Today we are highlighting Roy, a client who has been working with us for almost a year.
Before you delve into what we had to say about him, Roy was nice enough (and tech savvy enough) to give us a video version of our highlight. Hear Roy’s Story!
Roy was a very active man all his life playing sports as a young boy all the way up through his college years. He remained active after college by regularly working out at the gym, running, and practicing yoga. Despite his activity level, Roy began to develop back pain over the years and it eventually became debilitating. Slowly over time, he began to be in constant pain and discomfort. It ruled his life not only in regards to his workout routine, but also with his day-to-day. Roy had said that he just was not himself when his pain was severe.
Prior to coming to IPPTW he had seen other PT’s, chiropractors, practiced yoga, tried cupping, and acupuncture with varying degrees of relief, however no long-term improvements. I will never forget the first call with Roy. He explained all his concerns with what he was dealing with, what he had tried, what worked short term, what didn’t work at all and what his goals were. I knew that we had some work to do, but I knew that I could help him.
Roy was an excellent client and a true joy to work with. His determination and drive to improve showed each session. I know that sometimes he was hesitant to believe that we could make the improvements that were promised, however he always stuck with it and never gave up. One thing about Roy that set him apart from many is that he was 100% committed to the plan from day one. He will be the first to tell you that he did not buy all of what I was throwing at him, however, with time, the improvements began to creep in he was sold.
When asked about how the treatment helped him he responded with the following:
“I was shocked that Loni was focusing on strengthening my back. As an old but active former athlete, I thought I Knew that stretching was the cure for me but that I just couldn’t get the stretches into the areas that I needed to. I Thought that Loni was going to assist me with that. Instead, she convinced me (over time) that while I was generally fit and strong all over, that my back was weak. Other muscles had taken over for my back and my back muscles had essentially fallen asleep. Loni first woke them up with preliminary strength training through bands, balance and table exercises and then within a few weeks, she decided I was ready to attack these sleepy back muscles with squats, dead lifts, chops, etc. I felt small improvements immediately and after the first month of twice a weeks, I became a true believer.”
Roy went from barely being able to bend over to touch his knees due to unbearable pain and fear of spasm to being able to fold forward without thinking about it. He went from light bodyweight exercise to lifting over 100 pounds.
“My low back felt like one thick block. Had pain in every position. I had no range of motion. I couldn’t bend over and touch my toes. I thought about it 24/7.”
How is his life different? Well, here is what he had to say:
“I work out daily with no back pain and no restrictions on my workout or daily activities. I don’t think about my back at all.”
Front my perspective, I know that he has had some major achievements with tasks around the home. These include being able to garden, move around his boat dock, and carry out all the summer furniture (with the help of his wife – credit to Kristen) without worrying about this back.
Roy is a true IPPTW success story and I know that he will make continued improvements as he stays active going further. He has been able to demonstrate an incredible amount of success and I could not be more proud.
“No matter your prior athletic or workout experience/knowledge, or how many books or articles you have read or YouTubes you have watched, you need to give your over to Loni completely and commit to her (and yourself) for a minimum several months.”