Physiotherapy: Why "I Love You" Makes a Difference

Well it’s been over a month or so of intense physiotherapy and I am seeing some improvements with my pain levels, not to mention my flexibility. Strength, well that ranges from day to day. Sometimes I can easily open up a jar and other times “Bill, can you come please help open this!”  Side note: one of the best presents Bill ever got me for the kitchen: This gadget rocks when i'm solo and no one is around to assist me: Easy Twist Jar Opener

My personalized physiotherapy program was designed exactly for the issues that I asked for help with, along with problems that they saw when I did my assessments. I won’t go into a ton of detail on what I’m doing because it may not be what you are actually needing for your own recovery. I will though include some parts that I think are really helpful for everyone, but I would encourage you to book a consultation to assess your individual needs. 

For pelvic floor physiotherapy, you need to be comfortable with your physiotherapist. If you’re not, it’s going to be a clenching fiasco, which for most of us who suffer with tight pelvic floor muscles is a nightmare.  The internal exam and on-going internal “work” is really important. I did ask Catherine if she sees patients who forgo the internal part and she said yes, but when that is the case, there is only so much she can do. 

I’m past the point of being shy. I cannot count how many specialists have seen my tush and other intimate areas. It still is a bit of a source of trauma for me on an emotional level because of what I have been through, but in order to heal, those trigger points inside need to get some much needed tlc and external only does so much.  I am doing a lot of work at home because let’s not kid ourselves, therapy is expensive. My coverage has ran out for the year and so everything now is paying out of pocket.  This is why I am really happy with my time at Physiofit because they realize that we’re not all money trees. I have plenty of exercises to do daily at home between visits, so it’s kind of like Santa Claus knowing if you are awake or have been good or bad (not in the same creepy way though). The physio team knows if their clients have been diligent in the exercises or slacking.

Just some of the exercises that I do on a daily basis at home and also at Physiofit (amongst others that they have special equipment for). I get assessed and different exercises get put in and others get taken out, depending on how my body is responding and what they think I should work on next.

Now for the physiotherapy part that doesn’t involve any internal work, there is still a lot of parts of the body that I knew I had some pain but didn’t realize the difference when I started to activate those muscles properly.  Posture, a big one. I have “sitting syndrome” which I think a lot of us can relate to, whether we’ve worked in jobs that have us sitting a majority of the day or have been in bed-ridden situations where our muscles just become very weak from lack of movement.  My upper back is super duper tight, which is part of the area where I hold my stress, and so with the all the targeted exercises I have been doing, I can really feel a positive difference and Bill also uses his magical hands when i'm really achy. Incorporating everything and also making the time to book massages, which works well for me.

I recall my first time on the treadmill, which has been my warm-up, and I didn’t realize how much I swayed with my hips and shoulders. Being aware of these things helps to break the habit, although most of us probably don’t even realize that we’re walking incorrectly and causing so much extra pain.  The best part though is investing your time with a professional team and giving a whole stack of effort, it can get better.

Now I am sure you are wondering about my title of “I love you” and how that relates to this blog.  While positive words of affirmation are always encouraged, I am actually referring to a specific exercise that I have been taught a few times now called the I love you massage.  This helps with cramps, gas, constipation, and all those fun digestive symptoms. I have a video here to show you basically how it’s done. It may not work the first time for you, or the second, but keep at it. It’s simple to do and really helps to move things along. Some videos you will see show immediate relief, but from my own experiences, it can take a few hours to even overnight. It just depends on how congested my body is. 

A great video that shows how the technique is done.

I am doing a lot of other things along with physiotherapy, so i'll have another blog up on those details soon!

As always, thank you for the on-going support.

If you have any questions, feel free to connect with me over e-mail, leave a comment on my blog or find me on Facebook.