Had my first official physical therapy for the sprained ankle from HELL today. I got evaluated last week and naturally, the dude who happily accepts my co-pay and efficiently bills my insurance company thought I was an ideal candidate for physical therapy. Something about torn tendons and ligaments. Whee! The chiro keeps telling em that most people would have broken their ankles. Also that torn stuff hurts more than broken stuff. Yay me again!
So, it seems that in the two months since the original stair bob sledding on my back incident my injured ankle has gotten weak weak weak. Stuff they made me do today:
Stand on one leg at a time for a whole minute. Three turns each leg. Injured ankle very tired the third time around.
Stand on one foot on a board with a ball sized lump on the bottom side. Had to tilt foot back and forward 10 times for three sets.
Then I had to stand on toes up and down 10 times for three sets. booooring.
And because I have especially tight achilles and hamstrings I got to stand on a slanted step with my toes about 6 inches higher than my heels. It was so painful I teared up.
Also, because that other calf stretch wasn't torture enough, I had to lie on a table with my butt against a wall and my legs straight up the wall and here is the worst part- with my feet flexed. I had to do 20 second intervals for 5 times. I didn't tear up because I amused myself by imaging taking a nap since the PT gal left me alone to work on the elderly lady in the next stall.
There was more ultrasound on my ankle. How I wished there could have been a tiny little smiling face in there to shock the PT gal. Next week I am going to draw one onto my never ending inflammation.
There was more electrical stim. Except this stim was set up under an ice pack. Brrr. I had to ask for a higher level of stim half way through because macho stair sledders like me get used to the electric current running through our injuries, and then I asked again because I thought I was so incredibly stoic that I thought they could turn that mother up again, so I told the PT guy he could turn it up again, except the machine had actually turned off because my time was up. ooopsy.
Walking out of there with one foot (frosted like a beer mug) a full 20 degrees colder than the other foot was an interesting sensation.
They tell me that next week I'll get to use resistance bands! I can hardly wait.
Oh, so you were "imagining" you were napping?...are you sure?LOL
Sorry it was so painful, that's no fun. But, you'll be glad you did it.
Molly
Posted by: Molly | May 28, 2009 at 04:30 PM
I'm having trouble picturing the
"lie on a table with my butt against a wall and my legs straight up the wall and here is the worst part- with my feet flexed. "
The angles seem impossible so i know I'm picturing it wrong.
Good luck with everything and I hope your ankle gets better.
I'm on crutches right now so I feel your pain. Keep up with the PT.
Posted by: Laura | May 29, 2009 at 04:07 PM