A little bit o' Hawaii in NJ
Tonight marked my 12th visit to therapy.
It was a 7:20pm appt and I got out around 9pm, so it was one of the longer appts.
Janet did deep tissue therapy and the elbow-in-the-piriformis trick, plus the "I press up while she presses down" move. She also grabbed onto my left ankle and literally pulled my leg, then grabbed onto both ankles and pulled. It feels good when she does that. But she didn't stretch out my hamstrings or piriformis.
She asked if I'd be willing to try the traction table. Why yes! She strapped me into this two-part harness type thing that felt like a corset. Then I just was on the table, lying there, and they turned the machine on. It separates the table which also pulls on the two parts of the harness, which thus pulls me "apart", for 8 minutes. It even has this safety release thing in case I felt new or additional pain. The assistant said some people get dizzy when they stand up after being on the machine but I didn't.
Since that was my last appt, we discussed the next round of appts. She recommends 4 more visits. She does NOT recommend the MRI. Since I am improving (now I'm at a pain level of 3 instead of 3-4), she thinks it's most likely to be disc issues and not a pathological reason for my pain. I said, well, I've been in pain since Jan 15 every single day, so, how much longer is this going to take? What if it is something pathological? She said for peace of mind, I could ask for the MRI, but in her report to the doc, she is going to not recommend it. For some people, it just takes a long time to feel better. If it was something pathological, I wouldn't be feeling better. I'd be feeling the same or worse.
So this weekend I go back to the doc to get the script written for 4 more therapy visits and to ask for the MRI. I guess he will say no. But sometimes life has surprises, you know?
Life does have surprises. I hope that in your case the next surprise will be your feeling MUCH better! I've been having ultrasound and painful massages to my jaw. I asked facetiously whether the terrifying Graston technique (metal instruments of torture, including crowbar) was indicated, and the therapist very seriously said no, ultrasound would "probably" be enough. So there is a chance that I might be having to make excuses for a bruised face in the future?? "No, I didn't have a brawl with Wolfgang; I walked into a door!' :-)
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