Airrosti Review - 1st Visit

Airrosti Review
6/27/2018

Today was my first visit with the Chiropractor specializing in Airrosti.  This first visit was 1 hour in length with the 1st 30 minutes with the Dr. and the 2nd 30 minutes with the certified recovery specialist (like a PTA).  Typical welcome telling me a bit about who he is and asking how I'm doing.  Then he proceeded to do some range of motion and pain level tests. 

1. Raising my arms from my sides going straight forward to above my head. 
2. Raising my arms from my sides going out to the sides to above my head. 
3. Raising my arms from my sides going in between to above my head.
4. Arms bent at my sides at a 90 degree angle and then rotating my hands outward and inward. 
5. Arms bent with elbows raised to shoulder level at a 90 degree angle and then rotating my hands up and down. 
6. Placing each hand behind my back with the back of my hand touching the small of my back and then raising my hand up my back as far as I could comfortably stretch it. 

Next were strength tests.
1.   Arms bent at my sides at a 90 degree angle and then rotating my hands outward while he provided resistance. 
2.   Arms bent at my sides at a 90 degree angle and then rotating my hands inward while he provided resistance. 

After the above movements he concluded that I might have an impingement in the back of my shoulder joint possibly caused by some trauma during one of my BJJ grappling sessions.  Before telling me this, he also told me that most likely due to my age (44 years old) and my history of BJJ training that I most likely have some level of arthritis in my shoulder joints. 

His recommended treatment was to treat the soft tissue around my shoulder and rotator cuff area and upper triceps.  He then started with some deep pressure myofascial release which felt like a deep tissue massage on my shoulder.  It was uncomfortable but not unbearable.  He focused on the back of my shoulder and the upper triceps. There was only one part that was close to being unbearable and that was when he did the subscapularis in my armpit.  That was painful. 

Once that was completed he had me standup and do the first 3 movement tests of raising my arms in those 3 directions asking me if my pain was better.  It felt the tiniest bit better or the same as it was difficult to tell but I did know it didn't feel worse.  Next he took me to another room called the recovery area where I met with the certified recovery specialist.  The CRS pulled up a schedule and showed me the available times to choose from for my next 3 visits which was the amount recommend by the Dr. 

Recovery treatment: 
The certified recovery specialist handed me a lacrosse ball and showed me 4 exercises to do with it for the next week.

1. Supraspinatus: 

 

He did not tell me how long or how often to do this but from past physical therapy sessions it is usually around 1 minute so that's what I'll be doing. 




2. Posterior Shoulder: 

Rolling back and forth against the back of the shoulder. 




3. Triceps release: 

Rolling back and forth along the triceps. 





4. Upper traps: 

Leaning in towards the wall.  Place the arm behind the back to stretch and go deeper or let the arm hang down towards floor. 



Overall impression: 
I'm willing to give this a serious try.  I was somewhat skeptical coming in but so far it has been very much in line with regular PT sessions I've had in the past for my spondylolisthesis and for my shoulder.  The model of interaction and follow up with me as the patient has been good.  All the paperwork I had to fill out was done completely online and was easier and faster then your typical dr. visit model where you fill out actual papers.  The online forms were easily accessible from my mobile phone with no issues logging in and filling them out.  The certified recovery specialist who walked me thru the lacrosse ball exercises said I would immediately get an email from him with all the exercises explained and videos demonstrating the movements to help me at home.  As stated, the email with videos were in my inbox before I walked back to my car.  I had 4 videos showing me what we had just done in the therapy room.  Something else I appreciate is that they have a patient portal website that you login to on your phone and it shows all your information - when your visit was, upcoming appointments, links to your exercises videos and more. 


2nd appointment is next week. 

Airrosti Review - making an appointment

What is Airrosti and trying to make an appointment: 

The last few months I've been having some pain in my shoulders.  Both have pain but my left is having more.  Certain movements cause them pain and certain angles or stretches.  Facebook must have been reading my recent searches regarding shoulder pain because shortly after I started getting a prominent advertisement in my news feed for Airrosti - shoulder pain. 

