A lot of physical therapy is the same. You go in, they ask how you’re doing, and then you get handed off to someone who tells you to stop doing whatever it is that “hurt you” in the first place. Then you do some bodyweight exercises. Clamshells. A glute bridge. Nothing that feels like it’s actually doing anything.

You’re supposed to be doing them at home too, but you get bored, so you don’t. And then you’re either in PT for way too long for something non-surgical, or you just stop going altogether. Either way, nothing ever feels better and now it’s been over a year.

Sound familiar?

Same, honestly. That was my experience every time I went to see a physical therapist, until I found ones who actually lift weights and understand strength training.

Because that’s what physical therapy *should* be. A version of strength training that progressively gets harder as your body allows. It should feel like a workout. Not something you passively go through the motions on while staring at the ceiling. It’s most useful when they can tell you how to modify the exercises you’re doing in your workout to help keep you moving.

The key to recovering from an injury is actually getting the injured area and everything around it *stronger*. While also decreasing the mental barrier and additional stress that’s contributing to the feeling of pain. That’s it. That’s the thing. Clamshells three times a week for six weeks is not going to do that.

I have approximately one million more thoughts on this and could absolutely go off, but I’ll spare you (you’re welcome). The point is: there is hope, and better options exist.

There are physical therapists out there who actually use strength training in their practice, who will progressively load you, push you appropriately, and treat recovery like the process it actually is.

Two of our favorite physical therapists in the Seattle area are Elevate Chiropractic and Vida Integrated Health. If you’ve been spinning your wheels in traditional PT or have been avoiding dealing with something because you had a bad experience before, these are worth looking into.

These are places that we go for our own injuries and also that we’ve worked with, for clients, as they go through their recovery. They rock.

THIS IS MY DISCLAIMER THAT I AM NOT A DOCTOR AND AM NOT TRYING TO BE SO THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE BUT ALSO THAT I KNOW A LOT ABOUT PAIN AND RECOVERING FROM INJURIES.