[runner]

Hi Steel,

A synopsis of a typical PT day:
1) Start off with laying down on a heat pad for about 10 minutes.

2) PT works on piriformis and spinal muscles, massaging them, getting them looser, putting his elbow into my tight muscles, etc..

3) Stretches with PT doing them. Hamstring, piriformis.

4)Onto the pilates reformer machine. Three exercises, 1) core exercise with feet at table top position, towel between my calves, 2) Heels together, and my hands in straps together--another core exercise like below, initially used ball between knees, 3) hamstring stretch using the pilates strap and recently added, 4) stretching hip flexors on pilates.

5) Walking across room with band around ankles, sideways, about four times.

6) me hooked up in harness as PT guy resists my movement. Forward, sideways and backwards. Four times each way. Coming back facing the same way as to work each side. (Picture a horse howing a field)

7) Bosso ball, balance on ball and hold stick as therapist resists your movement. Knees bent. aND two exercises using low-weight dumbbells (3 pounds?)

8)Bird dogs--hands and feet on cushion bench. making sure not to raise feet too high.

Also different exercises that have irritated my back and thus were discontinued. Fishes on boso ball. No rotational exercises, no full-bridges. No cobra like movements.
Paying a lot of attention to keeping a pelvic tilt with core exercises.
Finish off with laying on ice pad for 10 minutes.

I also have home exercises that I do.

Knee to Chest stretch, bilateral

Pelvic tilt

Supine hamstring strech

Supine piriformis stretch

Gastroc stretch

Soleus stretch

Bird dogs, Arm/leg extension

Trunk stability, straight leg raise

Pelvic tilt with crunches, lifting shoulders off floor.

Steel, you got to remember that my PTs have not done ADR patients before. They are just really good PTs (there are three of them) and I usually now work with only one.
I gave the PT all the PT info I had and he made up a program. They have worked extensively with fusion patients so they have a lot of experience, but some exercises have been kind of hit and miss. Like I did some arm pulls and that messed with my back so no more arm pulls or lat pulls.
Some exercises just don't work and so we have scrapped them.

It varies on how my back feels and how I am doing. Sessions last usually an hour-and-a-half.

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