Rachel is a “doer.” Rachel is employed in a school cafeteria and she is very involved in her church. She enjoys getting things done around her house and in her community.

But starting last fall, Rachel’s ability to “do” has been limited. Rachel first injured her shoulder in the fall of 2015 while at work in the school cafeteria lifting boxes and crates. She underwent surgery in February of 2016 to repair a rotator cuff tear. After surgery, she began outpatient physical therapy at ACI Physical Therapy in Yanceyville.  Rachel chose Accelerated Care because her sister was a previous patient and had recommended Dr. Ryan Rubio, PT.

Like her sister, Rachel enjoyed the professional, upbeat, friendly atmosphere at ACI Physical Therapy. She said, “They’re treating the person as well as the injury. They treat you as an individual, they talk to you while you’re going through your therapy… and it makes you feel more comfortable.”

Beginning a shoulder rehabilitation program

When she first arrived at ACI Physical Therapy, Rachel’s arm was in a sling and she was experiencing substantial pain. After a thorough examination, her Physical Therapist created a personalized Physical Therapy Plan of Care including skilled Physical Therapy procedures and a Home Exercise Program. Her goals were to become independent with at-home exercises and to reduce pain and improve range of motion in her shoulder in order to restore her prior level of function.

Rachel’s treatment began with hands-on manual therapy to gently get the shoulder moving again. She progressed to therapeutic exercise supervised by her therapist, and was instructed in a Home Exercise Program to help her progress between visits.

Seeing results

Rachel experienced real, measurable improvement throughout her course of treatment at Accelerated Care Physical Therapy. After several visits, Rachel was improving and her physician was pleased with her progress. Rachel was able to discontinue use of a sling. Rachel began doing her Home Exercise Program designed by Dr. Rubio, and eventually progressed to lifting, pushing, and pulling more weight during her therapy visits. As her movement and function improved, Rachel’s pain also improved drastically.

Rachel credits ACI Physical Therapy with restoring her function. She said, “It was tough, they worked me hard, but I got back 100%.”

Special thanks to Rachel for sharing her physical therapy success story and for choosing ACI Physical Therapy!