Physio

harleyquin

I had my second Physio appointment today, she is a nice lady but got quite impatient with me for asking questions.
Obviously she was the wrong person to ask or maybe she was having an off day, but as she is the only person I am seeing at the moment re my Osteoarthritis I thought I would try and get some answers.
Unfortunately I came away feeling a little like a naughty child!
I only wanted to know if there is a reassessment procedure, as its 2 years since I had my X-rays done and my mobility has definitely deteriorated so I wondered if a look to see how the OA is progressing would be forthcoming.
I also wanted to know if it is normal for OA to "spread" so quickly from just one joint to a number of joints.

Anyone else had this kind of response from a physio?

Harley

brandy192

My physio told me she never gets to see the exrays which made me smile cause both depts are next door to each other in our hospital

Megrose489

Not from a physio - I've never been referred to one - but I got nowhere with my GP for asking the same thing. Two years ago I was diagnosed with OA in my knees, now I also have it in my feet and hands and pain in my left hip. I understood from the GP that, as my joints get worse, one by one, I see him for each one and then he deals with them separately. There doesn't seem to be any sort of overall assessment for OA. I apologise, because I know I've mentioned this before, so I'll get off my soap box now!

Meg

frogmorton

Poor you Harley

I should have thought she could have just answered you - even referred you to your GP, but not made you feel 'like a naughty child'

I am sorry

Try to forget it if you can - it's not worth being upset

Love

Toni xx

harleyquin

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

I know we have to keep our muscles working but Im fed up with being in pain when I leave physio.
It took 12 weeks to actually see someone, and to be perfectly frank i'm only going so it is on my records, as i am being considered for a stairlift and a bidet toilet by the OT dept panel.

On Tuesday I had to have a bladder camera procedure (cystoscopy) for recurrent infections, my hips are still recovering from that. so i wasnt in a good place today anyway, so her attitude didnt help.

It feels like they don't know what to do with Osteo suffers once the musculoskeletal dept have confirmed wear and tear via xrays.
There doesn't seem to be any follow up, just stronger painkillers.
I would really like to know how bad my joints are affected now but it seems the only way of finding out is to pay for an MRI scan, privately

harley x

Megrose489

Hi Hilary. Have you read the NICE guidelines for OA? It says "People with symptomatic osteoarthritis should have periodic reviews tailored to their individual needs". I suppose it depends on how you interpret that. The guidelines are worth reading. http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG59/Guidance/pdf/English

Meg

harleyquin

Thank you Megrose489 that was really interesting reading.
Surely it isn't asking too much, after 2 years, for our condition to be re-assessed, especially when we feel that our health has deteriorated during that time.
I'm feeling quite low at the moment but there has been a lot of appointments this week, I'm not sleeping very well, have another UTI, and the nights are fast drawing in ( I love to be outside in my garden, reading )
I'm sure this will pass.

Thanks again for pointing me to the NICE guidelines.

Harley x

dreamdaisy

I have a tip about trying to avoid recurrent UTIs, please PM me if you would the details. I have both an auto-immune arthritis and the joint damage from that has led to OA in both ankles, both knees and my right hip. It is true that there is not much to be done apart from stronger dullers and then, maybe, the option of surgery but that will only happen once things have deteriorated to a certain point - or, in my case, I've reached a certain age (just one year to go!)

I empathise with the frustration aspect of it all, the things I have 'lost' the ability to do over the years continues to increase but that is the nature of the beast. I too hurt after I've done my very basic exercises but again, 'tis the nature of the beast. Let's face it, doing anything hurts!

I think one of the major problems that those with OA face is the sheer ubiquitousness of the disease. It seems outrageous that in the 21st century the medicos cannot offer anything apart from dullers, anti-inflammatories and eventually (maybe) a fake joint compared to the strides being made in other diseases and their cures but we're not exciting, we're not glamorous, we're not regarded as 'urgent' cases in any way because 'it's only arthritis'. Hmmmmm. DD

stickywicket

You've had a difficult week, Harleyquin, and I guess the cytoscopy wouldn't make the physio any easier. I do hope you will continue with it, though, after the course has finished. Yes, it can be painful, but arthritis is painful anyway. The stronger the muscles which support the joints the less painful it is. I dread to think where I'd be without my daily exercises. They do keep my joints moving, albeit painfully.

I think you're quite right that they don't know what to do about OA. We can exercise, ensure we eat healthily, keep the weight down, use distraction methods and take the dullers but that's about it. I think the docs feel as hamstrung as we do given that they can't cure us.

I'm not big on X-rays myself and have only ever had one MRI when a hip was broken. I know my OA will progress as I know that's what it does. I don't feel the need to know the details. After all, the treatment is still going to be the same.