50% do it

[showcrop]

I recently had Physical Therapy for a hip that is giving me trouble. The thread on the GMC pick-up tailgate reminded me what the therapist told me about effectiveness of PT. I got a referral to the orthopedic doctor who found a problem in the joint and gave me a steroid shot which of course you can hope will last for six months. I have had them in my shoulders and knees. He also referred me to PT. Well, the Therapist after a few visits, told me the I was making great progress and I asked him, well how do his patients do generally. He told me that from what he sees only half will actually do the excercises that they need to do at home, so fewer than half actually get better. I always used to climb up into my truck bed by putting a foot on a tire and pulling myself up and over. This became difficult as my knees got bad. After knee surgery and PT I found that I could easily do it again. I am currently doing hip and shoulder exercises every morning. I don't try to fool myself into that excuse that I am active enough that I don't need to do any special excesses for specific joints. How about you? Do you do the prescribed PT?

 

[rustyfarmall]

Orthopedic specialists and physical therapy are subjects that I do not care to discuss. Bad experiences with both.

 

[teddy52food]

I had a bone spur in my back that damaged my spinal cord. Been disabled since 1993. PT never helped me. I am unable to walk anymore.

 

[Bud Sather in MT]

PT after rotator cuff surgery and I am back 95%. It works great for me. I know people who did not do theirs
and they can't get their hand above their head. Bud

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

I've had both hips and right shoulder replacements. PT worked wonders. I was still working when I had the hips done and my company had no benefits for medical leave. I did extra work at home to get back sooner. Therapist told me to "try" to do it three times a week. They expect that most people will do that much. I actually did four to five times a day. Nothing to do but sit around anyway. The shoulder came back better than the doc predicted.

 

[steve_in_mo]

I had two sets of six-month physical therapy (Medicare limit) for my back
that didn't work.

When I went back to get approval for the third round the surgeon said
I want you to go to this specific clinic. I went, and got a therapist
who worked for the University football team most of the year. He was
a lot better and I have not needed surgery.

 

[rustyfarmall]

Physical therapy AFTER surgery is one thing, and should be adhered to, but physical therapy INSTEAD of knee or hip replacement surgery accomplishes nothing other than draining money from health insurance.

THAT is what my experience with orthopedists has been.

 

[Shoprat]

I have been seeing an accupuncturist off and on for over ten years. I am 68 years old. First time was for a pinched nerve in my back, nothing else was working. Five sessions,
cured. Another time, my knee was killing me. Walked in limping and in pain, walked out normal and out of pain.

Works for me.

 

[Janicholson]

I am nearing 70. I stay active by being a professor chasing 20 somethings that need real world skills and thoughts. I also play Pickle Ball once a week (youtube it) I feel
operational. Jim

 

[rrlund]

It's never been prescribed,but it'll be three years on the 20th since I started with the elliptical every day. I've said it all along,tighten the tendons and muscles around the joints and you can't believe the difference it makes. Not to mention what it does for blood pressure,blood sugar,your heart,your lungs,your circulation,you name it.

On Christmas,everybody was complaining about their aches and pains. My youngest son has some defect in his joints and had knee surgery when he was 16 and had to have a shoulder repaired before he was 30. He was among those complaining. I pointed at the elliptical. He got a little quieter and said "Yea,I've gotta admit,I did feel better when I was doing therapy.".


Maybe it's just me,but I don't understand the mindset of somebody who'd rather have something to complain about than to do the little bit of work it takes once a day to feel like you're 16 again. I had hit bottom. I know some would have kept on sinking right in to the floor,but I've got a life and want to keep it.


I could tell stories all day about people who've let themselves go. I'll just tell one. I've got two cousins who are brothers,just a year apart. They're both big boys,but the younger one has always been bigger in the belly. The older one is my age,we went all through school together. They both played high school football. The older one acts like he's 90. Well,I can't quite say that,I know a farmer who's 90 and who acts a whole lot younger than he does. Anyway,he's taking 17 pills a day for different things,won't even mow his own lawn if his daughter will do it for him. His brother is heavy like he's always been,but he's healthy and active. He went hunting in Colorado and found out that wasn't a good idea in the shape he was in.


Before he went again,he bought a Schwinn AirDyne and rode ten miles a day every day for 90 days. He went from 47 minutes the first time to less than 30 after 90 days. He said he had no problem hiking in the mountains after that. He's tried over and over to get his brother to do something,even if it was just to go for a walk with him. He refuses. He said if he gets in shape he'll probably just get hit by lightening or something. The younger brother offered to take his AirDyne down and set it up for him and said he'd buy a new one for himself. The older one said he could put it in the basement if he wanted to. The younger one told him that if he brought it down it was going upstairs where he'd use it. He said "You've got a treadmill in the basement and you don't use it.". I talked to him at our reunion last fall and he just has no motivation. I told him to just watch television or something while he's on it. The response of course was just "Naa".


Bottom line is,it's just like anything else. It's a personal decision and you either have it within your character to do something about your health or you can sit around with the old grandmas,knitting and complaining about everything that hurts and that you can't do anymore.

