I wanted to share a very cool story about a patient I just recently saw…
A 65 year old female comes in and sees me with a complaint of right-sided lateral and medial elbow pain. She has a 3-4 year history of symptoms. Patient has received 4 cortisone injections with min-mod relief (symptomatic relief has decreased with each injection). Patient has had PT at 2 different locations with no success. During PRI exam, she is identified as a PEC. She is repositioned during PT session and is sent home with Paraspinal Release program 2x/day. Comes in 7 days later and hasn’t held her correction. She corrects with a Superior T4 manual technique and continues Paraspinal Release program. I also placed a medial longitudinal arch pad in her right shoe in an attempt to hold her correction. Comes in 10 days later and has not held her correction. On her third visit, I use a tongue depressor on her left molars and re-check her PRI tests (HG IR, passive HG flexion, Adduction Drop, Extension Drop) and it does nothing. So, I ask the patient when the last time was that she had an eye exam (she wears glasses – and I used to make glasses to help pay my way through PT school, so, I can tell that she has a pretty strong prescription). She says she has been due to get her eyes checked. I explain that I believe she has something going on with her eyes and that is causing her inability to hold her corrected posture. I ask her to see an eye specialist and I send a note to that specialist explaining my findings. The patient calls me after her visit and is crying. She has cataracts in both eyes and needs emergency surgery!!! She would have never have found out if it wasn’t for me. And, I would’ve never checked if it wasn’t for PRI…a home run all the way around.
-Mike Dixey, PT, Cert MDT, CSCS
