[mtalantikite]

It really depends. I know plenty of people that are "fitness instructors" (mainly yoga and Pilates teachers) and I'd recommend them over regular PT in most situations. They know a ton about anatomy, how to read body imbalances, and can work with you to train your body back from injury.

Personally, I had a debilitating shoulder injury, couldn't put any weight on my right arm at all, and one of my yoga teachers put me on the path of fixing it up. Same with a low back injury, I couldn't even sit at one point and she helped fix me.

I'd 100% recommend someone with back pain visit a highly trained yoga or Pilates teacher. Some Pilates studios even take health insurance, since some are considered PT.

[sizzle]

I would be careful with shoulder injuries, your body simply can’t repair certain things like rotator cup injuries if I recall correctly.

[mtalantikite]

Absolutely, some things we actually need surgery for. But most of the time it's not necessary and really the only solution is to fix poor movement patterns and to strengthen the body. A lot of back pain comes down to strength and flexibility issues.

For my shoulder the main thing that worked was getting into the habit of doing pull-ups and stretching out my pec minor. Anytime I neglect pull-ups for a while the discomfort will creep back in. I probably should also buy a split keyboard.