My foot's feeling much better

Today was the last time I had to see my physiotherapist about my foot, when I had put my cuboid bone out of alignment over a month ago. My physio gave me a clean bill of health, and gave me more exercises to do in the next few weeks to strengthen my ankle and foot muscles so this doesn't happen again.

While I've become a little afraid of my physio (he actually put a bruise on my foot that lasted over a week in my last treatment), I have to say that I admire his skill as he not only fixed my problem, but taught me prevention techniques (not wearing heels again would be one =P)

I've learned early on that if there is something physically wrong with my body, that I should take care of it right away. I learnt that lesson when I was working one summer during uni break as a receptionist in a physio office.

I remember very distinctly two patients who had similar problems: they both couldn't walk because they had sustain some injury. Patient #1 was a young teenage boy who had both of his legs broken in a car accident. Patient #2 had somehow busted both his knees while lifting something heavy at work, and had to go in for surgery. They both initially came into the office in wheelchairs.

After six weeks, Patient #2 was on crutches, and would eventually walk on his own as he did well with the treatment and his exercises. Patient #1 was still sitting in a wheelchair.

After a while, the physio who was treating Patient #1 decided not to treat him any longer and told the family so. Why? Apparently, this family had simply gone from physio to physio, allowing their son treatment from the physio, so that it could alleviate the pain in the teen's legs (apparently he was in constant pain), but wasn't encouraging him to do any of the exercises. The teen told his family that his legs hurt when he tried doing the exercises. I'm certain that they did, after weeks of not using his legs, his muscles wouldn't be used to being used again.

I remember distinctly the physio vainly explaining to the family her reasons for stopping treatment, and she didn't feel right to continue to take their money. The family wouldn't listen, and instead continue to coddle the teen and defend his reasons for not doing his exercises.

I left the job soon after that incident as I had to go back to school. That summer taught me that the body has an amazing capacity to heal itself, but only if you let it.