Will physical therapy still help?
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April 21, 2013 at 1:25 pm
I had GBS Feb. of last year and yes I went through all of it. paralyzed from the neck down, ventilator for about 2 days, hospital for a month, wheelchair for 8 months, walker after that, physical therapy for months… until. insurance decided GBS wasn’t THAT bad. and pulled my prescription on account of me switching drs and my dr approved it. But i was walking on my own at that point so i wasn’t too upset. but now that were 14 months after my original diagnosis im really hurting all the time…. when i walk too far, when i do too much in one day, when i stand too much. i know its just nerve pain, and i know i just have to be patient because ive heard the “could take up to three years” thing, but since i have another new doctor and he might be able to make a plea to the insurance for this summer, would physical therapy help at all with the pain, or would i just end up hurting every time i went?
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April 21, 2013 at 2:07 pm
I don’t know whether physical therapy would have anything to do with you pain. Its purpose is to rebuild weakened muscles and restore balance. Nerve healing, however, proceeds at its own rate and physical therapy does not speed it up. Over time, the rate of improvement generally slows down. In my case, recovery of strength and balance proceeded fairly quickly for about six months, but was slowing down. By that time, I could walk fairly well with a cane, and indoors without one, so I decided to stop physical therapy (with my neurologist’s approval). After that, I just did simple exercises at home and got out and walked as much as I could, and I have continued to improve slowly for about two years now.
Ask your neurologist whether you need physical therapy. He or she is in the best position to know. Outside of physical therapy, it’s important to pace yourself. You should get exercize every day, but should not work yourself to exhaustion. Over time, you will be able to do more.
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