After a car accident left Cindy in shoulder pain for over ten years, she reached a breaking point. “I couldn’t live with the pain anymore,” she said. “It was really, really bothering me.” Initially after the car accident, Cindy went through her primary care physician’s office hoping to find relief. Over the course of nine months, Cindy was referred to specialist after specialist, but wasn’t able to find the relief she hoped for. “It was really a hands-off and demoralizing experience, because my pain wasn’t being acknowledged and nothing really remedied the issue.”

Eventually, Cindy gave up trying to find relief—and gave up hope, too. “It was tough. I just gave up. I thought, ‘Okay, this is going to be my life.’ I just couldn’t make any progress, I couldn’t get anyone to listen to me, and I couldn't get anyone to really take my pain and my concerns seriously without just wanting to give me medication, and that wasn’t a lifestyle I wanted to endure for the rest of my life.” Cindy’s continual pain was debilitating, interfering with her daily life. “It’s exhausting living with pain. It’s a challenge, and it’s always there.”

Cindy eventually spoke with her husband about seeking medical treatment once again—even if that meant surgery. “Within two weeks later I received an email from my company about Sword.” The email let her know that her employer offered Sword Health's digital physical therapy program for free—which would allow her to complete sessions anytime, anywhere. “I thought, ‘Let’s start here.’ This is free, I can do it at home, it’s easy to do, and I don’t have to leave work to do it and get it done.” Cindy signed up within a few days, received her free kit—with a tablet and set-up guide included—and immediately began her Sword journey. “I received the kit super quickly, and it was very easy to use, which surprised me because I’m not technologically savvy.”

Working with her dedicated Physical Therapist (PT), Cindy started to see results almost immediately—physically and emotionally. “After my first call, I told my husband I was so excited. My PT believed me—he didn't think I was a big liar about my pain, and that was huge for me. Just the fact that he acknowledged that I had this pain, and that there were things that we could do to help improve, gave me hope.”

About 40 days after her first session, Cindy started to feel like her shoulder was no longer in constant pain. She communicated with her PT regularly, letting him know how each session was going, while he adjusted her program based on her progress. “Somewhere around the 3 or 4 week mark, I recognized that parts were feeling better. While I wasn’t without pain 100% of the time, I wasn't in pain 24/7 anymore. That’s what kept me going, and knowing that I had to get to the other side.”

After using Sword Health and working with her PT for about nine months, Cindy is almost entirely free from pain. “Over the course of the nine months, I would say I see a night and day difference. I don’t have the pain that I had 24/7. It’s really been miraculous. The freedom to not even think about my pain in my daily life really made a huge difference for me.”

For Cindy, freedom from pain means feeling like she finally has her life back. From carrying groceries to doing laundry, the daily tasks that she used to perform one-handed are now easy and pain-free. “I feel healthier than I have felt in a long time, and that’s a great place to be.” She’s become something of a Sword advocate, telling friends, family, and co-workers about the power of digital physical therapy. “It’s been a great experience for me,” Cindy said. “Life changing.”

Read about other members’ healing journeys with Sword Health:

• Brian: From Advisor to Patient to Advocate
• Joel: Race to Relief
• Jose: I Sometimes Even Answered Back to the Digital Therapist
• Monica: The Evolution is Completely Different

Interested in how Sword can help you find freedom from pain? Check if you're eligible through your employer or health plan.