Deanna

How long did you wait before deciding to come to physical therapy?
It was about a few months. I had an issue with scheduling but once I was able to see the doctor, she recommended physical therapy.

What was and how bad was your problem prior to getting physical therapy?
I had like five different things wrong with my shoulder. I had two areas that had been torn so I had surgery to fix them. My condition at the time was that I was in a sling, my arm totally immobile. I came here to get my arm moving again because the doctor told me I needed to make sure that my shoulder didn’t freeze up.

What was this shoulder pain causing you to miss out on?
Just about everything, for me. My condition is a little unique. I have an artificial left arm. I was born without my left arm, so having my right arm in a sling made me totally incapable of doing anything really.

What would you say to someone who was hesitant about getting physical therapy?
They need to come here. I have been to several different physical therapists. I’ve even been to the Mayo Clinic when I first moved here. They were trying to heal my shoulder before surgery and it did not work. The physical therapy there was not very effective in my opinion. Not compared to here. Now that I see a difference and I know what’s good and I know what’s bad and what works and what doesn’t, this type of physical therapy is very unique and one on one. The entire team is very educated and they know what they’re doing. I would tell them please come here. You won’t regret it.

Out of all the things that you enjoyed about coming here, what was your favorite?
What I really enjoyed about this place was that if someone left me, there was still always someone with me every minute. They didn’t just tell me, “oh do this exercise” and then walk off. That was the main thing that I really, really enjoyed about it here.

What was your goal and did we help you to achieve it?
Yes, I wanted to be able to drive. My husband has some unique medical issues so not being able to drive was kind of crucial for us. I haven’t tried it yet, but I believe I am now at the point where I would be able to do that.