Physical Therapy - Can I Just Go To a Gym?

**Chainsaw_Willie** · 01-25-2012, 01:55 AM

My health insurance doesn't cover PT/rehab very well and my unemployed ass isn't going to be able afford 2x weekly visits to the therapist.

Talked to my dad tonight and he seems to think I could just join a gym and get a personal trainer who knows something about my type of injury and would know what exercises would work best. Anyone ever heard of this? My dad can be kind of a crackpot at times, but other times he's a pretty smart guy.

Background info: Anterior dislocation of left shoulder resulting in separation of the labrum. Have dislocated a few times now and my body alignment & muscles are all out of whack from trying to compensate for the pain/weakness in that shoulder. Ortho doc highly recommended PT/rehab over surgery at this point. Went to first PT session today but the cost is going to be a killer.

Recommendations, insight, suggestions welcome.

**Sirshredalot** · 01-25-2012, 08:09 AM

I'm actually doing some shoulder PT at the gym right now. I have allegedly good insurance, but like most insurance policies these days, they started bouncing shit as soon as I started making actual claims. So the PT quickly got to be too expensive. I have a great gp who printed me out some sheets of additional shoulder-strengthening exercises and told me to just hit the gym. He pointed out that I can always go back to him, to PT, to specialists if it doesn't work. If you already have some concept of how to lift without hurting yourself and you have some guidance on stretches and exercises that will help you, I don't see how it can hurt.

It sounds like your shoulder might be somewhat more fucked than mine (I just have inflammation and tendonitis issues, though it hurt like a motherfucker), so maybe our situations aren't entirely comparable. But I have been happy with my approach so far.

**neufox47** · 01-25-2012, 08:20 AM

How important is your shoulder to you? There is a reason physical therapists go to school for 6 years. The personal trainer will probably cost just as much as the physical therapist for one on one. You may be able to find a PT who will work with you on price. Especially if you are bringing cash to each visit. In MA some PT co's were getting as low as $50 for an hour after insurance reductions, etc.

Better option if I were trying to scrape by would be to get the exercises and instruction (maybe even the equipment - ie bands, tubing, etc) from your physical therapist then do it yourself at home. After a few weeks go back for a visit or two and see what exercises they will progress you to. Get those exercises and do them on your own for a while.

Wouldn't hurt to get a couple of books on shoulder rehab if you are doing this yourself.

Just realize the odds of you or a trainer doing more damage are pretty high. If you screw it up you will end up costing a lot more.

**MJbumper1121** · 01-25-2012, 08:24 AM

No go on the surgery? PT is going to be only as good as the next tiem you decide to push your shoulder or even have a fall on the mountain. I hope it works for you, but in my experience, didn't have luck until sugery.

**wicked_sick** · 01-25-2012, 08:28 AM

I've got several pages of shoulder rehab exercises that my PT gave me. I'll see if I can find them for you. At the time of my injury I was not covered for PT so I paid for one visit and picked his brain and got an exercise list, did exercises for a month and then scheduled a followup appt. I've been fine since.

**liamy** · 01-25-2012, 01:17 PM

Any PT should be understanding and respectful of your situation, you're not the only one in it. Maybe they can give you instruction and you can do the exercises on your own. You could see the PT maybe twice a month or so, so they can check on your progress and advance your exercises.
Lack of proper exercises can leave you with permanent deficits, so do what you need to do.
Good luck.....amy

**lookinback** · 01-25-2012, 07:53 PM

This is a good suggestion just keep in mind that your condition might not be exactly what someone else has...you can do quite a bit of damage if you do the wrong exercises. Shoulder dislocations can become very complicated, for example if you broke a fragment off your glenoid cavity during the injury. Thus, if you have a complicated dislocation (which i bet you have from the sounds of it) a personal trainer has the potential to cause damage via negligence. But heh its your shoulder, but my vote is get it fixed right so it doesnt plague you down the road

Originally Posted by neufox47

Better option if I were trying to scrape by would be to get the exercises and instruction (maybe even the equipment - ie bands, tubing, etc) from your physical therapist then do it yourself at home. After a few weeks go back for a visit or two and see what exercises they will progress you to. Get those exercises and do them on your own for a while.

THISSSSSSSSSSS FTW

Originally Posted by neufox47

Just realize the odds of you or a trainer doing more damage are pretty high. If you screw it up you will end up costing a lot more.

**crackboy** · 01-25-2012, 09:15 PM

i don't see why that won't work. there are enough shoulder people here that could give you a workout to use

PT is mostly refined workouts anyway, especially pre-surgery. post-op i had a lot of manipulation that helped way more

**Chainsaw_Willie** · 01-26-2012, 11:29 PM

I talked to the PT today and let her know my financial situation. I'm going to go in for two more visits next week and if we can't find some way to offset the costs then she'll write up a plan for me and I'll go in to see her every two weeks.

They do have a financial assistance program, I need to bring in some proof of my current income to see if I qualify, which means I'm going to have to try to get the unemployment office to send me some documentation. I wonder how long that will take and how many hoops I'll have to jump through...?

The PT also feels that while the exercises I'm doing are a good thing and will help, that ultimately I'm likely to dislocate again if I continue skiing and etc. I gotta say, the manipulations she does at the beginning of each session feel really good. I gotta see if I can scrape up the money for a massage every now and then if I stop going regularly.

**old goat** · 08-12-2025, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Chainsaw_Willie

I talked to the PT today and let her know my financial situation. I'm going to go in for two more visits next week and if we can't find some way to offset the costs then she'll write up a plan for me and I'll go in to see her every two weeks. They do have a financial assistance program, I need to bring in some proof of my current income to see if I qualify, which means I'm going to have to try to get the unemployment office to send me some documentation. I wonder how long that will take and how many hoops I'll have to jump through...? The PT also feels that while the exercises I'm doing are a good thing and will help, that ultimately I'm likely to dislocate again if I continue skiing and etc. I gotta say, the manipulations she does at the beginning of each session feel really good. I gotta see if I can scrape up the money for a massage every now and then if I stop going regularly.

Glad to see your therapist will give you a plan. A generic plan from someone else with a bad shoulder is a bad idea. Not all shoulders injuries are the same.