What should I expect?

[dodukes]

Well to give a bit of background I broke my leg when I was 12(i am now 26). It didnt seem like abig deal at first and they had given me a walking cast and all seemed fine so never went to physical therapy. In the years that followed I started getting really bad knee pain. I took this as a result of that becuase it never hurt before and it always depened on the shoes i had on or what not. So fast forward to yesterday.
I went in for my yearly physical and it was more thorough than it has ever been and my broken leg came up and she asked me if it ever gets swollen. I told her no but it does start to hurt my knee (i also just realized i forgot to tell her that the bone itself is sensitive to touch, meaning if I put too much pressure ont he side or something, it hurts) anyway so she asked me about the knee pain and I told her it jsut depended, it was always there but when i have it it is really bad! She asked if i wore out my shoes strange and I said yes, i wear both of them out about the same but in a strange part of the shoe.
Long story short, she asked if I was willing to go to PT for it. I said sure I had never even thought about it altho it always bothers me I just wrote it off as one of those things. So i got my "prescription/referall" paper and on it, and i remember she had mentioned it, says that it is for right knee pain and for Gait Training (altho serioulsy it looks like graining)..lol..but anyway, I googled what that was and it all seems like its PT for neurological stuff. I know she knows what she is doing but I can't seem to find any info on what they actually do.
I will start in the new year since I will be going on vacation but what should I expect in PT? What do they do, i obviously have not had a stroke or anything, its just a matter of i guess i didnt learn how to walk right after my leg healed. Is this painful PT, do they basically teach you how to walk? She said that if it didnt work they would then have to go for inserts(which is what i thought all along i might have needed).

 

[RUDisney]

Don't sweat having to go for PT. I went for over 30 sessions since August when I was in a car accident and I'll have to go again post-surgery next year. I was worried about how much it was going to hurt, too. They stretched my arm but only so far as I could tolerate it. They did different exercises with me and I regained full range of motion in my arm and shoulder.

Within the first 2 weeks of PT, if you're going as often as I was (3X per week) you should see a marked improvement in your gait. The therapists know what they're doing. They are in charge and if you let them lead you, they'll help to relieve your pain.

Good luck with your PT!

 

[golfgal]

PT is used to rehab injuries. It could be from a stroke or a broken leg. They will evaluate what you need but if it is gait training, they will teach you how to walk properly so you knee doesn't hurt. If you look at the bottom of your shoes, ones you have worn for quite a while, you should have a wear spot on the outside of the heal and the ball of your foot. If you have wear spots in other places, say along the whole outside or inside of the shoe, you are not planting your foot properly when you walk and that can lead to ALL kinds of problems. They will also work on getting your muscle groups in balance, probably a lot of stomach/back exercises to get your hips in the right alignment if that is an issue too.

The other thing they should check is the quality of your shoe and help you find the proper TYPE of shoe for you to wear. You could have expensive tennis shoes but the makeup of the shoe could not be right for you (wide soled shoes tend to transfer more stress to your knees for example).

As for it being painful, in your case, probably not. You might have some sore muscles for a few days but it isn't like a surgery rehab so I wouldn't expect 'pain'. Besides, if you are experiencing real 'pain' and not just discomfort, you are pushing your rehab too hard.

 

[dodukes]

Thanks for the words. And golfgal, thats exactly what i wanted to know. I figured it was about teaching how to walk properly. And yes I know i wear out the back heel really quickly i will look to see what other spots get worn out, now u made me curious.

I'm glad you mentioned the shoe thing cuz I notice that it depends on what I'm wearing (and i guess how it is supporting my foot) whether I get a lot of pain or not.
Thanks again for explaining the process to me a little better, now at least i know its not going to be a painful thing..lol.