new challenge: Getting PT equipment approved

Getting PT equipment approved is difficult. When your doctor or physical therapist recommends it to you, the prescription also has to go to your WC claims adjustor, he (or she, mine's he, so I'm gonna go with that) has to send it to Utilization Review (UR) to be determined necessary or unnecessary. UR goes by the Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines as set by the ACOEM (sorry- no website for the guidelines, but the library should have it as a book at the reference desk). The good news is, your WC adjustor isn't telling you what treatment and equipment you can or can't receive. Bad news is, the UR is still working for your employer.
My current status is that I am receiving PT right now that treats Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) by way of something called the Peter Edgelow Protocol. Sounds funny don't it?? :P I promise to share all of my exercises that comprise the "protocol" later. All it means is a particular way of treating pain due to TOS... The equipment that is needed costs about $300 and the claims adjustor has been avoiding all requests to get it approved, combine that with the need for UR and I could be waiting about another 3 weeks before its ok-ed OR denied.
The problem is there are a chain of events pending>> I need to have this equipment in order for me to get the most out of the PT, otherwise, its just neat knowledge and arms the same as they ever was. I have only 2 visits left of PT for this injury. period. And the biggie= once I am done with this PT then my doctor is closing the case and I will become Permanent & Stationary (PS)/ Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) [both mean the injured has plateaued and not expected to get any worse or better in the next year]. So you see, I need the PT equipment in order to close the case.
What I can do and what I probably will end up doing is paying for this stuff myself (with all my loads and loads of extra money I'm raking in from WC. HA!!....I can forgo food again this month it looks like). If UR deems this equipment necessary for my recovery they will reimburse me. That is the law- its not like, if they find out you are willing to pay for it, they deny the request and you have to foot the bill... although I don't think I am going to call up my adjustor and ask him if its ok for me to pay now & he can get me back later. I am going to stay mum about it and just cross my fingers that it gets approved and I get $300 back!! Also, it turns out I don't have to buy the whole thing and that might shave off some of the cost.

If you get a chance, go check out the link to Egdelow's site and look at the equipment... I challenge you to define thumbometer.

UPDATE:: I got a call ON the very day that I was going to plunk down my own money for the equipment... It was approved!! That was 4 days ago and now I have the kit! Yay!!