Hi all - help or advice would be great! I have just had a VERY disappointing physio appointment. I have SPMS and have had my first physio in 6 months because they were closed for covid. He asked me if I had been doing the balance exercises he advised (over a zoom appointment) back in September and when I said that I had but not 4/5 times a day and that my balance issues weren’t muscular, he turned quite aggressive and told me he didn’t want to see me again because he clearly couldn’t do anything for me. He could only help if I meet him half way but because he didn’t believe I had done enough of his recommended exercises he basically showed me the door! Is there any point in me doing anything about his treatment of me? Can he damage my financial support claims? Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
I think if you feel this physio is likely to affect your ongoing diagnosis then you might ask for a second opinion.
Hello Lyds
(Welcome to the forum - I know you’ve been a member for a while, but this is your first post so welcome is appropriate!)
It sounds like this physiotherapist is bullying and unnecessarily aggressive. Refusing to treat you because you’ve not done enough is lousy treatment. If my physio had dumped me for non compliance, she’d have lost me as a patient long ago. I used to have a really good routine, did my physiotherapy exercises everyday, was trying so hard to keep a bit of core strength and defeat the enemy MS. Then I had a really terrible relapse, I never walked properly again after that (9 years ago). I did my utmost after that but it didn’t help. Sometimes physio just defeats us.
This man sounds as though he has no idea what having MS is like. It’s not always easy to motivate yourself to exercise. Actually I’m certain that for many people Lockdown has been really bad for their motivation and general attitude towards their MS. I can’t imagine what a physio session via Zoom would be like! Have you considered talking to his manager?
As far as damaging financial claims, do you mean benefit claims? If so, the only way he could damage your claims is if you asked him for a supporting report. Saying that, if it is about benefit claims, physio letters can be very useful. So getting a more supportive and suitable therapist would be useful. That’s one good reason for speaking to his manager - getting a different physio.
If you mean other types of claim, I’m uncertain, it depends on your situation, is the physio employed via your work? Is it related to insurance claims? Maybe you need more direct advice? CAB?
Best of luck
Sue
Thank you for this Sue. Very useful to me.
Hi Lyds 37,
I have just had the same type of problem, my so called physio from oxleas NHS trust Foundation. I have PPMS and i live my life in halve a body - Lower limbs gone upper limps still strong. When the physio arrived they checked my lower limps and told me that my lower limbs where not spastic enough for treatment. i told them that i use my hands to operate my lower limbs. they then told me that they have quite a few more people to see and they would have to go, about ten days later i received a letter stating that i had refused treatment. what a joke so i will refer myself back via my Gp. Good luck Lyds37 refer your self back via your GP.