Amber originally hurt her shoulder playing volleyball over a year ago, and suffered with the pain ever since. After multiple visits to the doctor and some physical therapy it never really got better. She thought her only option was surgery. She was diagnosed with a labral tear and a rotator cuff strain. This injury caused daily pain and made it difficult for her to perform every day activities. The pain limited her ability to play volleyball and gave her trouble getting through a full work day as a sports massage therapist.
She met Dr. Amanda when she opened up Composure Massage Therapy right next door to Restore Physical Therapy! After speaking with Dr. Amanda about her story, she decided to give PT another shot and take action. Dr. Amanda completed a full body assessment and told Amber the solution was fairly simple. Majority of her pain was coming from her muscles, not her labrum. (She was told she would probably have to get her labrum repaired) But why would you fix something that isn’t contributing to the the pain? Her strength was not where it needed to be in order to perform the activities related to her job as well as a volleyball player. The lack of total shoulder stability and stamina- made her at risk for re-injuring it and never fully recovering. The real issue during that year of suffering was that Amber was never given the correct road map to recovery. Instead she was told the next option was surgery. So we began the journey.
Dr. Amanda explained to Amber that with the right program and commitment she will get back to playing volleyball and be able to avoid surgery 100%. Within 4 weeks of starting her PT program she built up enough strength where she was able to tolerate her caseload as a Sports Massage Therapist (aka providing Deep Tissue Massage). In 3 months she was back to playing volleyball!
Amber was a star patient! She was devoted to her program and with the guidance of Dr. Amanda she took all the right steps to manage her pain and soreness. She took rest days when needed. She asked questions during the process and was fully committed to her recovery. Her program consisted of manual therapy, dry needling and a total body strength program. Her exercise prescription was detailed and adjusted each week as she made progress. At Restore Physical Therapy, we don’t just treat “the diagnosis” we treat the entire person and body. This approach leads to better outcomes and reduced rate of re-injury. Amber’s program addressed everything, not just her shoulder!
Amber was discharged from physical therapy and has returned fully to her previous level of activity. Amber still maintains her shoulder health by following a maintenance program. The goal of physical therapy is not only to eliminate pain and return to your prior level of activity, but it is about making your body strong and resilient so injuries are less likely to re-occur. Amber’s resilience and commitment got her back to her life pain-free and saved her from getting unnecessary surgery!
If you have a similar story, suffered from shoulder pain, told you have to stop the activities you love or told your only option is surgery please give us a call today! You can speak to a PT on the phone or schedule a FREE 20 minute Discovery Session to see how we can help you!
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