SM,
A few ideas.
Depending on your injury or issue, a physio should give you things that you can do at home on your. For example, strengthening exercises, stretches, rolling or other release methods, etc. This should reduce the frequency with which you need to visit the physio. Your case might require more frequent visits for manual work by the physio, but often times a physio will tell you to come come because they can bill you. A good physio should give you tools that you can use to help yourself at home. You can try asking your current physio or find another physio. All physios arent the same, some are better than others.
Your Blue Cross benefits should also have coverage for chiro, massage and even osteopath. Find a chiro that practices ART. They will do a lot of manual work similar to a physio rather than that of a typical back cracker. This should give you a few more visits in addition to your physio benefits. If where you are seeing the physio also has chiros, you likely shouldnt be charged for an assessment. You could also ask the chiro for things you can do at home.
Massage could help depending on your specific case. Ask your physio for guidance. If its a small area that needs manual work, you could do 30 or 45 min session to maximize the number of times you see the massage therapist.
You might also consider seeing an osteopath. It is kinda wacky, but some people have found it works for them. Some osteopaths are hands on and do manual work.
If the physio is using TENS as a modality, you might want to consider buying a unit yourself. Theyre quite cheap now.
EDITED to add: If you have fitness benefits or something similar that you havent used, get your physio to refer you to a trainer that works with rehab patients. Recovery really should be a team effort.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sr. Mints
Oh, my condition is stable, and I see doctors. About five years ago I was told that when people in my boat lose their muscle mass (I don't think that's the term I'm looking for), it’s really hard to get it back, which is what I fear has happened. Admittedly, I never actually imagined it happening to me, just to other people with similar injuries/conditions.
I’ve been having this utterly depressing conversation with my doctors for years now: in Alberta, there simply are no resources available when it comes to physiotherapy—and if there are, I haven’t found a way to access them yet. I make too much money to qualify for any assistance, but not enough to be able to afford physio at $110/session for the rest of time. So once my [laughable] Blue Cross runs out—which is capped at $500 annually—I’m kind of on my own, therapy-wise.
And it’s crazy, because AB Health will pay for me to visit doctors and specialists 75 times a year, surgical procedures/diagnostic tests/injections up the wazoo, but won’t fork out for physiotherapy, which is what I need now, 13 years after the fact.
But I digress…..
So while I’ve pretty much used up my physiotherapy budget this year already—and have made great strides strengthening my core muscles—finding effective workouts to do on my own is what I need to find. A Rowing machine was suggested to me at work today, which sounds promising on a cursorily glance.
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