There were many great things that happened during quarantine. I was able to get to know some awesome new people AND establish a Virtual PT service. I had no idea how things would go and I only hoped for the best. Fortunately, we had some great successes.
Today, we are highlighting Jody, a very motivated, driven and disciplined individual I had the pleasure of treating. She was dealing with some pretty debilitating shoulder pain and was in some dire need of help. It took her some time, but she finally found her way into my inbox and off we went. It wasn’t long before she showed me that she trusted the plan and was ready to get to work.
“In February my shoulder/arm began to bother me. I was handling it at first but it was lingering and not fully healing. Within a few weeks of quarantine, it became much worse and unbearable. I couldn’t do a burpee, child’s pose, wipe the counter, reach into a tall cupboard, dry my back with a towel. I couldn’t hook/unhook my bra!! I also turned 50 within the first weeks of quarantine and this along with my shoulder were really messing with my confidence. I am an avid Orangetheory “athlete” and was very worried about losing all the muscle I’d gained in the past three years. The trifecta of Orangetheory closing, turning 50, and not being able to exercise properly due to the injury caused me stress and worry.”
Her shoulder was dramatically affecting her life. We talked a lot about how much her identity was slowly stripped away from her as her shoulder worsened.
“Before starting my virtual PT appointments with Loni, I felt like I was losing a part of my identity, a very healthy part in which I felt strong and capable. I was pretty depressed about the whole situation (quarantine didn’t help) and it all felt out of my control because I didn’t know how to fix it. Exercise would hurt so much at first but then seemed to stretch my muscles and make the pain go away for awhile. Was I making it worse with that initial pain or challenging my arm and making it better? I really had no idea particularly as things were getting worse overall.”
We did our best to collaborate on a plan that she trusted and was committed to. Virtual PT is not like being in the office but for Jody, it worked very well. We try to set ourselves apart from other PT clinics in the way that we program and plan our treatment sessions. She had never ceased to amaze me by how hard she worked every day. We had some ups and downs, but over time the victories began to outway any days that the pain returned.
“Virtual PT was amazing for me. Quite honestly I went into it feeling like I might be untreatable. That I wouldn’t do it right. I’d never done PT before for anything, so I was afraid I’d miss the most important piece. That if there was a way to mess it up, I would. Meeting Loni (virtually) in my home, where I feel comfortable, was a perfect first step for me. Loni understanding and seeing what I had to work with helped us both help me – having done the exercises in my home with her (on my computer screen) was a great lead into the days of the week that I had to do the exercises on my own. I already knew what to do in my home, with my bits of pieces of equipment (full rum handles weigh 8 pounds). I can’t imagine that PT would’ve worked any better had I been visiting the office versus doing online appointments.”
Jody is absolutely killing it and making such awesome progress. We have not only surpassed MOST of her long term goals but made some new ones. I have strong hopes that she will have a stronger shoulder than ever before.
We asked Jody where she is now…
“I am back in control of my health and wellness. That’s the best feeling! I’m confident that I can do what I set out to do and I’m humbly reminded that there is no secret magic trick that will give me my strength, flexibility, and health. I have to put in the work. (a perfect life lesson to be mindful of during quarantine) And I’ve seen the results over the past 5 weeks, so I’m so eager to continue and get my shoulder/arm working as it had before this injury.”
I cant thank you enough Jody, for trusting the process and making it work with your 8-pound rum handles, haha! In all seriousness, this was such a great success story to share and I am incredibly grateful to have been able to work with her!
To sum up her experience…
“She patiently reminded my arm how it was supposed to function through a very thought out and ever changing exercise plan. Her attention to detail and genuine interest in my well being gave me confidence in her. Knowing I could trust her, kept me doing anything she asked of me. She encouraged me to keep moving forward, doing the things I could until my shoulder fully healed. She educated me on the inner workings of my injury. She was always available through our shared spreadsheet, email, and text. She celebrated victories with me and walked me through setbacks. When I told Loni that she helped me find my confidence again, she had the biggest smile, she was truly happy for me and she said, that’s what it’s all about. I say, that’s what Loni is all about, helping others get their confidence back.”