The gold standard. That's the way our local GP described Tobin. I'm not sure such a modest,…read morebenevolent soul would be comfortable with such praise, but my family's experience bears it out. Objectively, his skill isn't surprising, considering his level of education, years of dedicated work, and experience with diverse patients and settings. Over my year-and-a half of therapy, I saw his dogged pursuit of solutions and creative perception combine in an extraordinary way. It truly was a synergistic, collaborative approach, a rare experience that I doubt I'll find again.
Not that I didn't dread it at first. It opened with everyone's favorite, a rotator cuff repair with a side of acromioplasty. Recovery for this is long, six weeks in a sling, combined with many more weeks of progressive PT, synonymous with pain. At first, you're not supposed to move your arm at all, yet you're expected to come into therapy and allow a complete stranger to take control of your injured part. I was terribly apprehensive, being unable to take pain meds because they nauseate me, but with the soft lights, the privacy, the unobtrusive comfortable environment at Synergy, I was able to relax and honestly had no pain. Tobin was perfect for this, creating a sense of confidence and sensitive care that made therapy a sort of safe cocoon. Healing is about relaxation on everyone's part, which requires the trust that comes from knowing you're in skilled and knowledgeable hands, hands that watch and read and communicate. Your part is to relax, do your exercises, eat really well, walk in the sunshine, and trust your body to heal.
Then there was my knee. Six years ago, two different orthopedists advised me to have it replaced. Hoping for an alternative, I put it off. I've had many surgeries, even cancer (kidney), and the thought of getting on the table again was unbearable. Tobin agreed to work with me, assessing, teaching, strengthening, all the while listening to my fears and nervous banter. (He was saint here.) But experience told him the time had come. The leg was beginning to shorten, affecting my back. "She has to have this surgery," he told my husband, who wished him good luck in making me see this. Somehow, he patiently helped me come around. TKR is a brutal surgery, but Synergy met all my needs, and the pre-therapy helped me recover even faster. Rehab was as good as it gets -- eventually, almost fun. And I love my new knee.
This would never have happened without a foundation of total trust. I'd done my research, finding that when it comes to managing musculoskeletal conditions, out of all physical medical specialists, , only orthopedists demonstrate a higher level of knowledge than experienced DPTs like Tobin (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2474/6/32 ).
I'd also watched him help my husband when an injury at work left him unable to lift his arm. The MRI and nerve studies had one (highly regarded) surgeon convincing us that the only solution was immediate cervical discectomy and fusion. Tobin encouraged getting a second opinion, and after months of his carefully designed and monitored physical therapy, the arm has recovered without surgery.
Lastly, for me, a surprise diagnosis comes once again: degenerative spondylolisthesis. Finding ways to keep moving with this requires patience and creativity, especially with the challenges left to my deep core and obliterated reflexes from repeated abdominal surgeries. I was so fortunate in having Tobin's teaching and encouragement ready to help me find my ground. I'm mostly pain free now, still doing my exercises, putting to use what I've learned. Like we said - gold standard.
Our love and thanks to everyone at Synergy.