I did some reading on it, saw that a few of my acquaintances had checked in there and I decided I'd give it a try.  Here's what I've learned so far without having actually been yet - I'll be seeing a Chiropractor who has taken some kind of Airrosti training which from what I've gathered is massage and stretching of the painful joint or area.  Along with specific stretching and strengthening exercises and sports taping. 

In my opinion, the website is vague on what they actually do for their special treatment techniques and there are two providers near me but neither had any direct ways of contacting them.  They all lead back to the main Airrosti website where you call a 1 800 number to book an appointment.  I decided to give it a try and do this review. 

Making the initial appointment - I called the 800 number which goes to a call center with menu options.  After about a 3 minute wait, I was connected with someone who asked what my reason for seeking treatment was and if I knew anything about Airrosti and their methods.  I replied shoulder pain and that I'd read a lot of their information on the website.  Even after telling them this - she proceeded to read me the script about how great they were and how usually it only takes 1-3 treatments to resolve or reduce your pain.  All of which is on their website and it had a very sales pitch type feel to it.  All she would tell me was that this was similar to seeing a physical therapist but with the therapy being administered by a Chiropractor. 

Previously, I saw a Dr. of Physical Therapy about 9 months ago for some different shoulder pain and they gave me specific exercises, stretches and some dry needling for a total of 8 visits (twice a week for 4 weeks) which did resolve my shoulder pain until recently I started having some different shoulder pain.  I figure, I'll try this new DC with Airrosti and if I get some good stretches, massage and exercises and they seem to help then great.  If not, I'll go back to my regular PT.  Either way, I'll be able to at least post a real review of what Airrosti was like as all the ones I've found online seem like paid or company sponsored reviews. 

First appointment is tomorrow at 7:30 am. 

Spondylolisthesis PT Core workout June 18th 2018

Physical Therapy Week of

Monday June 18th, 2018

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Home Physical Therapy - Spondylolisthesis BJJ 

Thursday June 21st, 2018
Today I did the Ab circle at BJJ very similar to the one I recorded before: 

 

Spondylolisthesis PT Core workout June 11th 2018

Physical Therapy Week of

Monday June 11th, 2018

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Home Physical Therapy - Spondylolisthesis BJJ
Mon-Friday: two 30 minute stands (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) or a mixture of 30 minute walks.  For the 2nd week in a row, 2 of my kids did this workout with me.  They did well.  They weren't able to complete the full time on some of the exercises but they worked hard! 

Monday 6/11/2018. 

 

Isometric Abs: 

3 sets of 1 minute each.

 
Side planks: 

3 sets of 30 Seconds each side.  

Figure Four Stretch: 

3 Sets each leg 60 second hold

Plank. 

3 sets for 60 seconds each.  All 3 sets were from the elbows. 

Hamstring door stretch 

3 sets of 1 minute stretch each leg.  Total of 3 minutes stretching per leg. 

Also while doing the hamstring door stretch I did a neck exercise. I lifted my head off the ground and turned my chin side to side shoulder to shoulder for 1 minute.  For the 2nd set I bring my head straight up and down.  3rd set I make a circle. 

3 sets of 1 minute each. 

Bridges with pelvic tilt hold.  3 sets of 35 reps where I press my low back into the table I hold the pelvic tilt and bridge lifting my hips off the table.    

Time today - not recorded as my timer stopped about 1/2 way thru.

Spondylolisthesis PT Core workout June 4th 2018

Physical Therapy Week of

Monday June 4th, 2018

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Home Physical Therapy - Spondylolisthesis BJJ
Mon-Friday: two 30 minute stands (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) or a mixture of 30 minute walks.

Monday 6/4/2018. 

Today I did the exact same core workout as two weeks ago. 

You can view it here:  https://bjjspondy.blogspot.com/2018/05/spondylolisthesis-pt-core-workout-may_21.html