Patient Stories: Lives Transformed By Physical Therapy

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Patient Stories: Lives Transformed by Physical Therapy
Here are a few inspirational stories about people whose treatment by a physical therapist helped them improve or restore mobility and move forward with their lives.

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She Was Bed-Ridden and Fainting Several Times a Day

“Physical therapy was the thing that helped me the most.”

Triathlete Who Is Legally Blind Uses Physical Therapy to Achieve His Goals

“I’m 73 years old, and I feel as though I can just keep going. I’m nowhere near the end of the race.”

Physical Therapy Helped to Control Her Pain, and Avoid Opioids

"I felt like I was going to be on pain medication forever. I couldn't really see a light before I went to physical therapy."

Physical Therapy Helps Man Avoid Surgery and Maintain Mobility

"Instead of using medications, I have my mobility!”

Physical Therapy Helps Former Gymnast Live With Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

“I could trust that my PTs knew when to push me and when to pull back.”

Hip Pain Forced This Art Teacher Find Into Retirement

“I’m a huge cheerleader for physical therapy and honoring the expertise of the therapists.”

Her Chronic Pelvic Pain Postponed Her Wedding

“I had lost faith in my ability to completely recover.”

Woman Returns to "Old Self" After Brain Tumor

"There's something about struggling and falling, and getting back up again. You realize you're stronger than you thought you were when you started."

Professor Goes From Physical Therapy Skeptic to Believer

“I was a skeptic, but now I am a believer in the benefits of physical therapy.”

Wounded Warrior Looks to Inspire Others

“With hard work and dedication to my recovery, I am able to walk without support, and I live a fulfilling life,”
Physical Therapy "Lessens the Pain Tremendously"
In "unbearable" pain after a serious motorcycle accident and 11 surgeries, Dean decided to give physical therapy a chance. He was highly skeptical at first, but he quickly became a believer in the benefits of physical therapist treatment.

Medicare Therapy Cap Leads to More Pain
"I'm not a person that wants to live on narcotics."

Physical Therapy Helps Teenager Return to School and Life
"I remember thinking: 'I'm with people just like me.'"

Triathlete Who Is Legally Blind Relies on Physical Therapists to Keep Moving
“The physical therapist and the physical therapy treatment are the only things that have allowed me to be where I am right now.”

Physical Therapy Helps College Student Control Pain, and Avoid Opioids
"For the first 3 months, I felt like no one understood what I was going through or could relate to my pain or fears."

Physical Therapy Helps Man Avoid Surgery and Maintain Mobility
“I did not want to be operated on. I knew with the physical therapy exercises I would improve.”

Former Gymnast Is Rebuilding Her Life After Being Diagnosed With Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
“I’ve learned that I’m probably stronger than I was before.”

Physical Therapy Helps Art Teacher Find Renewed Youth
"Being older doesn't have to mean living in pain," she said. "Yeah, there's frustration 1 week, and 2 days later you're making progress, keep going."

Physical Therapist Treatment Gives Woman Active Life After Years Restricted by Pelvic Pain
“I struggled with chronic pelvic pain for over 10 years.”

Physical Therapy Helps Woman Return to "Old Self" After Brain Tumor
"There's something about struggling and falling, and getting back up again. You realize you're stronger than you thought you were when you started."

Professor Goes From Physical Therapy Skeptic to Believer
"I was a skeptic, but now I am a believer in the benefits of physical therapy. In the end, I am glad that I didn't have the arthroscopic surgery. Now, I have the knowledge I need to keep my knees as healthy and pain free as possible."

Wounded Warrior Looks to Motivate Others through Recovery
David was a 20-year-old Army cavalry scout when, in the midst of a 2007 deployment to Iraq, he was shot by a sniper in both legs while serving as the lead driver for his platoon.

A Car Accident Almost Ended Her Life, But a Second Chance Fueled Her Recovery
"My favorite part of the day was going downstairs to the physical therapy room. I didn't completely enjoy the weekends because I knew I wouldn't be working on improving my physical status with [my PT."

A Serious Car Accident Left Him With a Traumatic Brain Injury, Physical Therapy Got Him Back to College
A serious car accident left him in a coma and with a traumatic brain injury. Physical therapy helped him get back to college.

A High School Basketball Injury Inspired a Journey to Serve Others
Jonathan observed a mutual empathetic experience and camaraderie among patients in the clinic. Regardless of the injury or disability, each person was being prevented from enjoying the things they loved to do.

