Trained, Licensed UNProfessionals

Massage therapists and physical therapists

are an essential part of a chronic pain person's life;

if and when you are worked on properly

for your respective damage/pain issues,

by capable, knowledgeable, respectful professionals.

Frustratingly, just because someone is trained and licensed

does not mean that they are able to provide the proper care

for someone with extensive spinal damage,

as I have found out the very painful way. 

Being a foodie, I use a lot of food analogies, so if that statement doesn't resonate with you, think of it like this: 

If you love Italian food of fresh, delicious, scratch made sauces, you wouldn't go to your local Chinese take-out, right? 

You'd go to an Italian restaurant because you know that restaurants who specialize in that cuisine are far more likely

to offer you the best in that cuisine's flavor.

Ditto your health and chronic pain needs. 

You don't see a foot surgeon to have back surgery!

And you shouldn't see a massage therapist or a physical therapist,

inexperienced in the art of touching

a severely damaged spine, PROPERLY. 

Remember people,

being trained and licensed

in something

is NOT the same

as being ADEPT AND EXPERIENCED in it.

(Read that again and think about its truth!)

Unfortunately, in my experience with massage therapy, they all carry the same label and certification, so trying to figure out who will meet your pain challenges, is much, much more difficult.

It doesn't matter how clear I am about how severe and extensive my spinal cord and multiple disc damage is,

and/or how easily flared my pain is,

I have gotten a few cowboys and tough girls

who were into body building

with a "no pain, no gain" mentality,

who think they know my body better than I do,

worked me too hard and put me into

preventable and unnecessary severe pain flare ups. 

The "no pain no gain" mentality

has NO PLACE in pain management

and anyone with that mentality

that works with severely injured people

has no business being in the medical field because we chronic pain people

aren't trying to win

a weight lifting contest,

but are struggling to raise our arms over our heads to wash our hair without pain, bend over and brush our teeth without pain, push a grocery cart, etc...

Thus, the next time one of you

"no pain no gain" UNprofessionals

want to push a chronic pain person too far, REMEMBER THIS ARTICLE because

our pain relief needs are about us

NOT YOU and your ego.

After all that I have endured in almost 11 years,

from a flattened spinal cord,

7 herniated discs and other damage,

I am willing to bet my life, that I have a higher pain tolerance then those with this inappropriate mentality.  

So when I complain about an exercise or a massage technique,

it sure as hell isn't because I can't handle pain;

it is because I,

and the hundreds of millions in my shoes

all around the world,

have had more than enough pain for one lifetime. 

NO ONE should be forced to handle UNproductive pain.

Although physical therapists may know

the HUMAN body better than we do,

we all know our bodies

better than they do.

I also know the difference between

productive pain and unproductive pain.

Productive pain is good and brief and conducive

to healing and wellness.

UNproductive pain is bad and will only set you back in your healing and pain relief goals.

In my vast experience, productive pain is pain that lasts only during the exercise itself, but stops when the activity is stopped.

 Also, productive pain may leave you sore like you get after a good workout.

UNproductive pain continues even when you stop the exercise. 

Last and far from least, is the principle

that I, nor anyone else, should have to

tolerate being flared into UNnecessary pain

by the very professionals from

whom we sought pain reduction/relief, simply because YOU are/were too egotistical

to respect our input and warnings

that a particular movement or touch,

isn't good, productive pain.

PRODUCTIVE PAIN.

THAT I understand. 

THAT I can and will handle. 

THAT is a part of every normal healing process.

That is NOT what I speak

against here.

The only time I could possibly begin to slightly understand,

(not respect mind you, but understand) when one of these "no pain no gain" UNprofessionals employs this wrongful mindset is when a patient's medical tests (MRI's, cat scans, etc...) show no actual damage, diagnoses and/or is not post (spinal) surgery. 

Then, and only then, I could understand how/why a P.T. may push someone hard to complete an exercise; because

they have no diagnosed medical reason to believe

that the person isn't just being a big baby. 

I am not saying that mindset is right either;

I am simply saying,

I can at least understand it in that circumstance.



But even in these cases, the professional should err on the side of trusting the patient's need to stop a movement which they believe is not producing productive pain.

