Having gone through this injury a second time I really saw the importance of quality physical therapy. When I injured myself back in 2007, I was referred to a really good PT clinic in Bellevue. The PT who I was assigned to was top notch. She put me through the ringer and I believe to this day, that she was the reason for my expedited recovery. She really worked me. Putting me through a series of painful stretches, bends and such that really pushed me.
I worked with her about 2-3 times a week for around 2 months before I decided to take on the rehab by myself. Having no health insurance at that time was also a deciding factor. I simply couldn’t afford to stay with her for my PT and I decided after a certain point that I could finish the rehab on my own.
My Physical Therapy for my bilateral tear experience in 2013 was really a frustrating and disappointing experience. Now my physical therapist was great guy and he seemed to have the experience and knowledge about my injury to give the proper rehab care, but I quickly felt every time I came into the clinic that I wasn’t given the professional care that I had received from the PT clinic 6 years prior.
My frustration was with the PT assistants and well yes also the PT themselves. There were 2 PT’s on hand and they had 2 to 3 assistants, but the attention to the client was not there. I always felt I had to remind them to start the timer, to do my stretches and often times I was waiting for my assistant to figure out my next exercise. I just felt I was wasting my time and money and I was, on several occasions, just ready to walk out and find an new PT clinic. I was that frustrated and I realize I should have made my point more clear.
There were times were I vented my frustrations to my PT that I wanted to spend time with exercises that would actually rehab my legs more than all this stretching. I realize that stretching is important, but this is something I can do at home. I wanted to be put through the ringer again as was done to me before. This was a pattern I noticed which is similar to what a lot of dentists or other medical places like to take part in. Meaning they either drag on services so that you keep coming back and you are paying more and more over time. So after awhile I decided enough is enough and I left and took charge of my own PT as I felt I had enough experience with this injury.
Do your part and find a quality physical therapist for your injury as the speed of your recovery will depend on it. You want a therapist who has extensive experience with this injury and knows how to properly rehab it so that you will be back on track. If the first therapist doesn’t cut it find another one.
