I was able to go to my physical therapy appointment at the U of U this morning, cuz yesterday I got the news I passed my COVID-19 test. I had to prove I was virus-free before the staff at Pain Management Center would even open the door to me and wood Bow Tie o’ the Day. It was my first PT visit for the current torso distress I find myself in. (It feels like my ribs are squeezing my innards to death.) I am not convinced PT will do a dang bit of good for what aches me now, but I will do as I am told. I felt the same hopelessness about going to PT for my gnarly rotator cuff last year, but PT almost completely eliminated my shoulder issues. And so, I will give PT for my gut a whole-hearted go.
By the time I was done with today’s PT appointment, I had been through a thing called “trigger point dry needling” therapy, which I had never heard of before. It is sorta like acupuncture, but with electricity being pumped through the needles and into whatever muscles they are sticking out of. Electrified needles protruded down both sides of my spine and across my belly for most of my appointment. I kid you not.
While I was experiencing dry needling, it came to me. Here’s how you can determine whether or not you’ve hit your pain limit: You know you’ve hit your pain limit if you’re happily willing to endure new and different pain for the merest smidgen of a chance to get rid of the old familiar pain. Or something like that.