I wasn’t thrilled to hear my orthopedic say, “you should consider adding physical therapy” to your rehab plan.  I was already visiting the chiropractor 3 times per week while working late into the evening to get everything done at my job.  My job was very taxing during this time as my company had just been acquired by a much, much larger organization.  I had also added another ball to juggle when discovering cryotherapy.  More appointments… I mentally debated PT until attending a free “low back clinic” at Orangetheory Fitness.  Courtney Morse, a local physical therapist, was facilitating the event.  His clinic was thorough, but I had more than just back pain—I was busted up. 

A few things stood out when I researched Courtney’s practice:  he only wanted to see me once a week and didn’t take insurance.  While making my first appointment I learned his practice resides inside of a local fitness center and not in a big medical building.  I also felt it was a good idea to have a PT who was physically fit and active at the gym. 

I decided to give this guy a shot.  And it ended up being one of the best things ever.  Let me explain what sets Courtney apart:

1. Not using insurance meant my treatment would be customized for me.  My appointments were not dictated inside an insurance corporation’s ivory towers.  Up to this point, every appointment felt like a template while going through the motions.  Patients B, C, D and E received the exact same treatment as me.  Courtney’s appointments were custom and different week to week.  Your doctor appointments should not resemble a Nickelback album!
2. Each appointment was a lay-man’s anatomy lesson.  I always felt other doctors talked fast with a vernacular way above my pay grade.  Courtney utilized muscular and skeletal charts while explaining the source of pain and showing body parts in need of strengthening.  The other doctors continually said “your discs are out place.  We need to get the inflammation down”.  Sure, I knew I needed to reduce inflammation but it began to feel like symptomatic treatment.  
3. Courtney only needed to see me once a week because most of the work would be done from home.  Courtney doesn’t need to supervise me doing movements in his office.  Our appointments consisted of him showing me the movements followed by me demonstrating them in the gym.  Courtney would correct as needed, making the session feel more like personal coaching.  This made each appointment enjoyable instead of feeling like a medical service transaction.   He emails video demonstrations featuring movements from our appointment and I apply throughout the week at home.
4. And when you think of it, paying for one appointment is pretty much the same price as paying for 3 co-pays at big box PT.  Additionally, I wasn’t wasting time seeing the big guys in the big clinic 3 times a week. 

Courtney was clear about one thing right away:  my hamstrings were garbage.  I could not touch my toes without significant knee bend.  I could barely touch my shins.  I worked through all of the exercises he gave me with extra emphasis on the hamstrings.  My neck was in daily pain when I first started appointments with Courtney.  He gave me workouts for my neck that I’d do from my desk while on conference calls.  It was that easy, but I had to put in the effort. 

I had just started utilizing DDP Yoga at the time of our first appointment, but I had completed over 50 sessions in the past.  I remembered enough of it to notice similarities between physical therapy and DDP Yoga.   This made the pairing very complimentary—the DDP Yoga helped me with the rehab work and the rehab work helped improve my DDP Yoga stretches.  I was self-correcting my DDP Yoga based on coaching in our PT sessions.  All of a sudden, my neck pain was eliminated 100%.  I also started noticing small reductions of pain in my back.

During our appointments, Courtney would measure my range of motion with gains each week.  It wasn’t much longer before I could touch my toes.  I would mix stretches in throughout the day; pretty much anywhere/anytime.  I’d embarrass my family by doing body-weight squats while standing at the gas station.  It didn’t matter where.  My outlook on recovery gradually changed from “seeking treatment” to “creating treatment”.  Our appointments early on helped me eventually learn that I’d need to work hard to put humpty dumpty together again.  I’m no longer waiting on all the king’s horses and all the king’s men.  No, I’ve got this.  Lesson learned.

If you’re in Kansas, go visit Courtney Morse at Natural Wellness Physiotherapy.  If not, find a PT just like mine. 

Go get it.