FEATURES

"Someone Who Understood My Goals"....

Thursday, 22 October 2020 23:10

By Johnny Surprise

In 2016, post my Ironman Maryland finish, I was scheduled for surgery the week after the race. The hip surgery was a success but as I have learned unfortunately from a few other orthopedic surgeries, it was challenging to find the right after care to get me back on the road. I went through a couple of PT clinics who did their job and got me back to walking and moving around, but I wanted more. I wanted to run and bike at a high level again.

I still had poor posture; lacking range of motion and very weak glutes despite my rehab process.

A few months had passed into my recovery, I was concerned that I would never be able to run and perform at the level I wanted. I was getting behind with my recovery and discouraged with my lack of progress toward my goals. Feeling incredibly frustrated, I gave up on PT and I called my surgeon weekly to find the right care that would work for me. I needed someone with the knowledge, skillset, and experience with this type of surgery, but more importantly with the mindset and the background of working with someone who shares the same passion for long distance endurance sports. ...

I was directed to a Physical Therapist who also happened to be an endurance athlete. Finally! Someone who understood my goals and what it would take to get back there. First on the list was restoring the range of motion of my hip, which included a little dry needling and releasing all the muscle that were cheating and guarding around my hip. As soon as my motion improved I was able to then use my glutes! After fixing my awful squat form I was on the road to some solid strengthening.

Feeling lost in the mix of return to running, she worked with me to gradually progress my running miles which I would have never done so slowly or gradually on my own. Along the way, she challenged my core and hip strength with targeted exercises but a big emphasis on quality movement and form, which made all the difference.

Like most of us Type “A” triathletes, we think we know everything and can just “fix it” on our own. I was humbled and very grateful that Meleah Murphy, PT, DPT stuck with me and was able to get me back to the start line stronger then ever.

To this day, I continue to follow her program.

Lesson here, make sure you get with the right PT, ask the direct questions, give the doctor your goals and be your own advocate.