Paying for a sports therapist/physio

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi

I started having problems with my achilles tendon mid August. I have run regularly for years but was doing more than usual when the problem started. I decided to rest it completely but even though I have not done any running for a month am still having problems.

When I get out of bed on a morning it is sore and stiff - not good when you are only 44!

I know its not my trainers, I get these properly fitted. I dont know if I can afford to see a sports therapist.

Whats your experience of the NHS in these circumstances? If you have paid to see a sports therapist how much did you pay? I am so fed up not being able to exercise, all though I have done a bit of cycling which seems OK.

gleek1

Argh posted long reply and then lost it!!

Bottom line - not been to NHS physio or Dr with running problem as referrals can take a long time and sometimes docs aren't sympathetic to 'just' running injuries. Also, most of my physio visits have been 'emergencies' when things start to hurt a month before a race I have been working hard for. At that stage I could not have waited on the NHS.

I have paid £45 for a private physio session and about £45 an hour for a massage. I have also paid for 3 physio sessions at £30 each at a uni gym when I was a member, but that also sorted out a general problem that was not just running related - poor patella tracking so I couldn't sit for a long time without stretching my legs out.

I have found the private physios very efficient, give good exercises and have been very keen to get you back up and running ASAP.

YORKSHIRELASS

gleek1 wrote: »

Argh posted long reply and then lost it!!

Bottom line - not been to NHS physio or Dr with running problem as referrals can take a long time and sometimes docs aren't sympathetic to 'just' running injuries. Also, most of my physio visits have been 'emergencies' when things start to hurt a month before a race I have been working hard for. At that stage I could not have waited on the NHS.

I have paid £45 for a private physio session and about £45 an hour for a massage. I have also paid for 3 physio sessions at £30 each at a uni gym when I was a member, but that also sorted out a general problem that was not just running related - poor patella tracking so I couldn't sit for a long time without stretching my legs out.

I have found the private physios very efficient, give good exercises and have been very keen to get you back up and running ASAP.

Thank you, thats really helpful. I could probably afford those sort of prices, especially if I knew it was going to help sort out the problem. I have been told of a physio based at the local gym who is very good but its quite hard to get to see him apparently. Going to make some more enquiries.

thx1138

YORKSHIRELASS wrote: »

Hi

I started having problems with my achilles tendon mid August. I have run regularly for years but was doing more than usual when the problem started. I decided to rest it completely but even though I have not done any running for a month am still having problems.

When I get out of bed on a morning it is sore and stiff - not good when you are only 44!

I know its not my trainers, I get these properly fitted. I dont know if I can afford to see a sports therapist.

Whats your experience of the NHS in these circumstances? If you have paid to see a sports therapist how much did you pay? I am so fed up not being able to exercise, all though I have done a bit of cycling which seems OK.

Don't pay a penny. There are loads of therapies you can find online, on youtube and on various websites. I followed the stair step method, that is, using a stair step to stretch and contract the tendon according to an exercise I found online. Frankly, I wasn't nearly as diligent and consistent as I ought to have been, but I nevertheless found relief and eventual total healing.

Expect it to take a few months to get rid of. Less if you are more faithful to the programme. The good news is you should be able to run without pain fairly soon. Put another way: do the therapies. Then run. Run as much as you can without engendering pain. Eventually you will be 100% recovered.

YORKSHIRELASS

thx1138 wrote: »

Don't pay a penny. There are loads of therapies you can find online, on youtube and on various websites. I followed the stair step method, that is, using a stair step to stretch and contract the tendon according to an exercise I found online. Frankly, I wasn't nearly as diligent and consistent as I ought to have been, but I nevertheless found relief and eventual total healing.

Expect it to take a few months to get rid of. Less if you are more faithful to the programme. The good news is you should be able to run without pain fairly soon. Put another way: do the therapies. Then run. Run as much as you can without engendering pain. Eventually you will be 100% recovered.

Thanks, someone else has said the same thing to me - so long as its not an actual medical problem and is just caused by a strain or simply overuse there is no harm in trying some exercises/stretches myself first. I have also been advised to keep doing some form of exercise, but nothing that makes it hurt.

Money is a bit tight at the moment so I am going to try and treat it myself if I can.

browneyedbazzi

I had tendinitis in my Achilles a few years ago so my sympathies! I saw a physiotherapist about it (privately) and paid about £40 for a session. I was advised to do some exercises like sets of the stair stretch described above a few times a day. I followed the instructions and it improved fairly quickly.

As the other poster said, there are plenty of blogs/tutorials/youtube videos online that should help you find exercises that will help with the problem.

Also, if you are in work it may be worth talking to the occupational health team there (if you have one) as your employer may have a system for referring staff who need it for physiotherapy. I had a really bad experience with NHS physiotherapy after an operation a few years ago (long wait, rubbish treatment) but my employer stepped in and arranged for me to see a private physio and they paid for it. I got superb treatment, that would have cost a fortune if I'd had to pay for it myself, for free.

Idiophreak

Went to the Drs with a running injury that hadn't sorted itself after 3 months of rest. He referred me for a scan (12 week wait) which would enable them to identify which scan I needed...and after that they could start thinking about treatment.

Went to a sports physio who resolved my problem in 20 minutes.

Also gave a lot of additional exercises to improve things I didn't know were wrong - and were likely causes of my problems in the first place.

If you're really tight for cash, I'd start on the heal raises, as they'll likely help and you don't have much to lose....but if you can spare 40-50 quid, I'd say it's well worth getting a professional to take a look...could save a lot of pain (and expense) down the line....

silverwhistle

I had achilles tendonitis a few years ago half way through the football season. The physio discovered that my pelvic girdle was unbalanced, corrected it with some strong arm manipulation (!) and gave me exercises to counteract it. That was abroad, but here in the south of England I've recently had a session (knee this time..) at £50 with a top sports physio.

YORKSHIRELASS

Thanks all, really helpful. I have downloaded some exercises to do and I am going to give it a few weeks. If its no better (or worse) then I will pay a private physio.

Good suggestion BrownEyed, we dont have that at work but I know some places do and not all employees take advantage of it.

Strangely the stiffness and soreness seems to have moved into my calf now.

delmar39

I'm a runner / squash player and have had achilles tendonitis on and off for a while now. I'm lucky in that I get private health cover through work, which gets me £1000 towards outpatients costs, including physio. So I tend to go to the physio with minor injuries before they get too bad, referred by my GP.

The problem is.....as you've found rest didn't help you. Until you know exactly what it is you could end up taking loads of time off to no avail. A GP will help diagnose it and will suggest rest. I don't think it would hurt going to a good sports injuries clinic to get a diagnosis so you know what you're up against. My physio basically massages the area and applies ultra sound.

I'd also recommend stretching your calf and achilles to loosen it off on a regular basis throughout the day. Paddle your feet before you get out of bed in the morning. I'm exactly the same as you but with increased stretching you may find that things settle down.

Good luck.

YORKSHIRELASS

Well I have been doing the exercises I downloaded religiously for a week now and whether its coincidence or not my achilles is so much better. I know a week is nothing in terms of rehabilitation so I am going to keep going with it. I have done one aerobics session and one bike ride this week, plus brisk dog walking, and that seems OK.

I spoke to someone at work who saw their GP (same practice as me) a couple of weeks ago for achilles pain. The GP prescribed anti-inflammatories and complete rest - and that was it. I wasnt impressed with that but I will go and get medical advice if things go downhill.

Thanks all, feeling a lot more positive!