Jackie came to us over a year ago. She, like many others who come are way are at their wits end with the pain they are dealing with. She was frustrated and willing to do anything to make the pain go away.
Here is her story…
Jackie was dealing with Tennis Elbow and lower back pain for a long time and was ready to do something about it, so she gave us a call.
“I had to reduce my pickle ball playing and found myself avoiding use of that arm and using my left arm instead on many tasks. I lived with chronic back pain and my elbow was sore nearly 24/7..” (She is a ninja on the court…)
It took quite some time, but she made it to the point where the elbow was no longer “a thing” and her back was really making strides in the right direction.
“I now have zero elbow pain. I am not hampered in any way in my physical exercise or limited in what I can do. My body in general is stronger and the exercise program has helped my physical endurance. I am back to running and although my back is sometimes cranky, it is way more infrequent and does not limit me in my daily life.”
We like to pride ourselves on being a different kind of PT so we asked her what she felt set us apart.
This is what she had to say…
“I love the app with the daily exercise program, as well as the accompanying videos to remind me how to do the exercises correctly. I love that there is a place on the app to give feedback, or ask questions and the response time to any questions I have is amazing! Any time that I have a concern with an exercise, or feel that it is uncomfortable in any way Loni is quick to adjust the exercise, or switch it to a different one.”
We change lives, period. Our programs are set to make people successful in every way possible. We don’t just get people back to baseline, because who wants to be baseline…
We asked her how life is different now that she is on this program.
“It has been life changing for me. I recently went skiing in the Austrian Alps and skied all day for a 6 days with no sore muscles or restrictions. I was the only one in my group to not be suffering from sore quads from the long alpine ski runs! It is amazing how strong I’ve become and how my body has responded to the exercise program.”
Keep reading, it gets better!
Given the availability of information in the media, most of us know that strength training can help people live longer, healthier, more active lives. This was a real result that we are so proud of!
“More importantly, I have been dealing with osteoporosis for many years, and have been taking medication up until 1 year ago. I recently had a bone scan and found that my bone mass had not only stabilized, but improved. My doctor was surprised to see this, and realized that it was my daily PT routine with Infinite Potential – the weight bearing exercise – that resulted in the improvement in my bone mass. As I said, it has been life changing!”
Jackie and I discussed that the medication she was on could have also contributed but she expressed that there is no doubt that strength exercise was the missing link that made the difference for her.
“If you are committed to getting stronger and feeling better, I strongly recommend you do this program. It has improved my lifestyle incredibly.”
Jackie has been such a pleasure to work with. She worked incredibly hard and overcame her aches and pains. She learned how to self manage at times and push her comfort zones, which can be challenging at times.
Thank you, Jackie, for trusting the process and continuing to work hard in every aspect of what we do together. I continue to look forward to seeing you make strides towards being as active as hell as you go throughout life!
This month we are highlighting Veronica! Veronica came to us this past summer with a complain of knee pain that was very concerning to her. She has always been very active as her and her husband love to hike, run and bike ride. Her knees have affected her ability to do these things with ease and she was sick of it. She came to us feeling rather hopeless and thought that it was possible that surgery was her answer if Physcial Therapy wasn’t able to help.
“Before finding Infinite potential I was really frustrated of not knowing when I was going to have knee pain. It was a constant doubt of how much my body could do without being sore for days. I enjoy being outdoors either hiking, running, cycling or climbing. It was tough to doubt if any of these activities would impact my health at some point that I would no be able to complete a multi day adventure or not be able to go to the next one.”
Just a little backstory on her and her husband… to say they “hike” and “run” is an understatement. They enjoy going on extended day trips in the mountains, completing mile long adventures, running up and down mountains. They are not your average weekend warriors! This means that I had to create a program to reflect those goals and aspirations. She was challenged and hesitant at first, but soon realized that she was on the right track.
“I learned to live my life thinking I was not able to perform regular exercises like lunges, squats, ufff!! and don’t even think about air squats. All those exercises that one day I was able to do they were on my “no way list”. I think I lived with an unconscious fear of not knowing how my body was going to feel after doing what I love, that is exercise.“
One of my favorite things to do with clients is instill hope! Veronica was one of those that I was able to give hope to.
“I felt sad of being in pain. I felt I needed to ask for help if I didn’t want to have knee surgery in the future. I had so many dreams and goals that I wanted to achieve, but didn’t seem realistic since even though I was training and living and active life, the pain was always there, not letting me get better or go to the next level. I felt limited.”
