I am writing a paper for my Physcial Therapy class may I ask a few questions?

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Trevor94

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It has to be about an illness that leads to disability that will require physical therapy and the type of physical therapy that patients do. So my questions are, you're age of onset what we're your first symptoms, what physical therapy excercises have you done throughout your illness, what are you doing now for physical therapy and does the physical therapy help. Thank you so much.
 
Have you read the threads on exercise? Exercise and PT are hot button issues and many of us have encountered PTs who think we can rebuild our affected muscles. We can't. Do you understand why? You need to understand the physiology before you can begin to address the issue. You do not need PALS who are typing with eyes , voice to text or part of a thumb for that part. It is research you can do on your own.

After that it might get you answers if you focus your question or perhaps set up a series of poll questions. I get the sense you have no concept of how difficult it is for PALS to post. How long did your post take you? A minute? Two? Try 15 minutes or more. I am one of the few here that can type normally but a long post like this tires even me.
 
I agree Nikki. Also, the topic, "illness that leads to disability that will require PT." Doesn't apply well to ALS.

My father died from disease 13 months from diagnosis. PT was prescribed to "strengthen" his muscles. In people with ALS, it weakens and fatigues muscle. I went ballistic when I found out the physical therapist had him walking around the house while he could barely breathe. It was an attempt to strengthen his leg muscles while his diaphragm was greatly compromised.

In this situation, there was no point. He was at risk of falling every time he walked and he got so fatigued he would be out of commission the next day. From my perspective, PT will not extend the quality of life in a patient with ALS.

The only benefit I saw would have been from massage for frozen shoulder and stiff joints.
 
It has to be about an illness that leads to disability that will require physical therapy and the type of physical therapy that patients do. So my questions are, you're age of onset what we're your first symptoms, what physical therapy excercises have you done throughout your illness, what are you doing now for physical therapy and does the physical therapy help. Thank you so much.


PTs with ALS don't benefit from regular PT. They cannot regain the use of their muscles, because the nerve from the brain is destroyed and so the brain cannot tell the muscle to move. Ever again. People in their 60s get this disease. The classic first symptom is either a hand or a foot muscle becomes seriously very week. PT "exercises" for ALS are typically limited to Range of Motion movements to minimize joint pain.
 
I know that muscles cannot be rebuilt in ALS. I was wanting to know if PT has helped with range of motion, or if it has had any benefits at all.
 
Also the PT activities that you have engaged in, I don't want anything long winded, I just need a couple primary sources. Thanks I really do appreciate it.
 
Again, from my experience, the physical therapists we worked with were not knowledgeable about ALS. This is a big problem. If they come in with a focus on building strength or maintain muscle, it doesn't work and is detrimental. If they understood the disease better and could focus on pain management through ROM that would be different. It wasn't our experience.
 
Trevor,
I see that you have posted in a couple of threads about whether or not you have ALS. I am concerned that this is not the right disease to focus on for your research. You need to research another disease that causes disability and requires physical therapy for your paper. Believe me, there are many other things to focus on rather than ALS. Researching and focusing on ALS may not be good for your own mental health. Good luck.
Tracy
 
Tracy is correct. Plus ALS does not fit your paper topic very well. You will get much more material if you address a condition that can be ameliorated or improved with PT
 
This is your third visit here.

In the first two visits you thought you had ALS due to twitchy feet.

Now you're a researcher.

Which is it?
 
jokester me thinks
 
Fwiw, he last logged on _after_ my above post, which means he had ample time to read and respond
 
AI agree with Tillie and Greg. I remember his past posts quite well. I also think that some of the repeat DIHALS have been here just to be Joksters (Tillies nice way of saying it).

They should be ashamed. I guess they suffer from idiot disease. I guess ignoring them is the best route...but on my bad days I just want to let them have it.

They can take all that negative energy and out it up their a×$. Then do something with the precious life they have been given.
 
He had an opportunity to respond after post 10. He has not. Closing thread
 
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