What Can We Help You Find?

One of my favorite parts about being runner is that you learn a lot about patience and discipline. I haven’t met many people who can just wake up and successfully run a marathon without training beforehand. It generally takes lots of preparation to get ready for an event of this magnitude. Those who are able to complete their marathon training all have unique stories behind what they had to overcome to prepare for this challenge.

A couple years ago, I was trying a new fitness workout that included quite a bit of one-legged jumping. I don’t really do a lot of jumping anymore, but it felt pretty good until I felt something shift in my back. I couldn’t stand up straight almost immediately, and gradually got more and more sore. Fortunately, I take care of issues like these every day at Freeman Rehabilitation & Sports Center. I knew I would be fine in a few days or weeks at most, and within three days my pain did go away.

Is it safe to exercise during pregnancy?

My hobby outside of work is triathlons. This July, I concluded my biggest triathlon adventure yet – I completed 140.6 miles in one day at my first Ironman Triathlon. I learned a lot about my body while training for this race. For instance, I learned just how much I could push the limits. More importantly, I learned the importance of rest and recovery. Even beyond the world of triathlons, the significance of rest and recovery often gets overlooked.

In school, I imagined that being a physical therapist would be similar to being an auto mechanic for the human body. “My body is pulling to the left; it must be out of balance.” I could see myself looking at the deep connections and finding the one part to correct, “Ah, yes, well… if you were to just stretch this and move that here while you walk it would fix your problem.” Some days and some problems are simple like that, but usually problems are much more complex.

What is one of the first things a runner does when he or she is injured? More often than not, the runner performs an online search before seeking care. This search is performed in hopes of learning what is wrong and what can be done to get rid of symptoms. The one thing that is missing from this approach is that the internet typically cannot tell someone why he or she was injured. Sometimes, similar injuries can be caused by very different factors, and seemingly different injuries can be caused by similar circumstances.

On the wall in my office, there is a photo of a woman running across the desert. The word DETERMINATION is written at the top, and the quote below reads: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” - Lao Tzu. Although these words shared by Lao Tzu, ancient Chinese philosopher and poet, were spoken many years ago, the message still rings true.

Like many holidays, Christmas can be a challenge for those on the autism spectrum. Holidays often disrupt routines and bring an array of new foods, sounds and smells – all of which can be overwhelming or distressing for individuals with autism. By planning ahead, you can help your child have an enjoyable holiday.

Many of us tend to wait until the new year to think about getting fit or starting a fitness program. Why not get a jump start this year instead and fall into fitness? Fall is the perfect time of year to begin a fitness regimen – the weather is cooler and the beauty of the changing leaves is the perfect setting for an outdoor workout. Additionally, you’ll enjoy the holidays even more knowing you are going to have additional calorie burned to help offset those holiday treats.

Sometimes when we become injured, we still have symptoms months down the road even if we have allowed time for healing. This is a very common issue that can happen when nerves around an injury become irritated. At this point, it’s no longer the original injured tissues that need to heal, but rather the surrounding nerves. Ask anyone who has ever had sciatica (pain radiating from the buttock down the back of the leg) – it can seem to take forever to heal! Why is this?