Lainey, when will this fun ever end? Oh, wait. I think the pain means you're alive, so as my dad would always tell me, "Pain is good." Now I finally know what he meant.

I went to my Occupational Therapist yesterday. The guys here would approve. She was sweet, trim and nice looking. She didn't like that my right thumb won't straighten and was not happy with the splint I've had for the week since the stitches came out. Basically, the instructions I was given when the stitches and cast came off, "Movement is good, Gripping is bad", weren't what she would have liked for me. She made me a new splint that keeps the thumb extended straight and won't have me do anything but pull that extensor tendon for a week, in the splint, and then we'll try again next week. I'm sure my exercises won't hurt anything like yours. After taking the splint off, I can straighten the thumb but bending it hurts.

 

Sounds like you got a good OT.

 

Good luck and I love the avatar.

 

I hope to banish her in about two weeks.

 

 

Yesh, thaas vewwy goo aavish!

 

When I had my shoulder surgery two years ago, I was in therapy for 6 months, as I had frozen shoulder before the surgery. What helped me was going through Lamaze class with my wife and also yoga - learning breathing techniques to help relax. I would have the therapist hold a stretch so I could relax into it also.

There were many days that the therapist and I were both dripping sweat. There were times when I had to make him stop for a minute so I could "catch up"

I also found that taking something like Naprosyn or Ibuprofen before therapy helped too. Or hell, just take an oxycontin or vicodin and glide right through therapy. Especially the passive therapy.

Once you start active therapy, I found that a good massage helped also. When I say a good massage, I am not talking a relaxing massage, I mean a massage therapist that will get into the muscles and relieve the pressure points.

When I was in therapy, I would get a massage about once a month, and it helped a lot. I also had a chiropractor that I would see about every 3 weeks to make sure I was standing straight, etc.

Good Luck

 

Thanks, John. I was hoping you would weigh in. I am taking ibuprofen before PT and perhaps I can add something else. if I'm not driving.

 

^ ya [IMG]http://[/IMG]

 

I caved. I had to start taking the Dilaudid at night, but I'm not taking anything during the day. 7:00PM is Happy Hour and Last Call is at 3:00AM around here .

My PT wasn't too bad. I've got a list of three very light exercises I'm supposed to do. I understand the purposes behind them, but my regimen is rather impractical, if not counterproductive. I have a foot flexing exercise I'm supposed to do a in a set of fifteen at a rate of one set per hour.
I guess I'm supposed to watch the clock and stay focussed on my leg for the 16+ hours that I'm awake per day.