SESSION 1 - INITIAL CONSULTATION
I had visited this physiotherapist (Debbie) previously as I was experiencing tightness in my neck and right shoulder and she gave me a sports massage which had been helpful. One of the things I liked about Debbie in particular is that no matter how many questions I bombarded her with she seemed very knowledgeable and was able and willing to answer them all.
Upon meeting with her I explained how I injured my shoulder and also the current problem I was having i.e pain in the top end of the range of movement as I lifted my arm directly up in the air above my head. Unlike the NHS fracture doctor Debbie did not seem dismissive because I had a good range of movement and acknowledged that I was still having pain which to me is a BIG problem.
One thing that did cause a bit of concern is that Debbie asked for the exact location of the tear and how big it was following the ultrasound results. I told her that the woman at the fracture clinic that was supposed to give me my ultrasound results could offer no other information other than my shoulder was injured and she thought that it was a tear in the supraspinatus. When I questioned the woman at the fracture clinic she told me that she could not tell how big the tear was as all she had seen on the notes from the ultrasound technician is that there was a tear and it did not provide any other information . Debbie was perplexed by this but not surprised but stated it was very important to know for any physiotherapist that treats me. All she hoped is that the NHS physiotherapist gets more detailed information than the fracture clinic doctor.
She continued her examination of me using various tests involving the movement of my arm in different positions and hearing my feedback on where I was experiencing pain. Interestingly upon completion of her tests she said that there are actually two issues , Not just the one that the NHS has identified .
1. Pectoral strain - I had expressed from day one that I had had pain across my collarbone and this was dismissed by the NHS however the private physio believes that when I injured my shoulder I also experienced ligament strain at the point where the pectoral muscle attaches to the chest.
2. Supraspinatus tear - she can see from the problems that I'm having that I do have a tear somewhere in the supraspinatous however without the ultrasound she could not tell if it is from the tendon or muscle itself .
Another observation she made is that all of the muscles around my left neck and shoulder were extremely tight, which is probably a protective measure following injury so she also wanted to work on alleviating this issue aswell.
TREATMENT
Acupuncture - to increase bloodflow to this shoulder area
Sports massage - to work on the tightness in the shoulder
Infrared device - as above
Towards the end of the session we went through a number of exercises to help the shoulder area and stretch the left pectoral muscle. I was given a therapy band and had to perform several exercises using resistance in several directions. As my main pain and weakness is it the top of the range i.e with my arms straight up in the air I was told to only exercise up to shoulder level with the band. The non-band exercises I was given involved place my arm on the door frame and twisting away from my arm to provide a stretch in the pictorial muscle.
I was told to try the exercises for 10 days but always stop when I experienced pain. Interestingly the fracture clinic doctor had told me to 'push through a little bit'. Once the 10 days was over I should return for follow-up appointment and give my feedback. The cost of this private physiotherapy session was £45 and the follow up will be £37.
SESSION 2 - FOLLOW UP
Click here for details of my follow up session
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