If the patient is indeed just being a big whiner,

they will realize it themselves when they make absolutely

no progess because they didn't push themselves appropriately.

For those who have never had to do physical therapy,

even when done properly, IT IS PAINFUL. 

But as I stated above,

there is a huge and unacceptable difference

between the productive pain of PT properly done

and counterproductive pain that

only sets a person back in their recovery.

What I will never understand though is why

  the "no pain, no gain" physical therapist put me

into unnecessary pain flare ups post-operatively.

She not only had the operative report,

but as a very motivated and articulate patient,

I also verbalized it to her as such:

"I had ACDF of C5-C7." and I gave her this explanation of it.

I said that I had discs C5-C7 excised (removed)

because they herniated so severely

that they flattened my spinal cord in this area,

then my neurosurgeon inserted sterilized cadaver bones

where the discs had been, to offer each vertebra support,

he also drilled off all of my osteophytes

(a.k.a. bone spurs - which unfortunately, can grow back)

then he fused it all with titanium plates and screws.  



Additionally she had copies of my 6 pages of MRI reports/diagnoses, etc.

Thus, it was exceedingly UNacceptable

for her to push me as hard as she did,

despite my speaking up about the bad kind of pain

I was having from her suggested movements;

and moreover,

HOW EASILY FLARED INTO SEVERE PAIN I AM,

due to the permanent spinal cord damage,

remaining herniated discs, etc...

At the time that I had my 3 discs cut out,

I actually had 5 herniated discs in my neck,

but was advised to just have the worst 3 removed

because the more surgery that was done,

the lower the success rate became.

That made sense to me so that is what I did.

The downside is obvious, the 2 injured discs remaining,

still cause me, great pain, range of motion limitations, etc...

Additionally, she should have factored in that having my neck fused also meant a more limited range of motion.

When I as the patient, the layperson to this relationship,

know these immutable facts, it is patently clear that her

  UNprofessional "no pain no gain" mentality

 had ABSOLUTELY NO PLACE in my post-op care.

Prior to my spinal surgery post-op physical therapy,

I had undergone no less than about 10 dozen P.T. appointments  throughout my years of injury and chronic pain. 

Not one time had any of those physical therapists, (male and female), disrespected my input and need to stop an exercise.

Thus, the good news is that these UNprofessionals

are clearly not the rule. 

The UNacceptable news is that they do exist,

hence my being compelled to speak up about them 

to help as many other newly injured people realize their right

to SAY NO to any exercise that yields UNproductive pain.

If you're not sure, stop and describe it to your best ability;

mainly, listen to your body!

Again, productive pain is pain that lasts only during the exercise itself, but stops when the activity is stopped.  It may however, leave you sore for a day or days, like a good workout!

UNproductive pain continues even when you stop the exercise and can leave you in more pain for a day or days.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY OVER ANY PHYSICAL THERAPIST.

 ESPECIALLY ONES WHO ARE YOUNG AND WHO HAVE NEVER SUFFERED DISABLING PAIN!  THEY DO NOT HAVE A CLUE WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH!

To further validate how irresponsible her no pain, no gain mindset truly was, I had the massage therapist at this same facility tell me that when she (the massage therapist) was out for a day, this same P.T. (who was a former competitive body builder) took over her massage clients for her,

and as a result of massaging a client too hard,

the client had to be taken to the emergency room! 

(Yes, you read that right!)

 
If to this point in reading, you have thought that

I have been excessively harsh on this topic,

after reading this last paragraph, do you still think so?

Who in the world should ever end up in the E.R. from massage therapy???  NO ONE! 

Since life is about perception, permit me to acknowledge

that some people reading this will likely have thought to themselves, "Wow, she sure was mad when she wrote this."

And you would be correct.

Part of it is because of how bad of an unnecessary experience 

I had, and part of it is because when I did tell her I couldn't do a particular movement due to the bad kind of pain, I was nice about it, which got me nowhere as she flared me unnecessarily on more than one occasion, into severe pain flare ups.

Interestingly, she and I really got along well, and these

no pain/no gain pushes by her and resulting flare ups aside,

I liked her on a personal level and it was mutual.

