[Christina86]

(I might be paranoid about being prepared, but I'd like to make sure I know all there is to know)

I've got my first physical therapy appointment with a PT on Monday. Its to solve the problems of my wrists (I'm getting the carpal tunnel and tendonitis again) and to help solve a new problem ... tennis elbow in both elbows.

(I'm in lots of pain, but got prescribed Naproxen Sodium for the wrist pain - solves inflammation I believe).

I just want to know if anyone knows what I should expect at this appointment. I know the consultation is going to cost $60, and the name of my PT and that the appointment is an hour and to bring my referral letter, but that is IT.

Help? Anyone at all?

I'd like to know what to expect on the first appointment, the average amount of time before therapy is stopped, how much pain I should expect from this, and stuff like that.

Thanks everyone

I go through PT from time to time because I have cerebral palsy. Basically physical therapy is just a foot long word for exercising specific groups of muscles and body parts. Kind of like in gym class the class is called physical education - phys. ed. the physical therapist will have you fill in some papers and ask you some questions and then have you go through different exercises and so on to get an idea of what your range of mobility is and then give you some exercises to do daily. Then for whatever the schedule of visits you will go in to him/her and do some more exercises with the physical therapist. Most times the physical therapy appointments are set at weekly but depeending on the persons mobility and what needs to be worked on and what insurance will pay for the appointments can be as much as that person needs.

Expect to have yourself pushed to the limit. and some days its going to feel like physical therapy is making it worse because all the exercising is going to be strengthening the muscles so they are going to get flexed and pushed against until you feel like you can't take the pain another second.

A friend of mine went through two weeks of physical therapy for her carpal tunnel and said thats it do the operation needed for wrist repair. anything is better then pushing against walls exercises and having a physical therapist move my hand up and down and sideways to make the muscle stronger. Though my hand in a bowl of a whirl pool bath feels great."

When I am working on my hand/wrist muscles the phyusical therapist bends my hands up and back as far as my hand can go and then a little bit more. has me making circles without moving my arms (just moving my hand and wrists, put my hands against her hands and we push against each other. squeeze a rubber ball so many times, open and shut my hand fast and slow so many times, move each finger individually and together. and so on. I come home and feel like my arms and wrists are filled with lead because the muscles are tired from being manipulated and exercised.