Physical Therapy Helps Woman Recover From 3 Surgeries Over 13 Years
Louanne had serious back issues resulting from a childhood car accident, in addition to ongoing knee problems as an adult. Physical therapy consistently helped her back on track.

Physical Therapy Helps Young Man Chase His Dreams After Traumatic Brain Injury
The helmet Aaron wore when he rode his all-terrain vehicle (ATV) was supposed to keep him safe. But a hard crash caused his helmet to crack and sent a piece of it into the carotid artery in his neck.

Dancer Recovers From Hip Injury With Physical Therapy
Isabella was 12 and headed to New York for a program with the Joffrey Ballet when a hip condition almost derailed her dreams.

Physical Therapist 'Helped To Put Me Back Together Again'
After a knee injury, Keith was in emotional and physical pain. A physical therapist helped turn his life around.

Paralyzed After Giving Birth, New Mom Gets Moving Again With Physical Therapy
Laura was 30-years-old and 7 months pregnant when she delivered her second child via emergency C-section. A resulting spinal cord infection paralyzed her from the waist down.

90-Year-Old Turns to Physical Therapy: 'I Have a Life Now'
By the time she turned 90, Virginia felt depressed. She was suffering from the effects of diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension, and her ability to participate in daily activities was declining.

Man Who Lost 300 Pounds Credits Physical Therapist With Transforming His Life
At 520 pounds, Scott could barely walk. A physical therapist encouraged him to transform his life.

'My Life Has Been Given Back To Me By A Physical Therapist'
Today, he is a professional cyclist and a physical therapist. But as a teenager Tim Haitz moved so awkwardly that other kids called him “swivel.”

Child With Cancer Maintains Quality of Life Through Physical Therapy
Mathias Giordano was an active kid who loved all sports, but his particular passion was soccer. Playing 4 to 5 times a week, he was on a local travel team in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Physical Therapy Helps Cyclist Overcome Challenges Related to Scoliosis and Degenerative Disk Disease
Scoliosis and related rod fusion surgery at age 15 didn’t keep Barbara Jones from being active.

LPGA Golfer Natalie Gulbis Relies on Physical Therapy After Back Pain Threatened Her Career
Natalie Gulbis’s golf career was almost stopped short due to an ailment that affects at least a quarter of American every year—back pain.

Migraine Headaches Treated With Trigger-Point Therapy: Angelie’s Story
Angelie lived with migraine headaches for decades, experiencing 2-3 episodes per month that could last for several days. Trigger point therapy by her physical therapist helped give her life back.

Dentist Gets Help For Arthritis and Headaches From Physical Therapist
Barry Cunha, a practicing dentist from Lexington, Massachusetts, had been living with extreme limited range of motion in his neck and constant headaches for at least 30 years.

Traumatic Leg Injury Recovery: Linda's Story
A freak water skiing accident nearly caused Linda to lose her left foot. Now she's back to running, defying her doctor's initial prognosis.

Physical Therapy Provides Independence For Boy With Muscular Dystrophy
Living with muscular dystrophy, Marcel works with his physical therapist to maintain his strength, and learn how to overcome any obstacles he may face.

Dry Needling By Physical Therapist Helps Teacher's Shoulder Pain
Persistent shoulder pain caused sleepless nights and prohibited many activities she loved until Pam Pelton received physical therapy. The treatment, including dry needling, gave Pam her life back.

From Struggling to Climb Stairs to Exploring the World
Suffering the effects of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Joyce couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs. After treatment by her physical therapist, she was strong enough to vacation in Rome with her husband.

Iconographer Returns to Painting After Physical Therapy
Laura's broken wrist, and pain related to lymphedema, threatened to end her career as an iconographer, but her physical therapist helped her paint again.

Sarcoidosis Caused Professional and Personal Struggles Until A Physical Therapist Stepped In
Suffering from sarcoidosis in her lungs, Vivian went through seven years of different doctors while experiencing "bent-over pain" that ended her career, challenged her life at home, and had her craving pain medication.

Mom Credits Physical Therapy For Teenager's Recovery After Stroke
Caused by an undetected birth defect, brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM), Tanner’s stroke resulted in a coma and the need for three brain surgeries.

'Famous Amos' Founder Relies On His Physical Therapist
Wally Amos has undergone physical therapy for a pinched nerve in his shoulder and in his recovery from total knee surgery.

Traumatic Spinal Injuries Didn't Stop This Doctor
When the top of a dead white oak tree snapped and pinned him down, Dr. Eugene Alford suffered a crushed vertebra in his spine and a blockage of blood supply to his spinal cord, which left him paralyzed below the waist.