I have suffered with back pain most of my life and had been in and out of Chiropractic care since age 12. At age 40 I became pregnant and thought I would end up in a wheelchair due to my back issues. My chiropractor basically threw in the towel and referred me to a physical medicine, rehab, back specialist. One of the first things he did was to refer me to Hands On Physical Therapy. I was not pleased. As a nurse I had seen what PT could do in the hospital setting and felt sure this was going to be a waste of my time. He assured me that this place was different and that I needed to keep an open mind and give them a chance.
My first appointment was spent answering questions that I THOUGHT were irrelevant and had nothing to do with my "problem area". Measurements were taken and some "hands on work "was done. I made my next appointment wondering if it would all be worth it and the rest, as they say, is history!!
I am now 57 and can tell you these people are very intuitive and nothing short of miracle workers! The myofacial technique they use is no joke or marketing hoax. I have never met John Barns, who teaches this in Sedona, but he must be a genius. In the past all the therapists at Hands On trained under him and his program. Some even teaching beside him. I have been successfully treated for bulging disks, carpal tunnel, joint hypermobility, start to finish through a second pregnancy, urinary incontinence (gynecologist wanted to treat with drugs), achilles tendonitis, double mastectomy with reconstruction. No matter what I have faced they have gotten me through.
I have also had both of my children treated for things you wouldn't believe.
My first child seemed to have come in the world with chronic sinus and ear infections. Doctors said that she was too young to be tested for allergies so she seemed to be living from one antibiotic and decongestant to the next. Hands On was telling me they could help. The doctors dismissed any thought of PT helping. I found a doctor who understood what they were trying to do and wrote the RX. Nearly 2 years of no infections and at age 3 we stopped to see how she would do. Within a few months she had a horrible sinus and ear infection and wound up having her tonsils and adenoids removed. The ENT insisted that it was coincidence that she had done so well while in therapy. She was tested for allergies and we found she had many. I put her back in PT till she was brought up to maintenance with the shots. The other child was born with pretty bad reflux. The medication did nothing. Our pediatrician wrote the script to be seen but didn't believe we would see any results. She had seen what PT did for my other daughter so she was willing to give it a chance. She was shocked when after a few treatments the reflux was gone.
My husband has had wonderful results as did my father after a massive stroke.
I have been seen by different therapist while being a patient for the same specific problem and have found it very helpful as they all have a little different way of approaching and delivering treatment. I have never found or felt that they were not all working in harmony with my diagnosis. I think someone compared the office to a spa and massage center. Nothing is further from the truth. I can understand if someone has only experienced traditional physical therapy and thought they knew all they needed to know about PT, why they would think "massage", but I assure you IT IS NOT AT ALL THE SAME. I have learned so much about my body since I have been in and out of therapy. It is an education I never got in nursing school.
I would also add a note regarding Tammy. She knows insurance and works very hard to make it work for you. She handles all the insurance issues and I can assure you it is no easy task. She does everything possible to get the insurance to cooperate with covering the treatment plan but when they shut you down there is really nothing anyone can do. Unfortunately insurance many times dictates how many times a patient can be seen and more and more frequently hardly compensates for what has been done. Frankly, having worked in the medical field for years, I am shocked they still take insurance knowing how awful and how much work is involved to get any kind of payment. I have never, ever, once in all these years felt that they were only after and/or about the money. As wonderful as the folks at Hands On are, they have to make a living just like everyone else. If you miss an appointment and it is not an emergency, you should pay. If you take a space and then no show they can't fill it and they make no money. Again you should pay.
Thank you to everyone at Hands On for being some of the most compassionate and best trained therapists in Texas!
Michelle W. read more