Abstract
A 58-year-old female patient who was 3 weeks post-operative for a right rotator cuff repair was seen for outpatient physical therapy treatment for 23 sessions in a 9-week period. Treatment was provided by a student physical therapist under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist. The patient was evaluated at the initial encounter with numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), passive range of motion (ROM), glenohumeral accessory mobility, shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI), patient specific functional scale (PSFS), and screened for presence of a deep vein thrombosis. A plan of care was established to address moderate to severe pain, severe ROM and strength loss, and significantly impaired functional deficits. Main goals for the patient were to improve ROM and strength to be able to perform activities of daily living, and to return to boxing, gardening, and pottery. Main interventions used were manual therapy, motor control exercises, and patient education. The patient improved with pain rating, ROM, motor control, strength, and functional abilities over the course of treatment. The patient continued physical therapy under the care of a licensed physical therapist at the termination of the student physical therapists’ course of treatment.