I had to take her out of her comfort zone a bit, as the best way to begin the process of pain relief is some form of resistance training…
“I started to enjoy exercises with weights (which I hated), it made me feel more confident about my body and its capacities. After every session, Loni added new exercises or increased the difficulty. It was fun, there was always a new challenge and I way to feel the benefits from the treatment.”
One of my favorite moments is when we begin to see the fruits of our labor both inside and outside these walls. This was a picture of her climbing a mountain in NH, where she used to have to be very careful on the decline… Now getting down with ease!
“My husband and I always had to take in consideration the possibility of me getting pain and/or inflammation on the knees after a hike or high intensity exercise. That was frustrating because we needed to have always a plan B, or don’t even plan for a multi day hike. My husband was stressed and worried when we went on adventures. Pain was impacting my activities and emotions.”
When someone is in pain for a long, long time it begins to be part of their normal day to day. It can sometimes worsen more and more over time if nothing is done about it. There are many, many reasons why chronic pain is present, too many to discuss here. One of the most effective ways to help anyone in dealing with chronic pain is to improve their self-efficacy, or belief that they can help themselves out of this!
“I started trusting my body and have a better connection with it. I understood that my body could do anything I wanted, I just needed to prepare it for what I was asking it to do. The program had also a mental work since some of the exercises push me to go further from the limit I had in my mind. Loni taught me to understand the chronic pain, and not to fear it. Playing music to don’t listen my knees cracking sound and go always a little bit further.”
I asked her how our program design and implementation was different than what she had experienced in the past.
“I loved the app “TrueCoach”. It includes the program for the day, and also the passed and future sessions. That allows you to compare results, and plan your schedule. I liked that there is a video on each exercise in case you have questions of how to do it. It is always good to have that available since you can forget the instructions given in the therapy day. Being able to have communication with the therapist was great. Loni always responded fast , helped with any doubts and was cheering for my accomplishments. In my experience the program is great because it really focuses on getting the patient better while understanding the needs of an athlete, the desire of performing exercise, and giving a constant challenge.“
I felt incredibly fortunate to have been able to work with such a hard working, goal-oriented, and motivated individual. She worked incredibly hard on something that she did not have much hope in. Veronica’s story is a true depiction of “trusting the process”.
I asked her how life is different…
“I feel very happy to trust my body and understand it. I have been increasing the intensity of my workouts, going to longer runs and hikes. I feel stronger and prepared for the activities I enjoy. I am not limiting myself as much, because I learned to listen to my body and to know what it is capable of doing.
I go down the stairs and hike down a mountain way easier. During the sessions, we recreated the movements that caused pain, so my body and mind got used to them. My muscles are stronger and are able to stabilize the knee.
I am happy to start planning again for more adventures. I know it will still be a long process and hard work, butI have hope of being able to do whatever I want for a long time.”
Thank you Veronica, for being such a great client! I look forward to helping you continue your fitness journey one step (or mountain) at a time!
Janine has been working with us since mid July of 2020 to help leg and back pain that she had been experiencing for a long time but more recently, it has been impacting her daily and workout life dramatically. Her story is not unique at all and unfortunately this type of thing happens far too often. The medical system somewhat fails somebody and they are left without results, answers or a place to turn.
We asked her what her greatest frustration was before beginning her treatment here at our office.
“ I was assigned a doctor recommended physical therapist (“here, pick from this list”) and had no idea what to expect. I had never done PT before. I did 12 full weeks and had no changes and each time I went, felt like it was pretty much a waste of my time. But the doctor said it was what I was supposed to do, so I did it. I thought it was weird they didn’t give me anything to do between sessions, but again, I didn’t know. I got frustrated because I went twice a week for an hour each time and felt like I made no progress. That is a lot of wasted time.”
Each and every medical professional on someones team should be 100% in tune with someone’s goals, ability levels and progress is throughout the process. By no means do we make every human better who walks in these doors, we make mistakes to but this was more than just a small mishap. This experience really gives physical therapy a bad name.
“I wasn’t getting better. I wasn’t getting worse either, but no progress at all definitely didn’t make my mindset any better. Plus, I quit going to the gym, which was my outlet – not because they specifically told me not to, but I got the sense that it wasn’t helping. Which turned out not to be true. Without the gym, I really struggle mentally. I felt also like I had no guidance, I didn’t even know what to do about my symptoms since the PT person I was assigned to, didn’t know what to tell me after the 12 weeks was over – just sort of an “oh well, you did it, good luck with that“.