I usually give up to three efforts of communicating any issues to my healthcare team before I give up unless there is blatantly gross misconduct on the part of the medical person at the first visit.  Then a first visit, will be a last visit.

It was not until the third time that I spoke up, with anger, that she didn't dismiss/disrespect my input; my anger got her attention and she said, "Okay then, let's try this instead."

The thing is, no patient should have to resort to anger

to get the attention and respect

of their healthcare professional!

If you are a fair and reasonable person,

with even a modicum of empathy and common sense,

you do not need to walk in my shoes or that of the millions

whose lives are altered by disabling injuries and severe chronic pain, to realize that this situation is UNacceptable.

I don't have to have my leg or other body parts blown off by an IED as many soldiers endure, to know that what they went through was its own special kind of hell, and that unless I go through it too, I can't know nor judge their feelings.

And permit me to thank our United States military personnel for all that they do sacrifice and endure

in order to keep you and me safe and free.

Thus, I share this page in hopes that it gets everyone's attention to allow this situation to become eradicated to spare others enduring this.

Also, to alert those who love a person undergoing P.T. for severe injuries and/or chronic pain and/or post-op care, to check in with them and see if they need someone to advocate for their proper care and/or to help them realize they need to seek another professional for their best care; because, sadly, many, won't speak up and they literally are going to be the ones who suffer for it.

One of my numerous goals for Spinal Trap B2G

is to IMPROVE the quality of life for chronic pain people as well as, educate those who provide us care

to understand where they are helping us

and as importantly, failing us.

You know the expression, "If ain't broke, don't fix it." 

Well, there is a lot broken in our healthcare. 

This mentality is a big item in need of fixing. 

The good news is that it is a simple and immediate fix, SPEAK UP and if and when your physical therapist still isn't listening, SAY NO! 

I originally wrote this page in 2014 I think it was. 

By that point in time I had done no less than 144 P.T. sessions for all three areas of my damage and chronic pain, (cervical spine, lumbar spine, right shoulder). 

Hence, I am extremely well-versed in doing physical therapy!

And a 2022 physical therapy experience at two different faciliities has given me a new issue to address going on within this field, to the detriment of chronic pain patients like me. 

Permit me to preface it by saying that most if not all of the physical therapists I had throughout the years for the 144 PT sessions were at least 35 years old and up.  These sessions took place in different facilities and areas due to having moved twice.

They all listened and gave great consideration of my chronic pain challenges, except for the aforementioned body builder one.

 Thus, it was to my great shock, dismay, and suffering, when in 2022 I had to get PT again after a poorly done knee surgery; and the only consistency I had (at two different facilities) was having physical therapists between 25 and 32 years of age, who, despite my clearly articulating my severe and extensive damage and pain in these 3 areas, continuously underestimated my spine and shoulder pain and asked me to do things that I was not the slightest bit capable of doing! 

It took me finally snapping at my main physical therapist at the second place, (and the other PT with whom I would sometimes schedule was also standing there), to get their attention to stop insisting that I do exercises that they wanted me to do, that I knew I could not; ALL because they were young, healthy, strong physical therapists (at the previous place too), and did not have CLUE #1 of what hell living with severe chronic pain is truly like!  

I don't like to snap at anyone; and I spent a lot of time analyzing this and praying to God for patience, and explaining my damage and reminding them of my pain limits, repeatedly, but they were truly blind to my limits.

Case in point: one day when I went in and told the female physical therapist that I was gratetful to say I having the least neck/shoulder pain I had in so long I couldn't remember.

 Thereafter, she, without any warning, threw a plastic ball at me that I thought was just a few ounces, so when I went to catch it, I was unprepared for the fact that it weighed FOUR POUNDS and it jerked my right arm down and threw me into a pain flareup! 

It was at a session after this that she loaded up weights on something they call "a sleigh", that has the patient wear a set of crisscross straps that attach to the sleigh, and she told me "Just pull it."  That's when I'd had it and finally snapped at her. 

