworked people come back with "so I did everything you told me to, what's next?"

This is why it's on the patient to communicate what they can/will do and be proactive in terms of figuring out what works for them.

I've sent so many patients to PT and had them say "well it didn't work for me" and I'm like "what didn't work for you? Did you tell your PT exactly what wasn't working?" And they're like "Well...no..."

[Frugal Lizard]

As I like to say: people who are active need PT. People who are sedentary really need PT.
Lol

Basically, PT is WAY MORE than just rehab for specific injuries. It's the glue that keeps aging bodies held together properly.

Thanks Malcat

I am going to PT on Thursday and will get sorted on how to break up the exercises into 20 minute blocks or whatever is the best for me right now. 
Since I started PT at the beginning of February,
had surgery April 8th,
got a medical doctor to confirm PT diagnosis of myofascial pain syndrome Sept 8 (PT has been saying this since late March)
got a new PT on October 24
fell down my garage stairs on Nov 6,

I have a extensive collection of recommended exercises.  Most of them require a high level of concentration to do properly. Physically they are not too hard.

I will likely continue to see a physio therapist for the rest of my life - although I hope the need for frequency will decline significantly.

Falling in my garage really hurt in whole new areas. Fortunately I didn't hit my pelvis or my head. Middle of my back took most of the landing and my neck and shoulders got a whip lash effect.  A full physio assessment and treatment less than 48 hours after the accident took the pain and stiffness from nearly unbearable to good - I can move again and am only tender where I actually landed.  Fricking miracle workers these professionals are I tell you.

And no more sock-feet for me.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Joining in!

Sadly, the PT I did for my wrist yesterday aggravated my intermittent upper back pain. Sigh.

My current issues are:
-intermittent hip pain
-intermittent upper back pain
-long-term chronic iliotibial band syndrome, that I am working on
-"mother's wrist," or De Quervain's tenosynovitis. That's what I get for having a baby over 40!

[G-dog]

Welcome, Sailor Sam! *salutes*

This is in contrast to the written instructions, some of which (for stretches mainly) say to do them 7x per week.

After my mom's knee replacement surgery, she had written instructions telling her to do a particular movement 1000x a day. She asked if it was a typo, and they said no. She followed up with her physical therapist and they just about fell over at the idea of doing any exercise a thousand times a day. And that was only one exercise of many she had to do!

Today I did my stretches/balance exercises but took a day off the strength exercises since my muscles were sore from the first day of getting back into them. I may end up doing those 2x or 3x a week or something, I'll have to look back at my original schedule to see how often I was doing those.

Yow!  My persona guideline is to be sure to maintain correct form during the exercise - when I lose that form, it’s time to take a break and do another set in a bit, or maybe that is all for that exercise for today.

[G-dog]

I did some of the PT exercises (for hips, butt, core), and some other exercises (arms, shoulders).  Everything needs a little attention.

[wenchsenior]

I really need to join this. I have my own thread titled (tongue in cheek) EDIT Qualify for the Navy Seals (don't even know the name of my own thread LOL), but in reality I am a tiny twig person who is also injury prone due to a chronic rheumatological soft tissue problem, and I should be doing PT for my shoulders and my scoliosis and pelvic girdle AND knees/hamstrings on both legs far more often than I actually do.

Let me ponder and set goals.

[Sailor Sam]

I went to PT today. It was session number 2, and I’m still only in the stretching phase. It’s boring, and I hates it.

[Metalcat]

I went to PT today. It was session number 2, and I’m still only in the stretching phase. It’s boring, and I hates it.

Grab a good audio book

My boring stretches are my relaxation time.

[FrugalShrew]

I went to PT today. It was session number 2, and I’m still only in the stretching phase. It’s boring, and I hates it.

Grab a good audio book

My boring stretches are my relaxation time.

I definitely second this. I love listening to an audio book while doing PT!

[oneday]

Welcome, newcomers! Huzzah for accountability for all!

Well done @Dollar Slice @La Bibliotecaria Feroz @G-dog @Sailor Sam and anyone who did their moves but didn't report.

Thank you @Malcat @G-dog @FrugalShrew for guidance and anecdotes to keep us all on the path.

@Frugal Lizard I am sorry to hear of your surgery, diagnosis and fall! This thread is here to provide a tiny little bit of support while you deal with it all. Sure hope it helps some.

@wenchsenior excited to hear what you'll do!


Not to malign the anonymous call center from yesterday, but I did complete the call. Just forgot to make the follow up call to the correct PT department. Dealing with a bit of brain fog along with bodily injury. Also, dealing with the bureaucracy of an HMO sucks.