A program for pain relief should begin by creating a plan that works towards the goals of the person. If someone wants to get back to working out regularly, their HOME PROGRAM should reflect that.
“I was feeling low and discouraged. I thought I was stuck like this and that I would have to quit doing many of my favorite things. I didn’t know where else to go and really didn’t know what I would do if Infinite Potential could not help me.”
We asked her how the treatment began to help her. When I refer to treatment, I mean a guided home program and remote coaching between sessions.
“I was able to go back to the gym. I saw small incremental progressions – Loni said she saw great progress so I think bigger things were happening too (it’s tough to tell when it’s you). I started hiking for the first time and did really well (for me – I’m not an avid hiker but thought I would *never* be able to do it, so that is progress!). I felt more in control of what was going on, which was great.”
Now, all of that is how her rehabilitation team was not terribly helpful. This next statement is the unfortunate truth about the medical system and how it can instill great fear and anxiety into people. Many times, when someone is dealing with leg and back pain, they are sent for an MRI. Given that we (rehab pros) now know so much more about pain then we did even a few years ago, we know that an MRI is rarely necessary to help treat the symptom but should be more about ruling OUT a scary disease such as cancer. When something like cancer is not likely, the MRI can actually hurt someone mentally because, in most cases, it reveals findings that don’t tell us much. These findings are then explained in a very demonizing way and can scare people into thinking they can never be active again. These words that I am referring to are things like degenerative disc disease, disc herniations, and arthritis. We now know that they, in most cases, mean nothing more than grey hair…
This is Janine explaining how life is different now…
“I have a tricky situation – potentially something I will have to live with the rest of my life, which initially was very depressing. However, thanks to Loni at Infinite Potential, we keep a positive mind-set and I am doing EVERYTHING I want to do and with guidance. I plan to keep being active and living how I want to – I will not let my diagnosis define my life – instead with Loni’s help, I will adapt and continue. I can’t stress enough that I would not feel this positively about my situation at all if I was with my old physical therapist”
Janine and I continue to work through the understanding of her diagnosis and how it will NOT define her. She has minor fare-ups here and there but she has consistently shown that she is working on a positive and active outlook on her treatment plan.
Finally, we asked her what she would like others to know about her experience.
“Do your home program. I know there are days I don’t want to either, but truthfully, you are just cheating yourself. GIVE FEEDBACK on said program. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t be shy! If you can do more – you should mention that. They can’t help you if they don’t know what is or is not working. Try and stay positive, even if you feel your progress is small. The body is an amazing thing and sometimes things take time. Finally, Infinite Potential is really on the cutting edge of physical therapy – just like medicine, things change and improvements are made. They are doing the research and finding new ways to help, but you also need to meet them halfway and do the work. You will get better!
I am so incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to take her on as part of OUR team. I have for sure made my fair share of mistakes with patients, given them poor advice (in hindsight) and failed treatment plans but here in our office, we are trying to change the face of pain management and how physical therapy is viewed by the world of active people.
I could not be more proud of Janine to be working through this phase of her life, trusting the process and totally kicking ASS.
Her long term goal is to do a 2 (maybe 3) day hike next summer and she is well on her way to being able to handle that.
There were many great things that happened during quarantine. I was able to get to know some awesome new people AND establish a Virtual PT service. I had no idea how things would go and I only hoped for the best. Fortunately, we had some great successes.
Today, we are highlighting Jody, a very motivated, driven and disciplined individual I had the pleasure of treating. She was dealing with some pretty debilitating shoulder pain and was in some dire need of help. It took her some time, but she finally found her way into my inbox and off we went. It wasn’t long before she showed me that she trusted the plan and was ready to get to work.
“In February my shoulder/arm began to bother me. I was handling it at first but it was lingering and not fully healing. Within a few weeks of quarantine, it became much worse and unbearable. I couldn’t do a burpee, child’s pose, wipe the counter, reach into a tall cupboard, dry my back with a towel. I couldn’t hook/unhook my bra!! I also turned 50 within the first weeks of quarantine and this along with my shoulder were really messing with my confidence. I am an avid Orangetheory “athlete” and was very worried about losing all the muscle I’d gained in the past three years. The trifecta of Orangetheory closing, turning 50, and not being able to exercise properly due to the injury caused me stress and worry.”
Her shoulder was dramatically affecting her life. We talked a lot about how much her identity was slowly stripped away from her as her shoulder worsened.
