Insurance Approved PT Referral

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Krackersones

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I just got a referral approved by my insurance company for physical therapy. It was ordered after my neuro had me stand up with my feet together and he pushed me (I felt pretty hard) from the side and I took a step (I didn't fall over). He told me my balance was off because of the documented vibration sense loss in my feet and legs. I have never fallen or lost my balance to the point where I had to grab something to remain standing in every day life. If the neuro hadn't said something, I would never have thought I had a balance problem and I spend 6 hours a day teaching on my feet. I also walk up and down stairs with heels on and don't need to hold the rails. Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone has had physical therapy since the onset of twitching and whether any of it was helpful for the twitching. I'm hoping at a minimum I can get some strength training and maybe some massage to help with the extra sore muscles that may be part of this condition. I'm a little worried that this could however make the twitching worse.
 
I had PT for my back and my neck back in September (which was around the start of my twitching). It really didn't do a thing for the twitches. In fact if anything it made me freak out more because the exercises made me notice more weakness than I thought I had (in my shoulders, forearms, etc). Of course that later turned out to just be perceived weakness, but to me it seemed like physical therapy just stressed me out more. It did help the headaches I was having though (based on bad posture), so I guess that is something. At first, I actually thought the body wide twitches I was having had come from the muscle electro-stimulation they were giving me at PT. I thought the electricity had jolted something and knocked it out of whack. Again, this turned out not to be true, but PT was a little bit of an ordeal the first couple appointments I had.The big difference I guess is that your doctor prescribed PT specifically for your twitching issues, and mine was for an unrelated issue. So maybe the exercises you get will be different. My physical therapists had never heard of BFS and had no idea what I was talking about.
 
Jro -Wait - let me get this right - your neuro unexpectedly pushed you from the side and you took a step? On that basis, you and he think that your balance is off? Try this on anyone and unless they are a martial artist or a professional athlete that utilizes side to side motion, they will take a step. What is WITH these guys? :rolleyes: Who here on the forum practices their balance? Raise your hands... hmmm I think that is like 2 people if I'm counting right. It never hurts to practice this stuff so if that is what they will help you with, why not?PT can be useful or it can be discouraging (as Mario pointed out). I'm sure there are many different responses to the various modalities but I found a lot of it irritates my symptoms and very little of it calms or helps them. Passive stretching may help (they stretch you), hot and cold treatments, strength training may help you overall....it's worth a try. Don't get your hopes up and realize that all therapists are not created equal. I also found that the little electrical stimulation device made things much worse for several days afterward so don't let them put it anywhere on your trunk area until you are sure it doesn't affect you that way. Maybe try it on an arm or a leg first. I read an article (sigh - me and these medical publications - bad habit) where they used a similar type of muscle stimulation. I believe that the idea was that the researchers were seeing if they could use it to diagnose BCFS because muscle firing continued much longer in people previously Dx'd with bcfs than in the controls. SO this supports my and Mario's experience.
 
My impression is the same as AllGoodHere...why the hell is pushing you? Sounds pretty lame, or perhaps that was just his way of getting you off his back, Krackersones. For him to make a comment that you have balance issues sounds entirely suspect, and even ridiculous.If one goes to enough medical professionals, eventually something wrong will be found with them; if only to placate a doctor's ego.I am an ardent exerciser; which is my own personal form of pt, and usually I twitch more after working out. Massage sounds good, though; just wish I wasn't so ticklish.Basso
 
Yeah I do have to say that the massage was nice. I can say without exception that I had NO twitching while I was getting a neck massage. I just laid back and relaxed for 20 minutes, and it was the nicest 20 minutes of my day. So there's something to be said for PT if it involves regular massage therapy.
 
I agree with all of your thoughts about the balance dx. It seemed a little "off the wall" or at least very unscientific but I was so happy he was saying I had no muscle strength problems based on his tests that I sort of didn't give much concern to his balance problem dx, especially since he said the balance problem was related to my poor sensory vibration sense. Anyway, I''ll give the pt thing a try since it is free. I will insist on a reasoned explanation for their treatment if it seems strange or like something that would make things worse. I will also push for the massage which I know will at least feel good at the time and may even help.
 
You stand and walk on high heels...I do the same and what I will tell you is that is has less to do with "vibratory sensation" and more to do with altered muscle contractions etc due to the altered gait in heels. Your "proprioception" is off...the way your nerves tell you brain where your body is in space and it has more to due with your ankles than your brain. There is always a price for high heels other than making your butt and legs look better:))) Now, proprioception training is a great idea..it helps in general with balance and it has nothing whatsoever to do with this condtion. It will allow you to wear even higher heels:))) I would recommend avoiding e. stim. treatments as they will cause you to twitch more. The test that was performed on you by the way...not really conclusive for much of anything.Smooches,Kit
 
Just to present a bit of counter argument, once I got used to my twitches and the electro stimulation, I had no problem with it at all. The first two sessions were a little unnerving but sessions 3-12 were perfectly fine. They hook you up to the electrodes, it stimulates and massages a particular muscle group, and 30 minutes later you walk out feeling as calm as can be. So in and of itself, the electro stimulation isn't necessarily a bad thing. You just have to know what it is and how you will feel if your body is in a particularly jumpy state that day. Like I said, for the last 9 sessions it really didn't affect me at all.
 
Ten and a half months into my bodywide twitching, I went to physical therapy. The therapist just did a neuro exam and had me exercise on various machines and stretch. He wants me to report how my body reacted to the exercise before he has me do anything else. The good news is he said "you're strong" after testing every major muscle in my arms, legs, hands, feet, back, etc. He also said I was totally symmetrical in my strength. I asked him to test my reflexes because I'm always told they are brisk which concerns me a bit even though I know this can be normal in many people. He tested them and said they are brisk but said his are no different. I had another neuro say the same thing about his reflexes and mine. So I guess the bottom line is it's hard to know what brisk reflexes mean if they happen in the normal population. He also said my reflexes were symmetrical. He said I did not have clonus. He used the word "beats." Then I said you mean clonus and he was impressed. You learn some new vocab quick with these symptoms.I felt my twitching was a little worse after all the exercise but nothing horrendous.
 
I wanted to add that while I was doing leg presses, my husband was standing next to me and pointed to his arm muscle twitching. It looked just like some of mine when they happen. He moved his arm and it stopped. I know we all know that everyone twitches at times and my husband certainly doesn't have the 24/7 onslaught I do but it is interesting that muscles twitch in so many people and we still don't really know why.
 
Hi. Bro ibtried to pm but could not.I am the same and thanks for asking. Neuro spot in July ... A six month check up . All places the same in terms of twitching... Tongue etc.... Just not as often. It has been a year or just a bit more. Am trying to stay off of site. Freaks me out too much. I hope you are well ...still get scared but really try not to think of it .... Don't mean to be selfish but I can't be on this site at this point.... Taking b vitamins .... Pilates .... Walking...... Still get weird spots etc..... Gotta go. Best to you all
 

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