Leg Pain

Really!  This one is hard to believe.  A lady presented with leg pain, groin pain, knee pain and a walk like Chester from Gunsmoke.  I sat with her in a free consult and asked what had happened to lead her here today.  Two hip replacements, a knee they were injecting with rooster stuff  (Person #2 who didn't assess), recent back injections for pain, (person #3 who didn't assess).  I stood her up and she leaned to the right with all of her weight.  Asked a simple question did they leave you short in that hip?  "Yes, but no one wants to admit to it.  But my last session with the PT, he mentioned it and gave me a lift he had handy."  (Person #1 who did assess but didn't help!)

One year later, she is at a loss with the constant enduring pain.  I went and tore up a cardboard box lid and put under her foot and keep layering until she felt even.  "Wow that took the pain out of my leg immediately."

We did fascia work, heat around the hip rotators, light traction to the leg and kept the cardboard for the moment in her shoe.  She walked out with a flex in the knee instead of the slamming back she walked in with.  Sent her to a shoe maker, gave her some home suggestions that her husband can help out with.

She is looking forward to walking more normal and having less knee and back pain. 

All I can say is REALLY!  How can the medical society keep overlooking the basics?  A 1/2 inch leg length would make any of us walk like Chester. 

"If you don't assess you simply guess"
Debbie

Fainting Cured

Assessment came in another form this time.  I have been training and doing manual therapy with a young girl for Volleyball.  I got a call that she wouldn't be in because she had fainted at school and they were going to take her to the doctor and run some tests to find out the cause.  Fast forward several weeks later, she returns with no diagnosis.  I started asking questions about her eating habits which lead to a hypoglycemia possibility.  One week later and more protien to begin the day and eating more often, she is symptom free and excited to get back on track with her training.

Sad that we have lost sight of the most obvious with young kids and their eating.  Or should I say non-eating.  A simple conversation before all the expensive tests or at least the conversation with the expensive tests might have served this girl differently. 

Happy Ending-Assess (ask questions) Don't Guess (keep asking questions)

Nutrition the lost art!

Shoulder Impingement

Short story on why to assess.  I helped a lady recently who had the misdiagnosis of Parkinson's.  Through an assessment I found shoulder impingement which was causing the shaking.  I sent her for an orthopedic exam and the doctor comfirmed a frozen shoulder with impingement.

Moral to the story:  If you don't assess you simply guess.

Happy Therapy

Debbie