“Before starting my virtual PT appointments with Loni, I felt like I was losing a part of my identity, a very healthy part in which I felt strong and capable. I was pretty depressed about the whole situation (quarantine didn’t help) and it all felt out of my control because I didn’t know how to fix it. Exercise would hurt so much at first but then seemed to stretch my muscles and make the pain go away for awhile. Was I making it worse with that initial pain or challenging my arm and making it better? I really had no idea particularly as things were getting worse overall.”
We did our best to collaborate on a plan that she trusted and was committed to. Virtual PT is not like being in the office but for Jody, it worked very well. We try to set ourselves apart from other PT clinics in the way that we program and plan our treatment sessions. She had never ceased to amaze me by how hard she worked every day. We had some ups and downs, but over time the victories began to outway any days that the pain returned.
“Virtual PT was amazing for me. Quite honestly I went into it feeling like I might be untreatable. That I wouldn’t do it right. I’d never done PT before for anything, so I was afraid I’d miss the most important piece. That if there was a way to mess it up, I would. Meeting Loni (virtually) in my home, where I feel comfortable, was a perfect first step for me. Loni understanding and seeing what I had to work with helped us both help me – having done the exercises in my home with her (on my computer screen) was a great lead into the days of the week that I had to do the exercises on my own. I already knew what to do in my home, with my bits of pieces of equipment (full rum handles weigh 8 pounds). I can’t imagine that PT would’ve worked any better had I been visiting the office versus doing online appointments.”
Jody is absolutely killing it and making such awesome progress. We have not only surpassed MOST of her long term goals but made some new ones. I have strong hopes that she will have a stronger shoulder than ever before.
We asked Jody where she is now…
“I am back in control of my health and wellness. That’s the best feeling! I’m confident that I can do what I set out to do and I’m humbly reminded that there is no secret magic trick that will give me my strength, flexibility, and health. I have to put in the work. (a perfect life lesson to be mindful of during quarantine) And I’ve seen the results over the past 5 weeks, so I’m so eager to continue and get my shoulder/arm working as it had before this injury.”
I cant thank you enough Jody, for trusting the process and making it work with your 8-pound rum handles, haha! In all seriousness, this was such a great success story to share and I am incredibly grateful to have been able to work with her!
To sum up her experience…
“She patiently reminded my arm how it was supposed to function through a very thought out and ever changing exercise plan. Her attention to detail and genuine interest in my well being gave me confidence in her. Knowing I could trust her, kept me doing anything she asked of me. She encouraged me to keep moving forward, doing the things I could until my shoulder fully healed. She educated me on the inner workings of my injury. She was always available through our shared spreadsheet, email, and text. She celebrated victories with me and walked me through setbacks. When I told Loni that she helped me find my confidence again, she had the biggest smile, she was truly happy for me and she said, that’s what it’s all about. I say, that’s what Loni is all about, helping others get their confidence back.”
Rich found us about 8 months ago. Here is his story…
“In December 2018, I ruptured my left achilles tendon during a game of basketball (on my 37th Birthday, to be exact). It was a long process through surgery, cast, walking boot, and recovery. My whole life, I have been active and athletic, both in my profession as a physical education teacher and a high school basketball coach, but also it drives my passions around Crossfit, playing sports, hiking, and being outdoors playing with my kids. The injury was a big setback, physically and mentally. I didn’t know where to begin once the standard recovery process was over. I was fearful to try anything and felt like my Crossfit options were behind me. I was frustrated with the lack of information on the best ways to rehab and rebuild strength. Most of all, I was looking for a partner to guide me through the process and help me regain confidence.”
When we met, he was down and out. He had completely lost his identity and was in need of some help. Sure, he was able to go about his day but not in the way that he would like.
“I found myself stuck in this place where the cast was off and my injury was technically repaired, but yet I didn’t know how to move forward. My frustration led me to stay stuck for a few months, moving very tentatively and not knowing how to take the next step. Physical activity is a huge source of energy, joy, passion, and motivation for me. Without it, life felt dull. It affected my mood and my outlook. I suddenly felt like there were so many limits on what I would be able to do post-injury. It was a hard time, to say the least.”
One of the best parts about my job is being able to make an impact in people’s lives and giving them the tools they need to guide them through their own success stories. I love being able to empower motivated individuals like Rich.
He was asked what he felt like before he started your treatment and how it helped.