Made the call today, but needed a renewed referral, so sent that email & got that by EOD. Tomorrow, another call. F'n bureaucracy.

Another round of PT lite as I ease back into the moves and routine.

[Dicey]

Wow, what good timing! My doctor retired during the pandemic, so I had to get a new one sorted out. I broke my pelvis in late 2018. It took multiple visits and a month to get it diagnosed. No PT was prescribed, just time + rest. Now I'm starting to experience hip pain. New doc ordered MRI to look for arthritis. Happily, none was found, yippee! Next step is PT, which I'm eager to get started. Thanks for forming this club just when I need it. I had no idea what to expect,  but your thoughts have already been helpful. Who knew I could (potentially) reject an exercise or ask for something different? Thank you!

[mspym]

Today I remembered to do my three-direction ankle bends so my ankle clicked into place before my run. I also did my various kickback exercises for my glutes.

[Metalcat]

Wow, what good timing! My doctor retired during the pandemic, so I had to get a new one sorted out. I broke my pelvis in late 2018. It took multiple visits and a month to get it diagnosed. No PT was prescribed, just time + rest. Now I'm starting to experience hip pain. New doc ordered MRI to look for arthritis. Happily, none was found, yippee! Next step is PT, which I'm eager to get started. Thanks for forming this club just when I need it. I had no idea what to expect,  but your thoughts have already been helpful. Who knew I could (potentially) reject an exercise or ask for something different? Thank you!

Of course you can reject exercises! Virtually everyone does, but most people reject them by just not doing them and never asking for help, which is very silly.

Treat the PT like a really specialized personal trainer, their job is to work with you to get your best results, not to tell you what to do and for you to disappoint them, lol.

[Frugal Lizard]

Did my before sleep and after sleep but in bed PT. Takes less than ten minutes but sets me up for a good sleep and also a gentle way to wake up.

After tea: completed the strengthening and flexibility exercises.  Pain is at zero now and I start the day without needing the anti-inflammatory prescription.
This whole group of exercises takes about 20 minutes.

Such a good investment for me.

[G-dog]

Did my before sleep and after sleep but in bed PT. Takes less than ten minutes but sets me up for a good sleep and also a gentle way to wake up.

After tea: completed the strengthening and flexibility exercises.  Pain is at zero now and I start the day without needing the anti-inflammatory prescription.
This whole group of exercises takes about 20 minutes.

Such a good investment for me.

Fantastic!

I ended up at PT due to some hip pain (burning, aching).  I had relief after the first visit.  My last appointment was in October, and I have majorly slacked off on the exercises, even though I know I need to keep those muscles stretched, toned and structure aligned.

[Sailor Sam]

Bah. I totally forgot that I was supposed to do PT exercises this morning. I had plenty of time, too. Looks like I need to put up some sort of reminder.

[Dollar Slice]

Yeah, I use an app on my phone that pops up reminders to do each exercise, and I can check them off as I go. It keeps a record so I can look back and see how well I've been doing. I also use app reminders to take pills 3x a day. It helps a lot.

Did my stretches again. I think I'm going to try doing the strength exercises 2x a week to start out. I put it in my phone to do one Sun/Thu and the other Mon/Fri. Hopefully I can stick to that. When I can do them without hurting a lot afterwards I'll try switching it to 3x a week.

[therethere]

Yeah, I use an app on my phone that pops up reminders to do each exercise, and I can check them off as I go. It keeps a record so I can look back and see how well I've been doing. I also use app reminders to take pills 3x a day. It helps a lot.

Did my stretches again. I think I'm going to try doing the strength exercises 2x a week to start out. I put it in my phone to do one Sun/Thu and the other Mon/Fri. Hopefully I can stick to that. When I can do them without hurting a lot afterwards I'll try switching it to 3x a week.

What app do you use that keeps track of the PT exercises? I'm having a hard time with keeping track and reminders.

[Dollar Slice]

What app do you use that keeps track of the PT exercises? I'm having a hard time with keeping track and reminders.

I use one called Goal Tracker Workout Calendar for Android... it's not incredibly intuitive, but it's very customizable. I use it to set up recurring reminders for a ton of things (exercises, medications, bedtime, etc.).

[Metalcat]

What app do you use that keeps track of the PT exercises? I'm having a hard time with keeping track and reminders.

I use one called Goal Tracker Workout Calendar for Android... it's not incredibly intuitive, but it's very customizable. I use it to set up recurring reminders for a ton of things (exercises, medications, bedtime, etc.).

Habit Bull is also one that was very popular

[G-dog]

Today I did the floor exercises (stretches, butt, hips, core) and some arm exercises. Took about 20 minutes. Today I noticed some loss of strength from beginning of October.

