"I've tried physio" - Why you often haven't!
In many cases, people will seek treatments like surgery or injections because they have already “tried physio”. In some cases this true, but a lot of the time the course of treatment they have had was inadequate.
Physiotherapy is a profession, not a treatment.
Not all physiotherapists are the same, in fact, no physios are the same. You could go to 10 different physios and get 10 different diagnosis and 10 different type of treatments. You could get 10 good results or 10 bad results, or somewhere in between,
When assessing and treating a condition, a physio uses their knowledge-base and experience to attempt to help a client overcome a problem and achieve a goal. This can be vastly different. Other variables include the skill of the physio, and probably most importantly, the ability for the physio the clearly communicate to a client - what the problem is, what needs to be done, and how long it will take.
Musculoskeletal conditions take time!
Body tissue healing takes time and often is complicated by the way a person views their pain. Pain can persist long after tissue has healed. Long-standing conditions such as back, neck and shoulder pain, arthritis or tendon problems are often involve significant weakness as these areas are protected.
People will be often given exercise to attempt to correct this and allow for a return to pain free activity. People will often give up for a number of reasons including - they hurt, they are too hard, they are too easy, they’re too busy, they’re not sure why they are doing them, they’re not seeing results.
The exercises given may or may not be useful but what has probably gone wrong is the communication.
Strength programs take around 12 weeks. It seems like a long-time but it is better than the alternative - pain or missing out on the things you enjoy.
There is no such thing as a quick fix
Passive treatments are treatments that do not require any participate from the patient/client. These may include: Massage, acupuncture, manipulations, injections, medications, acupuncture or electrotherapy eg ultrasound or TENS.
While these treatment may help temporarily relieve pain. They do not improve function and you will be often reliant on undergoing these treatments over and over until you are completely frustrated - and broke!
By building function and strength you can take control of your problem and in doing so get stronger and more active leading to better physical and mental health.