“Lost. I wasn’t sure where to turn for credible information or how to rebuild my own confidence in myself and what my body was capable of. I also felt very limited, like I had few options and that my athletic days were suddenly behind me. Finding Infinite Potential was a critical turning point in my recovery – on all levels. First, I felt like I found a credible, experienced, and trustworthy coach in Loni. She has the right combination of PT expertise and Crossfit expertise, mixed with a great approach and attitude. She earned my trust by listening to my concerns and addressing them. For the first time, I felt like I had a PLAN. That was a huge step and once again gave me goals to work towards. Physically, I had the direction I needed to make progress. She pushes me and the workouts and routines are hard, but I see progress every week and I’m already so much further than I expected to be. My goal was to dunk the basketball in the new year, which I was able to do.”
Some patients like to be told what to do. They just say, “I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.” I like that but I also use this as a teaching opportunity as well. I teach concepts of PT to my patients, not just dictate to them and tell them what to do. Rich was open to any and all suggestions and I firmly believe that he learned a lot! I also learned a lot about how I can best serve patients like himself. It was a great growth opportunity all around to be able to take him from limping to dunking.
Video Cred: Rich
“The home program was clearly mapped out and a solid plan, with every detail plotted and videos to help show me what to do. It was easy to access, follow, and succeed with. I’ve worked with PTs in the past for different issues, but usually left with a printed 8×10 paper of generic exercises to follow. This felt customized for me.”
He has come SO far since we began and I could not be more proud of his accomplishments.
“I’ve done a complete 180 from where I was in early 2019, post-surgery. Today, I am back to many of the activities that I love, including Crossfit workouts, golfing, moderate running, playing with my kids, being able to keep up with the physical demands of my job (elementary physical education teacher), and slowly but surely starting to play a little basketball again. Mentally and emotionally, I am so much stronger and happier to have a plan and a path forward. My mood has lifted and I no longer feel like I’m at the end of my “athletic road”.”
I look forward to continuing to help him on a monthly basis with giving him guidance as he continues to be an active participant in daily workouts and men’s league basketball games. Rich has become a good friend at this point and I am very lucky that I am able to continue to work with him.
“I’ve had a great experience with Infinite Potential and with Coach Loni. From the start, I felt like she understood me and had my back, and that my success was personal to her. She celebrated my small wins and she pushed me to try new things. What a difference it makes to partner with the right people and have the right plan – it makes it possible to set new goals and be successful. I can’t thank this team enough for helping me get back on my path and find my passions again, trust my body again, and enjoy my life with less pain and less fear.”
Today we are going to highlight Joe, who has been doing great things since having his hip replaced at the end of October. When Joe first came to us, he had only had his right hip replaced two weeks earlier. As expected, he was having some pain and difficulty getting around. This wasn’t Joe’s first hip replacement, which meant he was well prepared for all the physical therapy and the time it would take to get back to 100%.
Here is Joe’s story:
“I was recovering from hip replacement surgery. This was my second hip replacement and I also struggled with overall mobility issues. Prior to the surgery my daily activities and workout programs were limited. I am very active and like a lot of activities that keep me moving and on my feet. Everything from remodeling my home, climbing ladders, cross-fit training were all painful and were becoming less and less enjoyable for me. Although my first hip replacement was successful, I wanted to take a more focused approach to recovery this time. It’s been 4 years since the first surgery and I still feel weakness in that hip. I was determined this time to find a program that could improve strength in both hips, improve my mobility and balance.”
“I found myself immediately doing movements that I didn’t expect do for months. The focus on a variety of single leg movements has helped strengthen my legs and hips as well as improve balance and core strength. At this point I’m able to do movements that I haven’t been able to do in years. I’m pain free and able to do all activities that I enjoy.”
“I really appreciate that on my first day Colin asked me what I wanted to get out of the program. We set goals which have been achieved and Colin continues to check in on what else I feel I need to work on. My sessions are challenging and fun. It’s nice to be able to work hard, but have a good conversation and a laugh while pushing some new boundaries. I really like that when I leave the session Colin sends a workout program to me to focus on in between appointments. I would highly recommend this program to anyone.”
I have had a ton of fun working with Joe, he is constantly upbeat and motivated to take on new challenges. Joe is always consistent with his program at home and is seeing the payoff from his efforts. This combination of great effort during our sessions and commitment to working hard at the gym are why he has made so much progress so quickly with his hip. I’m excited to keep working with Joe and help him reach all his goals. Thanks for being so committed to this program, we are all very proud!
