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Ok, I am 9 weeks post surgery and have been in PT for the last 5 weeks but one of the things they don't do is massage the foot after my toe was severed due to hammer toe and they also are not doing anything about the scar tissue. I looked up how to do lymphatic massage on the foot and I immediately started to feel a lot better, the swelling is down drastically. When will medical professionals and PT staff begin to take more needed approaches? My doctor provided with limited info on recovery, PT staff have 4 to 5 additional patients at the same time so they are not really helping me address the lack of movement in my toes, nor do they have access to X-rays to determine where the hardware is although they are part of the same clinic as the orthopedic surgeon. I am shocked at the fact that a clinic like Resurgens in Atlanta GA has fallen so behind on medical approaches. SMH
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I am six months post surgery and still have significant pain when walking.😢 I have gone to physical therapy once or twice per week for 5 of these months! I recently switched therapists, even though it is out of network with my health insurance, and I am completely paying out-of-pocket. I am astounded by the different techniques he is using and hoping this will really help! It is true that all physical therapists and their modalities are definitely not equal! 
My pt did with my foot. It was awesome. I had ankle pain and they explained why and what was happening and massaged the ligament/tendon and helped it so much. Did lymphatic massage. Usually done at end of pt session.
I had this same problem in Pa. At first they would work on my foot do bending and rubbing my foot. As soon as I was full weight bearing all they had me do is stations. about 4 weeks in I started having more pain. So stopped pt was at doctors today and my hardware has moved and I have to have it removed. I am 14 weeks and I have to hope my foot heals and inflammation goes down before I have open it up again. I wish I never did pt. I was sent there to get me toe and foot bending.
My PT massages my foot each session and moves my toes around. She also moves around scar tissue. Definitely lymph massage helps push fluid out out other lymph nodes. I learned that after breast cancer 4 years ago and still do lymph massage for that as well, it really does help.
You absolutely need a new pt! They are not doing their job adequately. Don't be shy about requesting a different therapist and why you feel you need a different one.
Very few do hands on PT anymore . So unfortunately for the patient
That’s kind of weird. My PT spends probably a good 10 minutes each session doing hand on assistance on whatever is bothering me that day — Sometimes she’ll scrape my arch with one of those scrappers to get the knots out. Other times she’ll work with the toe, or even the ankle to help with mobility and how much I can flex my foot
There is a lot of variation in how good PTs are. I have had quite a few experiences and they range from mediocre to excellent. Yes, some companies basically run assembly lines, which is a waste of time.
We call those PT mills, they prioritize the billing of units over quality of care. Decreasing insurance reimbursement rates are the cause, manual therapy doesn’t pay as well as other charges and clinics require X number of charges per patient/per hour or therapists start getting chastised over their metrics. Find another PT clinic.
Wow! You’re definitely not receiving the full, proper and individualized service that you ought to be receiving and I’m sorry to hear/read this. My first/initial appt with my pt was spent with her and I in a room where she assessed my foot (incision, toe stiffness, swelling, discoloration), performed a lymphatic massage for about 10 minutes while we spoke and got a little familiar with one another. We spoke about my previous functioning level pre-surgery, how recovery was affecting my life thus far and my goal of returning to work, activities, etc. She then did passive ROM (range of motion) and had me perform active ROM so that she could assess where I was and to ensure I was doing it properly. She also did ROM measurements. She went over my ICP (individualized care plan) that she’d already prepared based on my procedure and surgeons recommendations. We went to the therapy room. There, she tested me on strength, balance, gait, functional mobility and heel-to-toe push-off, which wasn’t great as I was in a CAM boot). She ended up making a few changes to my ICP based on that initial evaluation. The real physical therapy work began from my 2nd appt on. That’s when she’d start with the massage and ROM exercises, before having me go over to the therapy room to perform different exercises for several minutes. As I progressed, so did the recommended exercises. Beginning 2wks post-op and ending at 7wks post-op, I had a total of 6 sessions with her. Your appt with your therapist is supposed to be with and for you only! Not several other patients at the same time. That’s a recipe for the therapist to neglect one or more patients by trying to do too much with too many patients simultaneously. I’ve never heard of that being done before. Is it possible for you to request another therapist and/or location?
100% true. Big box therapy is all revenue driven.
Soooooo unfortunate!!!
I've been aPT assistant for 25 years, it's gotten so bad many of us have left the industry. The days of 1:1 treatment or at least 1:1 for 30 minutes allowed for hands on treatment to perform manual therapies is long gone. Clinics now expect 4 pts scheduled at a time. Quality of care has greatly diminished..
The PT that I switched to shared with me that he used to work for the “big box monopoly” that my insurance covers - I am SO GRATEFUL that he is now in a place to use & specialize in HANDS ON foot & ankle therapy!!
When I did PT the actual PT massaged my foot each time I saw him, which was every other visit. The techs did not massage it. I don't really have scar tissue that needs broken up but my scar is really sensitive since it's been cut into twice. I also had hardware removal. I was told to use different types of cloth or texture like towels and shirts and things and rub it to desensitize it...which I didn't do much of and it's still pretty sensitive.🫤
Find a new therapy clinic. Call around, ask if they treat 1:1 or how many patients are grouped together. Therapist are pushed by management to bil, bill, bill!!
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