Tomorrow’s plan: the balance ball exercises.

[mspym]

Went down to the gym for the first time in a month and cranked out some weights with my ankle and glute rehab exercises in between sets.

[oneday]

Welcome @Dicey and @therethere ! Hope you see some positive benefits from this thread soon.

Great going @mspym @Dollar Slice @G-dog and everyone playing along at home! Gold star to @Frugal Lizard for no pain!

Dicey, how fortuitous! Not that you broke your pelvis and are now dealing with the fallout, but great to have you join at the beginning of your PT journey.

mspym, "ankle clicked into place before running" sounds very important. Happy to hear you got that done today. Also, your multitasking in the gym is very clever.

Treat the PT like a really specialized personal trainer, their job is to work with you to get your best results, not to tell you what to do and for you to disappoint them, lol.

@Malcat Oh gosh. I have had that experience, too. The PT seems to kind of stop working so hard for you in that case.

My two best PT experiences were the time when I went all-out doing everything and another time when I half-assed it but told the PT exactly what I was/wasn't doing and why.

@Sailor Sam you might have needed a rest day anyway. Try again tomorrow.

Slicey, do you use the same app for PT reminders and pill reminders? Also, your plan sounds very reasonable and a great start.

G-dog, loss of strength is concerning. Hopefully it will come back quickly now.



Today's success: got an appointment scheduled.

Did the stretches only.

[Dollar Slice]

Slicey, do you use the same app for PT reminders and pill reminders?

Well - I have an extremely non-optional medication that causes withdrawal symptoms when you miss it, and last year went through some fairly extreme short-term memory loss symptoms, so I actually use two apps to remind me; the migraine tracker app I use has a medication reminder, as well as the goal tracker app. That way on the off chance one of the apps crashes or I swipe one off by accident or some other odd thing happens, the other one will pop up a couple of hours later to say "no, really, did you take your meds, like, actually?"

[Frugal Lizard]

Fell asleep before completing last night's gentle stretch in bed but had a good session in the morning and then did the strength exercises.

Last night I hit pain town during supper time but was able to manage until 8:45. Took my overnight medications and went to bed.
Woke up in a manageable sensation zone and will hold off NSAID until lunch time.
Was looking forward to physio appointment this afternoon. But PT is ill. Am going to see how I do with waiting a full other week. Pelvic physio is too intimate for me to jump to a new PT for a one off.

[the_hobbitish]

Saw the PT yesterday and did a lot of form checking for squats and deadlifts. Looks like most of my knee problems are probably weak hip muscle problems that allow my hypermobile knees to do weird twist/bad tracking things anytime I am not concentrating on them with laser focus. And then sometimes anyway.

It was tiring. I am not fit my friends.

He assigned squats 3xweek, 3 sets of 5, increasing weight by 5lbs until I plateau. Plus a warm up with bands. This is a bit mindboggling to me because I've only ever done the 5x5 plan where you do each exercise once a week. I keep thinking, "Wait, people do this? this much? and that's normal?" Talking with the PT about exercise makes me realize how much I've only ever had the vaguest idea of how much I should be exercising. What I learned about lifting from my ex (form, programming) hasn't set me up for success.

Now I need to figure out how to eat right/enough to fuel lifting that much. I kinda feel like I've gone to a real mechanic for the first time and have all the questions about is this noise normal? and what do you mean I'm supposed to check the oil ...

[philli14]

After an eventful year, I'm making an effort to get back involved here at the forums to get certain goals back on track! This thread caught my eye in particular, as a PT :)

Happy to be a general resource to anyone. I will refrain from providing any specific medical advice, as that would be inappropriate, but I can provide commentary on general principles, maybe provide insight into why your PT may have asked you to do X exercise, at Y frequency, etc.

Not sure how often I'll be checking in, but I'll make a point to check in to this thread at some regularity. Also feel free to PM if you have a more private inquiry. Again, I'll let you know if I don't think it's something that's appropriate for online advice without having a chance to evaluate you in person.

I also have my OCS, so my advice will be more geared toward orthopedic conditions (sprains, strains, joint issues, etc.).

Glad to see that people are having good experience with PT. As alluded to earlier in the thread, PT is not just about rehab, but prehab too! Keep your body moving, its designed to do that :)

[Dollar Slice]

Did my stretches and one of my strength exercises.

I'm going away this weekend so I will probably miss some exercise. Going to visit my parents always gets me right off my healthy habits. Arg. On the plus side I've opted out of Thanksgiving with the family, so I'll be home doing my stretches and not eating three kinds of pie. ;-)