Thread by @CombatTherapist

MY INJURY BACKGROUND

Experience is always the best teacher.

Below is my rehab horror story, which has shaped the way I do things today with everyone I work with.

7 Years ago I was playing football at the highest level and trialling at numerous professional clubs in Australia.

On an extremely wet day, I landed heavily on an outstretched arm.

I dislocated my shoulder, put it back into place and continued on with the rest of the game.

The following day I could not even pick up a pencil.

This is when I decided to see a health ''expert'' Physiotherapist.

After 4 MONTHS of light resistant band and 0.5 kg pink dumbbell rehab, I had an MRI, which came back clear. It was all ‘in my head’. Of course.

From there I continued following their plan diligently, taking responsibility, staying extremely disciplined to the plan that was laid out before me.

Another 3 MONTHS went by, and I had a sports doctor referral and a dye injected MRI…. This time a labral tear was found.

Because of my lack of progress with the pink dumbbell work I was doing, I was sent straight off to the surgeon.

So I wasted:
- 6-7 months unable to compete in the sport I could have potentially had a professional career from.
- Another 12 months of rehab post-surgery.

I was always in the local news as the 'next big thing', and me being so debilitated and being young and having football as such a big part of my identity made this an extreme adverse time in my teenage years.

This whole situation was extremely frustrating, I was getting offers to train for the National training centre, which is the best pathway to professional football, yet my terrible rehabilitation plan cost me some of the most important years of my development.

After this, I vouched that I will become a Physiotherapist, so whoever I work with doesn’t go through the amount of time wasting and lack of care that I was put through.

I knew, even in my teenage years that the industry has an incredible amount of work to do to actually be an effective means of helping people, especially if they want to return to high / elite levels of function.

The level of service within the industry is simply unacceptable.

Majority of people I speak with here on Twitter have had similar experiences, felt like their therapist didn’t care, felt like their progress was extremely slow, felt like they were just given a cookie cutter recipe-based approach to their injury, and made to feel unimportant.

I know exactly how you feel, and it is my endeavour to change this for you all.