Every other month, I showcase a client I’ve worked with and how together, we’ve helped them knock their goals out of the park. I hope this gives you a bit of inspiration—I know it keeps me inspired to keep working hard! Here’s my Q+A with Lori.
What caused you to seek treatment?
Before I started working with Dr. Stephanie, I’d strained my hip flexor while training for my third half marathon. I had tried physical therapy with some improvement but not enough to run long distance and I was forced to cancel my race.
As a full-time working mother of two, running was always my stress reliever so I was feeling pretty defeated and thought I’d have to give up running completely. I was only able to run about two miles before it was too painful to keep going.
What was unique about your treatment?
After meeting at a workshop about running related injuries and prevention, I began working with Dr. Steph specifically to heal my hip flexor strain and also to get back to running longer distances. She suggested that I try dry needling and after three visits, I had increased my mileage and had noticeably less pain.
As I continued my treatment, I saw more improvement. In addition to the dry needling she prescribed a set of daily strengthening exercises along with my running schedule. Dr. Stephanie helped me identify my physical weaknesses that were contributing to my hip pain.
How are you progressing?
Before working with her I was not hopeful about participating in my annual races or even considering bigger challenges. Dr. Steph encouraged me to set a big goal and helped me realize how important that is to physical and mental well-being. I’ve been able to increase my distance and I feel stronger than I did before!
What are you looking forward to achieving in the future?
When I met Dr. Stephanie, a group of runner friends were signing up for the Flying Pig Three Way with Extra Cheese, a three-day running event totaling about 23 miles. With less than 4 months to train and hip pain, I did not think it would be possible for me. So instead, I tried focusing on strengthening my hips and slowly increasing my training. With Dr. Steph’s help, I was able train for a spring half marathon and keep in my mind that the Flying Pig race was possible.
Then COVID-19 hit and all events were canceled or moved to virtual. I did not want to give up, especially after overcoming such a painful strain. I decided to run the Flying Pig on my own in May. In just a few months, I went from not being able to run more than a couple miles to completing over 23 miles in three days without hip pain.
Inspired by Lori’s story? Let’s chat about how I can help you achieve your goals!
