Patient Testimonials: Anonymous

"When I first began my program at UBC, I was a little skeptical (I admit). However, I knew I would learn something that might prevent a future injury.

I never expected to learn so many things. I concentrated greatly on form and not on speed, because I wanted to create habits that would prevent injuries. I did a lot of lifting exercises in OT (occupational therapy) where proper form was crucial. The exercise that surprised me with results was the push-pull. At first, I didn’t see much benefit, as the pushing and pulling was so easy to do. Jen (UBC-Everett OT assistant) watched us to make sure we were moving our feet, so that we weren’t twisting at the waist to do it. At first, I had to concentrate to make sure it was done correctly. Within a week or two, it became a habit. I noticed that at work, I was moving my feet instead of twisting. The occasional popping sounds I heard in my knees and ankles have stopped. I also noticed that at the end of work, my feet aren’t killing me. The extra movement has helped the circulation.

The back and upper extremity films also taught me a great deal. I never realized that stress and proper nutrition could result in an injury. I also never realized that sitting puts more stress on the back than standing. However, the one topic that has helped my condition the most is ergonomics.

Because of my condition, I will have to modify many tasks to fit my abilities. At work, I will change the way the work is normally done, so that I change activities much more frequently. This will (hopefully) reduce the pain I have when doing the extremely repetitive work. Dr. Welch (UBC medial director) quite frequently referred to the analogy of running marathons. So here is my solution: I may not be able to run a marathon, but I can walk a mile many times and still get to the finish line.

I have never engaged in aerobic activities. As a child it was discovered that I had a heart murmur. Therefore, I was never allowed to participate in physical education in school. A lot of good habits are created in the early years. Most kids that participate in sports tend to be physically active adults. When I first began PT (physical therapy), I thought I would die. I was huffing and puffing and my legs felt like Jell-O. I dreaded it for about the first ten days. The first time I used the elliptical machine, I wanted to stop after three minutes. I didn’t think I could do it for one more second. To my amazement, ten days later I did it for fifteen minutes, and could have done it for longer! The stationary bicycle and the treadmill were even easier than the elliptical machine."