Ever Heard “There is a Time and Place for Everything”? What do YOU think… T or F?

If you have read my website or blogs you know I am not much on relying only on medication, injections and surgery.

But is there a time for these things?

Sure.

Well how about EXERCISE? Is IT the most important thing?

You might be surprised to hear a physical therapist can tell you that EXERCISE may NOT necessarily be the most important part.

Really??!!

A few months ago I was working with a client in his first session. He really had a hard time putting any weight on his right leg.

It looked very painful and I was worried he was going to fall over when he first walked in the door.

Even though he was in a lot of pain, the problem wasn’t hard to figure out and to fix. He had slipped and taken a hard step down, shifting the whole right side of his pelvis upwards.

This had gotten his entire system out of alignment, and made walking very painful!!!

I describe it like a wheel not being connected on straight to the axle of your car, so every time the wheel goes around it wobbles the whole car… and it makes for a very uncomfortable drive.

Sometimes problems are hard to fix and some are easy. But I guarantee it is VERY HARD to fix a problem when you don’t know what is the root problem.

His problem was dramatic, but it was an easy fix. After some gentle encouragement to get his joint to get lined up, his muscles were able to work with much less pain, even on his first visit!!

He was shocked and delighted to be able to walk with less pain.

He then surprised me when he said this:

“I guess I should have been exercising more all along so I would have gotten relief sooner”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT” I replied

“We first had to get the bone to be lined up…. BEFORE just doing more exercise.

I then asked him this question:

“What do you get when you paint a broken, rusty car?”

He was not sure what to answer.

So I helped him… “You get a ‘good looking’, ‘broken’, ‘rusty’ car that still doesn’t work.”

In the same way any good car mechanic does not just wash and wax a car that needs a tune up.

So it is with exercise. It often DOES NOT HELP just to do EXERCISE when there is a mechanical problem…. until we fix the root problem. After the mechanical problem is fixed then the muscles need to be strengthened.”

It took a bit of repeating the new idea, but he caught on. He was very glad to come in and to continue the road of being able to walk again without pain or his limp.

And the truth is NO AMOUNT OF JUST EXERCISE would have ever fixed THAT problem… but with specialized help, and then to know when to add in a few of the right exercises and he quickly noticed the difference.

Does this sound like you?

Are you just waiting for the exercise you’ve been working on to help you?

Do you not know how to put together all the puzzle pieces: symptoms, medication, trying just to rest more, struggling to recover after a surgery, or just hoping it will go away?

If you’d like more information or to talk with someone to see if therapy is a possibility, we are here to answer your questions.

Call to talk to a specialist, without any commitment or payment: 817 918 3667

Jeff Rau PT MS MPT CFMT FFMT FAAOMPT

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