My mom is having joint pain and it is getting worse with each day. I tried so many treatments and she is also trying out some exercises suggested by the doctor but the pain seems to stay. I am now thinking of a physio attention, will that help?
We have a physiotherapy clinic, Dynamic Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic, in our neighborhood, Mississauga.
My 86-year old Mom, too, complains of joint pain (in her knees). She has pretty good osteoarthritis in them, however, she won't consistently do exercises on her own. After a two week hospital stay after my Dad died 6 years ago, she went to PT rehab for 2 weeks, getting PT twice a day for two weeks in house. When she was discharged, she was practically "running" down the hall barely using her walker. PT told her to continue doing her exercises at home. Of course, with no one giving her the one-on-one attention like she was used to a rehab, she went home, sat down on the couch, watched TV and reverted to her routine of barely moving. This, consequently, caused her joints to stiffen up again and today, she can barely walk at a snail's pace.
It's frustrating as I cannot be there every day to cajole her into doing her exercises. She chooses not to and her resulting complaints of "my knees hurt" is starting to fall on deaf ears (mine). Over and over I've suggested to her to move her legs while she is sitting but she doesn't do it. (She really should have had knee replacements 20 years ago, but when I suggested that then, she balked about how she "didn't like surgery" and "ooooh, that will hurt".) Well, fast forward 20 years and she's constantly complaining about her knees. Guess what? She's not getting knee replacements now at 86 years old.
Certainly, I can get her primary care doctor to "order" PT but then it will fall on me to take her out in this horrible cold weather twice a week for PT. For what result? It will cost her multiple co-pays and she will again NOT do the exercises at home. I'm constantly spinning my wheels on this. I would gladly take her to physical therapy (she so enjoys the therapist's attention, of course) if she would continue to do her exercises at home. As it is, outpatient PT feels like an "outing" for her to socialize and many hours of inconvenience for me. Sorry I sound harsh, but you can feel my frustration. I don't know what else to do. Good luck.