I sustained a low back injury in the fall of 2020. Having dealt with lingering pain for the better part of 2 years, I have quickly come to understand that the human body is incomparable when it comes to the art of compensation. I don’t have enough pain to stop me from lifting heavy weights and training efficiently, but it is enough to plant a seed of fear in my mind with every rep I pull from the floor. After 6 months of weekly traditional physical therapy with no set diagnosis or noticeable improvement, I tried to accept that 95% was as good as it was going to get, and I would compensate for the rest.
I am a competitive athlete. I lift weights because I love the sport, but more so because I firmly believe in pushing the limits, and breaking the glass ceiling of what weight training is “supposed” to look like as a woman in the industry. With this mindset, 95% just doesn’t cut it…and the result was the exact injury reoccurring in June of 2022.
When I went to Precision Osteopractic Physical Therapy, the first thing Dr. Tae said to me during my consult was “95% is not enough, we are going to get you the 5% back.” That was 6 weeks ago, and together we reached that goal.
Dr. Tae’s approach to physical therapy is extremely comprehensive, his treatment plans are succinct, and he was able to give me an injury diagnosis during my first appointment. However, what impresses me the most is his commitment to an individualized, compassionate, doctor-to-patient experience. After all, healing is non-linear, and the process is unique to the individual; it cannot and should not be generalized. Dr. Tae immediately took a genuine interest not only in who I am as an athlete, but who I am as a human.
The combination of hands-on treatment provided during in-house appointments, the trusting, collaborative therapeutic relationship developed with Dr. Tae, and the rehabilitation exercises incorporated into my daily routine yielded a small fraction of improvement every day. Ultimately, it only took 6 weeks of working with Dr. Tae at Precision Osteopractic to see tremendous improvement. Over time, these improvements added up and I regained the final 5% percent of my function. I stand here today training without restrictions at 100% for the first time in way too long, and for that I can’t thank Dr. Tae enough!