 

[rrlund]

I couldn't Disagree with you more. Some people on here can attest to seeing me at shows and flea markets walking with a cane and a few times not even knowing if I could make it back to the car. My knees and hips were a disaster. My shoulders were so bad that when I'd get in bed at night,I had to prop myself up on my elbows and relax until my shoulders popped back in to place. If I didn't,I couldn't lay on them,and I couldn't sleep on my back because I'd quit breathing from being overweight. Less than a year on the elliptical cured it all. I'm not saying I could go out and pitch a baseball game,but I'm 99%.

 

[DoubleR]

I had a 800 lb steer jump on me from behind and dislocated my shoulder Nov. 15. A week later my new Dr. wanted me to start therapy.
Therapy told me on the first visit I had to immobilize it for at least 4-5 weeks before I started. So I kept it in a sling for 4
more weeks then started Dec. 17. I've been going three times a week and doing 45 minutes of exercise on it both am and pm everyday.
I'm at about 75% now with it. I cut back to twice a week therapy starting this week. He does give me my monies worth as I'm in
there from 730 to about 10 every time I go although my co-pay is 40 bucks per visit. I think I'll stop going after next week and
just keep exercising it at home after that. I guess its probably worth going even after costing me over 600 bucks out of pocket.

 

[rrlund]

Talk to me at the next YT lunch. Forget the co pay. Spend $100 at Wal Mart dot com and get something you can use every day at home. It'll be the best investment you ever made in yourself,I guarantee. You're not a heavy guy so you already have one leg up.

 

[Oregon Tractor Jack]

The 50% do it is correct. My PT said the same thing. After I had my knee replaced I made sure and do my work out at home three or four times a day. I didn't want to end up with a log for a leg. I got too many tractors to restore...

OTJ

 

[IHC pickups]

I am 71 never have been operated on have had to visit PT a few times. Every time I do more than they recommend and end up getting better quicker. I love to walk and do at least 2 miles a day and go to the gym 2 to 3 times a week. I feel good and will continue on that routine as long as I am able.

 

[Crazy Horse]

Rusty ..... I'm with you on that. With regards to the knee or hip replacements, the fix for those through
prescribed exercises or proton-shooting electrical devices hasn't been invented yet in my opinion. Maybe
other stuff but not for knee and hips.

 

[Zachary Hoyt]

I had problems with my knee going out of joint when I was 15 or 16, I went to the PT people as directed and did leg lifts in all four directions to strengthen the knee and it's been good since then. A couple of years ago when I was 30 I began to have back muscle spasms from time to time with increasing frequency, finally it was happening every few weeks. I went online and looked up what exercises to do for them. Since I began doing the exercises I haven't had it happen again, it's saved me a lot of discomfort and lost work days, and only takes about 2-3 minutes a day. Since I began bicycling longer distances I haven't had knee problems or had to keep on with the exercises, I think that the leg being stronger was all that my knee needed.
Zach

 

[dpendzic]

after my knee replacement i did what was prescribed and no more problems at all since then. Now as far as my back I have done therapy numerous times before my 4 spine surgerys. Headed for my 5th Feb 1, but I think the causes are way out PT help----spinal arthritis and synovial cysts in the spine causing the problems

 

[SDE]

Back in my twenty's, I messed up a disc in my neck. I did the P.T. and any time the problem re occurs, I will adjust my posture and life is good again.
Yoga has helped my back, but I only do it when it gets worse.
I did something to my knee and after i was sure it was healed, I did stretches to get the range of motion back.
Our bodies are definitely a "Use it, or lose it" situation.
I am to lazy to get rid of the last twenty pounds that are making me feel poorly.

 

[Crazy Horse]

Well for sure Zach, all that helps with your issues but with a knee and hip replacement needed, it's bone against bone causing the problems and not much can be done. A cortisone shot now and then but they don't last. And now some new stuff where they inject a recipe of stem cells from your bone marrow in to the joint and in some cases, cartilage regenerates itself and solves (or helps) the problem.

 

[rrlund]

My knees still sound like a bowl of Rice Crispies,but they don't bother me a bit. The first six months or so of working out,I'd have to turn my foot just right to keep the pain at bay while I was doing it,but since then,no problems at all.

 

[tedregentin]

rrlund, I do the elliptical machine a couple of times a week. I recommend it highly/.
Ted

 

[DoubleR]

I put myself on a daily exercise program 9 years ago when I retired from my truck driving job. I work out 6 days a week at 730 am in my basement or ride my Mtn or road bike when the weather permits. The most I've ever cut back was when I got a knee replacement and had a small bout with cancer. Also when I was on a trip or traveling somewhere. After reading about your success with your elliptical I got one two years ago, off Craigslist, which I later sold and upgraded to a new one a year ago. I spend more than was needed on it but I'm happy with it and use it 3-4 times a week in my workouts. I used it one handed last month when my right arm was in the sling. I also have a treadmill, weight bench with weights, and a spin bike in my basement.

My goal is to try to stay as healthy as I can and be able to keep on playing farmer as long as I can. I want to be able to load straw or hay bales, shovel eared corn into the grinder mixer, and do the other day to day labor intensive duties that go along with my small operation and not be sore or in pain afterwards. Other than a few setbacks here and their, such as this shoulder thing, I have been successful in meeting my goals.

 

[rrlund]

Good man! Great to hear. After three years,I figure I'm just maintaining now,but it sure beats the daylights out of going backwards. I dread the day that I can't do it anymore. That'll mean I'm about on my last leg.