The Case Of The Patient Of The Woeful Countenance
Almost a month ago, I was blissfully vacationing with no more than the ordinary allotment of health hassles common to a guy in his mid-fifties. On the last full day of the one week trip, I began the same morning run I had completed each previous day. A half-mile later, a pain in my right leg became severe enough to abort the effort and limp back. Contrary to my expectations that the problem would resolve itself in a day or two, it persisted for three weeks, producing a pronounced limp and enough discomfort to make me wince whenever I had to bear weight on that leg and keep me awake at night. At that point, I was finally desperate enough to see my personal doctor who tentatively diagnosed a pulled adductor and recommended anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy with further testing for other disorders if there was no relief on this regimen. A few days later, the physical therapist performed his examination and prescribed the exercises pictured in the graphic atop this post as well as twice
weekly PT sessions.
The Compliance Conundrum
The facts are simple:
- The exercises are routine: Three stretches and one strength move that require perhaps 20-30 minutes a day and are unlikely to cause side-effects
- The twice weekly PT sessions are similarly routine
- My injury, while hardly catastrophic does cause me pain throughout each day and significantly limits my activities
- I understand the disorder and the treatment
- After only two days, I’m convinced that the treatment is likely to help; my only pain-free periods have been the 15-20 minutes that immediately followed completion of the exercises
- I have a reasonably good relationship with the physical therapist who seems competent and invested in my care
So why is compliance a significant concern to me? After all, I already integrate a 1.5 - 2 hour workout into every day (missing perhaps 10 days a year) for health reasons. And, my schedule, while full enough, is sufficiently flexible to accommodate the exercises and appointments.
Well, knowing that approximately half of all patients don’t adhere to their treatment in almost any healthcare situation may be a factor.
And I loathe stretching.
The only other negative that comes to mind is that I’m moderately miffed that I contacted this rehab facility because they advertised a satellite office near my home, but when I requested that office I was told that no appointments were available there for over a month - although they could fit me in to the schedule of their central, much less less convenient for me facility right away. I have no way of knowing the legitimacy of these circumstances, but I do have a sensitivity to being played for a sucker so there may be some residual negativity on my part.
Otherwise, this seems a no-brainer: Do a few stretches a day and drive a few miles twice a week for an appointment in return for a high probability of eliminating a painful, restricting disorder.
Nonetheless, on only the third day of the exercises, I feel the need to force myself to start the exercises and find myself looking for excuses to postpone them.
I don’t, by the way, have a solution. I’m just impressed with the problem.