Hmmm...my experience with PT was always that I ended PT at a level 9-10 on the pain scale...usually going in at a 7 or 8 (sometimes worse if I had just come from work). I started in pool therapy, which meant that the weight bearing was gradual and I had several weeks before I moved to using the bike and that was only 3 minutes to start with. It was weeks after that before I started using the treadmill and that started with only 4 minutes at a VERY slow pace.

But after every session I was given electronic stim. Initially they were giving me stim and ICE...very, very bad. After a couple of days I explained to the therapist that the ice made the pain worse so we switched to stim and heat instead. We did 15 minutes of stim and heat, and when I walked out the door I had a pain level of between 4 and 6. It only lasted for an hour or so (sometimes less) before the pain was back up to its normal level of 7 or 8. We also did an ultrasound at the beginning of every non-pool session and it seemed like that helped slightly...but I was never 100% convinced about that.

Essentially...I hated every second of PT but I honestly believe that I would not be where I am right now if I had not gone through it. But then again...the key for me was that the PT was gradual and while the therapist pushed...she never pushed too hard too fast. Even though I am not in PT anymore, I still continue to do ALL the PT exercises that I was given every day (minus the ones that require equiptment...those I do once a week at the park district fitness center). I am still in a lot of pain all the time (7-10)...but I am functioning and have gained a semblance of my life back. I don't think I would be where I am at now without the PT and pushing through the worst pain flares to reach the ultimate goal.

But everyone is different and I think they need to decide what is best for them. That's just my experience with PT.