Advice please!

[Loretta]

Hello

I wonder if anyone here could possibly offer some advice?

A dear friend of mine has suffered for some years with a lower back pain, which has increasingly got worse over the years. Without wishing to go into detail, they were referred to a physiotherapist by a specialist late summer last year - with an end result that they are now physically unable to do less than ever before (some days even unable to walk) and a recent MRI scan has showed a problem with one of the discs whereas prior to the physio treatment, an MRI scan had showed a normal spinal column.
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I've never had to deal with anything like this before and I wondered whether anyone here knows how my friend can make a complaint about her treatment by the physiotherapist? Surely something must be able to be done about this?

Thanks so much for reading.

With bright blessings
Moonpoppy
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[Hermes]

Why not contact the regulatory body for physios - the Chartered Society for Physiotherapists - [email protected] you could ask their advice about what action could be taken.

 

[mavrodimmm]

Hi Moonpoppy

Most physios just use pulse type machinery or give them exercises to do, it is very unlikely that that type of treatment would cause any form of problem, as you say the pain has been there for many years and the first MRI scan might have missed the problem, the scanners are good but not infallible.

Something underlying has been causing the problem, the physio might just have brought it to the surface so to speak, the good thing is they now know what they are dealing with so it can be sorted

 

[sazz]

Actually physios can muck up big time and i know this because they almost caused a massive injury for my mother. She had a knee operation and was given specific exercises to do with a physio every week. She went back to her doctor complaining that she was in more pain than when she started and showed the doctor as best as she could part of the exercise routine she was told to do every week. The doctor was more annoyed than i was because he told her she should under any circumstances be doing what she was trying to do because it would mean she'd have to have her back and hip operated on if she carried it on. She would have ended up knocking her hip out of place and also damaged the lower discs of her spine. So yeah they mess up big time sometimes.

I was told i'd need physio but would have to wait for over a year to get anything and gave up waiting and went to Kieser Training in London. Its the best thing i ever did and i'm glad i joined. They used to take NHS referalls but had to stop this because they couldn't afford to take on the amount of referrals. People go there for replacement physio or just to use it as a type of gym. It isn't like most gyms in fact its not like any gym i've ever seen before. If your friend lives near Camden tell them to get in touch with them to see if they can help her. There is a doctor there who checks you over and makes a programme for the individual needs of people there so you get the best out of your time there.

Clare x

 

[Backwater Charlie]

My goodness..the amount of times I've heard this. My husband has treated, successfully,many people because of inappropriate treatment given.

I recommend Tai Chi, Massage and Acupuncture, as this is how he treats back and other problems.

I do think your friend should put in some sort of complaint....and keep away from physio.

 

[bananaberry]

If you go to a member of the Chartered Institute of Physiotherapists - they are the only qualified ones. You should not go to anyone who isn't a member of this body.

Unfortunately years ago people who weren't qualified were calling themselves physios and were generally the ones causing damage to people. Now it is illegal for people who are not members of the Chartered Institute of Physiotherapists to advertise themselves as physios. However they can practice as they can get round the law by not calling it physiotherapy. I got caught out last year - my regular physios were bothon holiday (unusually) and someone in work said I should go to someone they'd been to. When I looked up this person in the yellow pages he was advertised as a physio (unfortunately the yellow pages had been printed after the law had been changed) but he didn't have the same letters after his name as my regular physios which made me a bit suspicious. Against my better judgement I went to him. It was one of the worst things I've done in my life. I ended up in hospital through his rough handling. Since then I've heard many people (including my regular physios and others I've come across) saying that he's wrecked people's bodies- including apregnant woman whow as covered in bruises ! A fully qualified physio would only maniupulate as a last resort for example and I've never left a qualified physio feeling worse than when i went in. Sometimes people think you have tofeel worse before feeling better -but this is an urban myth.

YOu just have to be so careful. If this person isn't aqualified physio (some people call themselves physios by word of mouth or get round it by calling themselves sports therapists or holistic therapists) there isn't much you could do as some don't belong to a professional body. If this person IS a qualified physio then contact the Chartered Institute of Physiotherapists for advice (as Jabba the hut mentioned). Saying that - I've never ever been hurt after being to a proper qualified physio. In the past"cowboys" have given the profession a bad name.

Hope this helps.

 

[you dig my swag*]

The people who have come to us had all been treated by Physiotherapists within Hospitals...so theymust be'qualified' to work there in first place.

Some of the exercises given were horrendous and not suitable to the person's problems at all. One lady, who had compressed lower discs, was given backward bendingexercises for the lumber region which compressed her discs even more...she told us she had stopped them because it had hurt too much. Too right!!!!

A friend had had bowel surgery and was given an epidural to numb him from the waist down for 48 hours for recovery. The very next day after his very extensive surgery, a Physio turned up and made him do some painfulexercises. After she'd left, he started to feel morepain and the man in the next bed told him he didn't look too good, and sothis mancalled the nurse.
The next thing our friend remembers, after having a near death experience, was waking up in the heart cardiac crash unit. It was explained to him and his family that the exercises, from the so-called trainedPhysiotherapist, had dislodged the epidural needle and it had started to drip into his heart cavity causing his heart to arrest!!!!
To add insult to near fatal injury, she turned up the next day to give him more exercises to do, where he, not politely at all, told her to f..k off!
She wasn't even disciplined about this........so much for state registered Physios.

These are just 2 stories, amongst many, thatwe've heard and it is appalling. What on earth is happening?
Andjust imagine what would've happened to a complementary therapist if they had done this!

 

[iyzajplf]

Thank you all, so very much, for your helpful suggestions and ideas.

I am firmly of the belief that this (fully qualified - my friend was referred by their (private, not NHS) specialist) physiotherapist has done some serious damage; I am always fair and open-minded, mindful that every individual is not suited to every treatment, but to have seen the pain accumulating at such a rapid pace leaves me in no doubt. There are also a myriad of other things which point to the physio's lack of professionalism but this is not the place for those ...!

Sarahk ... exactly! This is why my friend is so desperate to at least alert the professional body that there may be an issue (and also alert the clinic that they work from).

*shiver*

Thanks so much, once again ...

With bright blessings
Moonpoppy x
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