Physio accountability thread - anyone in?

[Curlewwoohoo]

I've got to do exercises every day, they're boring and it's easy to fall off the wagon. Hoping some other people are up for a thread to keep us accountable? Hoping for some company?!

My issue is prolapsed discs which I've been managing for about 6yrs now. Recently went downhill and ended up at the physio to get help. This is something that seems to happen once a year almost like a MOT. I asked her for a regime to follow to keep everything in good order.

This is it:

• when bad, Back bends x10 every hour, max 2hrs.
• when good, can reduce to x3 a day.
• Glutes every day, side clams with feet raised, side leg lifts, side kicks.
• Pilates x3 times a week. I do a class once a week at present.

Other cans and cants,

• I currently don't need to stop running, I do 3-5 miles on a Sunday. But that may change as time goes on.
• road cycling not the best. I might just sell my bike.
• swimming OK. I generally cba with going though!

However I need to get rid of this back pain first. Currently struggling with just walking the dog.

Forgot symptoms:

Hip pain
Short sharp pain in groin but not all the time
Knee pain but think that's more connected to it band which I think is connected to hip impingement
Leg can feel heavy
Hip is not as flexible as other hip - if I bring my feet together and let my knees drop the bad side doesn't drop as far and there is pain.

Afternoon nerve glides ✅
Full evening physio exercises ✅

Will check out Lottie Murphy on YouTube, thanks for the recommendation

Have done my exercises tonight and stretches.

Well done @Jewel1968 and @RapidlyApproachingEndOfMyTether good going!

I've still got a couple of sets of back bends to do. Just debating whether I still need to do glutes on a day when I've done pilates...! Think I'll do a few size clams while watching junior bake off with 9yo now.

Good morning! Morning nerve glides, back bends & side stretches done. ✅
Always a struggle first thing as I wake up incredibly stiff and sciatica at its worst.
20 min walk on the school run coming up.

Desk based today, no driving except my commute. Planning to get up and move every hour at work. Will set an alarm on my phone.

Excellent start to the week @RapidlyApproachingEndOfMyTether

Monday should be an ok day for me on paper. I work from home, 2 school runs to do and 1 dog walk so opportunities to move about, plus I have pilates class at 6pm. No excuses!!!!! Just need to remember my back bends. I have decided to try for at least 10 sets a day. Done 4 lots so far.

Late today but done 😀✅✅

Great idea, I should do daily physio for my knee. Really hoping I’ll get it strong enough to get back to tennis.

Well done, people!

Pilates class ✔️
Back bends ✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️

Found it hard today, already. My knee hurts when I bend it, which is a bit of a problem. It's my backs fault. So limped around with the dog, who is also ill. What a pair. Having to trust the process a bit.

physio is a bit like drinking kefir - taking the first sip takes a bit of courage but then is refreshing.

Great idea. I'll join. Chronic back pain for over 10 years. Used to do Pilates but thought I'd save the money once I knew the routine after a couple of years. Maybe did it at home, once. Doing hot yoga for the first time tomorrow-hope I can
move on Wednesday!

Does this always happen to you when you re-start exercise. It does me. Then puts me off carrying on, as I'm not sure whether it's simply causing more damage.

Definitely for me I know it will get worse before it gets better. For me first my knees hurt. When I make my back hurt instead, that's progress. Then that goes eventually and jobs a good un, hopefully! Been through this cycle a few times. Really hoping to stay in the good place longer this time. The issue is keeping it up and not falling off the wagon!

Thanks to this thread I did my exercises. I was so exhausted after a day in the office I really didn't want to. At one point I was doing a stretch at my desk in the office - got a few strange looks.

Ah well done everyone! A few of you have the same hip issue I did about 7 years ago, going by the exercises you've been given. I did not keep up with them, so I did not build up the core strength which would alleviate the strain on my ligaments. I also got overweight. Then a year ago I just said no bloody more, and started doing bootcamp regularly. Got fitter, then got a new injury (SAPS) in my shoulder!

Been probably 60-70% compliant with my physio (starting from isometrics) since August to rebuild my shoulder so I can swim, and last week I just got discharged from the program and am on my own. I have a few sports massages booked with them and that's it, just building strength now. Will still keep the physio routine built into my home workouts which I do at least once a week, as well as being much more consistent with post exercise stretching.

Good luck all, it is really worth it. Trust The Process...!

I’m not a physio but the problem is when you are not walking or lying correctly as you are protecting an injury it will strain other muscles and ligaments. I had damage in my whole lower half from 6 months on crutches, bent in a weird angle due to my disc rupture and nerve impingement and even 5 years later I had some residual nerve damage in my leg but through doing the exercises (gently obviously) I notice so much more strength in them. You also will likely be stiff. I think fear of hurting yourself is what ends up being the barrier to actually overcoming an injury it was for me, I was too afraid to push myself for a long time but you need to know what your limit is - being stiff or aching is normal but severe pain isn’t. Your instinct is not not use the injured body part so it gets really stiff and tight instead of keep moving it which will help it to heal

Just popping in to add encouragement - hope that's ok

I had dreadful knee problems over a decade ago - I piled on the weight , it was so restricting what I could do

The doctor was pretty sure that was it for my knees but put me on the hospital physio program -almost a year of a weekly class, three different levels

There were only a couple of us from the first level class made it to level 3 - we were the only ones who did the exercises at least once every day . We were the only ones to get better - and I suspect that's why the consultant wasn't convinced it would work , because so few people have the grit to keep trying

If I have a flare up I go back to the level 1 exercise and build up

The other thing I learnt from that programme is to take a whole body approach - we did strength , balance and stretching from the core to the feet for knees, so I do yoga daily now to keep that going

So please keep going - it is so worth it

Am also several stone lighter and a normal healthy weight

Loving the encouragement here!

Thanks for the encouraging words. Nice to know you're not alone.

I did last night's physio routine late after going out, was tempting just to go straight to bed but I overcame the temptation!

Morning & lunchtime nerve glides done today. Squeezed in some squats and side & back bends in between appointments.

Quite a driving-heavy day today including carting about some work equipment which is problematic for me but hoping to try one of the YouTube pilates videos tonight - hope they're not too difficult!

my physio told me to look up running world core exercises on yt.

but she also told me to avoid asymetric exercises (side planks for example) until core is quite strong.

Here's the cat trying to sabotage my side clams! Apparently it's a bonus rub!

And I kid you not this is the other side...

extra resistance 😂

The point someone made about fearing doing damage is covered in this podcast

https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/dr-sean-mackey-tools-to-reduce-manage-pain

I think it's a very good point. There is also lots of other information about pain from a pain specialist - Dr. Sean Mackey, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine and Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine and Neurology at Stanford University School of Medicine. It's a bit long but fascinating.

I swam today and intend to do my floor exercises later this evening.

Awww!