I said "I don't know why you keep underestimating my pain issues but you do, and I assure you, I cannot pull that thing without ending up in the hospital, so it's NOT going to happen.  And besides that, it was a physical therapist that taught me years ago that when it comes to body mechanics and pain, pulling something is much harder on the spine than pushing something, so why in the world would you even ask me to pull it???"  That was the last time either of them asked me do anything ridiculous!

When assessing this situation (prior to finally snapping), one of the things I realized is that we humans do judge a book by its cover.  I'm not in a wheelchair or missing a limb, and I've learnd how to smile, laugh and joke despite pain, so I'm sure that contributes to people underestimating my pain. 

But, I also had so many terribe pain days when I wasn't laughing, and cracking jokes, and wore my lumbar spine brace, and I ALWAYS wear two TENS units as the rule on my clavicle and shoulder or arm, so I don't truly understand why they still expected me to do things that I clearly could not. 

I know how to speak up for myself, but many people don't; they are compliant and then live to regret it. 

They are the ones I feel sorry for, and, for whom I wrote this page, in hopes of helping them to prevent UNproductive pain. 

Bottom line - LEARN TO LISTEN TO YOUR BODY AND SPEAK UP FOR YOURSELF WHETHER TO A PT OR MD!

Massage UNenvy

Sad truth:

  Number of years of experience is

NOT an indicator of a competent,

capable, respectful professional.

(This sad truth does not just apply to healthcare!)

One of the lousiest massage sessions I ever had was by a guy who said he'd been doing it for over 15 years. 

(He left me with Massage UNenvy...)

He had two arms but only used one hand as the rule! 

Then he did that horrible LAZY move of pushing his forearms over me because his hands were tired!  NOT my problem!  (I was an evening appt and he was tired from working all day.)

In my one awful experience with Massage Envy, I found

them to be the McDonald's of the massage industry, meaning that

they advertise quality but they give junk. 

Some of the best therapeutic massages I've had,

have been by pro's with less than 5 years experience

who had a natural knack

for knowing the body AND respecting my input. 

Are they respectful of your input or too self-important to care?

Listen to how they speak; are their words about them or their clients?

They should be able, without hesitation to cite specific client examples of their work; not client/patient names of course,

as that would be a complete invasion of privacy. 

(Unless the patient/client gave them a written testimonial of course, than that is different.)

I'm simply saying that if you are a chronic pain person,

and they say "50% of my client/patient base are

chronic pain patients." well now, that's a lot* and that should hopefully, indicate a stronger understanding

and ability to meet YOUR needs. 

*Unless they only have 4 clients!

Now, if after they say 50% of their client base is chronic pain patients they add on a truth such as:

"I'm the only physical therapist (or massage therapist) that doctors A, B, and C will refer patients to"

THAT is likely indicative that they do indeed,

know what they are doing.

The best advice I can give is before you tell them

what your status is and needs are, ask them:

"Do you specialize in any specific types of care?" 

If they say "like what?", simply say with a smile:

"You tell me, either you specialize or you don't." 

What you are looking for, without any prompting from you,

is to hear them say things such as:

"I have great success with relieving chronic joint pain."

or

"I specialize in relieving muscle spasms."

or

"I'm referred to by orthopaedic surgeons due to my success with post-op knee patients"

 or

whatever it is that is true for them,

that you believe to be a good fit for your specific care needs. 

Also, many people go to professionals simply based upon

referrals from other laypeople. 

Thus, if and when you have someone refer you to

their massage or physical therapist,

ask them FOR WHAT they see this professional? 

If they have no severe damage and/or chronic pain issues,

then they are not likely a great source for someone who does. 

(Think "apples to apples comparison" here.)

Now, if you get a referral FROM a person who walks in your damage/pain shoes, then by all means, call that professional.

Also, in today's online world, everyone's a critic. 

Again, take online reviews with a grain of salt. 

Everyone has different needs, different perceptions,

and different motivations.

Plus, anyone can set up fake accounts and brag on themselves;

or as bad, set up accounts and falsely malign others.

When someone brags on or complains about any professional, really read both what they say, and between the lines, to try

and figure out how fair and accurate the assessment truly is.

In this case, despite the focus being on her wrongful

no pain/no gain mentality,

I still was fair in giving her credit where it was due.