My Methods

I use an integrative approach to help you overcome chronic pain.

Chronic pain is complex. That’s why it can be difficult to treat. If the easy fixes had worked, you wouldn’t be here, right? Most of my clients have tried multiple treatments, including medical and alternative approaches. to end their suffering. Despite their efforts, however, they still hurt and continue to search for answers. It’s time for you to stop hurting and start healing!     

Conditions I Treat

I treat chronic pain in many forms. Below are the various symptoms and conditions I’ve helped my clients to overcome.

•  Hip Pain including sciatica, piriformis syndrome, bursitis and SIJ (sacroiliac joint) disorder 
•  Spine Conditions including bulging and herniated discs, stenosis, scoliosis, degenerative disc disease and muscular tightness
•  Leg Pain including hamstring strains, quad tears, Achilles tendonitis and IT band tightness
•  Shoulder tension, scapula pain, headaches, neck pain and TMJ 
•  Knee Conditions including recovery from cartilage surgery, ACL repair and injections
•  Elbow tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome
•  Foot Pain including plantar fasciitis, bunions and hammertoes 

My Toolkit

When you are thinking of working with someone in your recovery, it is important to know what tools they use so you know what to expect. For example, if you go to a surgeon, you expect them to use a knife, pills and injections. So, you should know that my process is not invasive. Instead, it is based on activating your natural ability to heal. Below are the specialties I intertwine when working with my clients.

Posture Therapy

I am certified in two posture methodologies, and I combine my experience and knowledge in both the Egoscue Method^® and Postural Restoration^® when working with my clients. I have been practicing posture therapy myself—as a patient for nearly 14 years and as a coach for 12 years. I strive to teach my clients how posture relates to pain and injury. As my client, I want you to be educated and empowered, giving you the tools you need to manage chronic pain and to prevent injury for the long-term. The tools I provide are restorative postures, corrective exercises, stretching positions, breathing instruction and strengthening techniques.

Wellness Coaching

I consider wellness coaching the thread that runs throughout everything I do and each interaction I have with my clients. Wellness coaching aids in your mental and emotional healing, which are tied to your physical recovery. I believe in a top down (mind to body) and bottom up (body to mind) approach to healing. In practicality, this means that your mindset affects how you experience your body and pain. Likewise, your body sensations impact your mind in the form of your thoughts, beliefs, perceptions, fears and expectations. These mental constructs ultimately drive your decisions, actions and behaviors. 

Goals and rewards are the tools of wellness coaching. I assist my clients in setting goals for the peripheral lifestyle factors that may be negatively impacting pain or performance. These goals can relate to such areas as stress and time management, self-talk, sleep habits, setting boundaries, and more. Basically, anything that is getting in the way of reaching your ideal outcomes. Additionally, we’ll define the rewards that you receive for reaching your short and long-term goals. I have been certified by Wellcoaches Corporation since 2006. 

Pain Science Education

Education based in science is often needed when changing your mindset about chronic pain with wellness coaching. As humans, we tend to fear the unknown. And how much do you know about how pain works in your body? This isn’t something that is generally discussed in your medical professional’s office. I will help you understand the body-wide changes that happen with chronic pain. Because, understanding your pain is one of the first steps to reducing it.

I have been studying the subject intensively and have seen life-changing results after sharing this information with my clients. Recently, I have attended pain science summits, taken courses, and participated in master sessions with leading researchers and practitioners in the field. Additionally, I have read over a dozen books and listened to numerous podcasts on the subject.  

Strength, Conditioning & Technique

Strength and conditioning follow form and function. You want to be aligned and moving with good mechanics before adding strength and intensity to your exercise routine. The foundation of sports conditioning and training is alignment. It is the position and condition of the body that is brought into sports and activity that dictates injury risk and performance potential.

My strength and conditioning toolkit includes personally designed functional training workouts, individualized event training programs, and sport technique lessons/analysis of your running stride, cycling technique, or cross-country skiing form. I am certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, American College of Sports Medicine and American Council on Exercise. 

How I Help You Heal

First, I seek the cause of the pain. 

Typically, practitioners focus on the physical area of the body where it hurts to heal musculoskeletal pain. However, this often overlooks the true underlying cause of the pain. Your consistent pain is often a symptom of a bigger problem somewhere else in your systems. My approach looks beyond where it hurts to identify the cause of the pain. I consider why your body is experiencing more stress and strain in that painful area, but I don’t assume it is the problem or is damaged. 

Second, I look for answers beyond the physical body.

When assessing my clients, I look at the body, mind, personal lifestyle, stress level and more. I use the biopsychosocial model of health. This model includes the familiar biology/health and also includes psychology and social context.  

Third, I treat the whole person as an interconnected system. 

Nothing within us works in isolation. All our systems—musculoskeletal, immune, respiratory, nervous, etc. work together and cannot be separated. I consider these relationships in your healing plan.

Fourth, I partner with my clients as equals

Although I may know more about some things like posture, conditioning, pain science, my clients bring a wealth of knowledge to our sessions. Only my clients know about their body and health history, life circumstances and schedule, beliefs and fears, nutrition and digestion, and so much more. 

Fifth, I challenge my clients.

We grow outside our comfort zone. I push my clients physically, mentally, and emotionally. It may be in the form of a strenuous workout, daily journaling, or a 10-minute breathing practice.