Ever since I was a little girl, I was incredibly active. Dance, gymnastics, running, playing outside, baseball and basketball with my brother, and so on.
Which means that as I got older, of course an active lifestyle was going to follow me! š¤øš¾
Besides getting involved in the gym scene, with my own creation of workouts and participating in group exercise classes, dance was the one activity that I loved above all else.
So, it was no surprise that I chose to pursue dance in college, even though I could have chosen any other field, like teaching Math or French or Chemistry, which I also really enjoyed!
And do you know what happened?? I got to live my dream for 9+ years!!!! After college, I danced professionally, got paid to do what a I loved (while traveling around the USA and the world š!!!), and I loved every second of it!
Thatās me!! Along with my very talented dance partner, Colin. ā£ļøā£ļø
And thenā¦..knee injury struck. A torn ACL, back in September of 2013. My first serious, surgery-needing injury, ever in my life. And for those that are not aware, a surgery that requires a MINIMUM of a 6-month recovery. (Ugh!!) And more like a 9-12 month recovery, if going back to an elite level of sportsā¦like dancing on a cruise ship in 3-inch heels, which is where my career had led me! (Extremely exasperated UGH!!)
What followed?? A TERRIBLE bout with my first-ever experience of physical therapy, that set me up for extreme disappointment and traumatic failure. (Hint: Poor guidance during PT, zero guidance post-PT, and less than 9-12 months of recovery for starters. ā¹ļø And, at the time, I didnāt realize how detrimental this was for me.)
Because, after that torn ACL (in my left knee) came another torn ACL, 1.5 years laterā¦.in my right knee. And that second one is what ended my dance career….
Pure devastation, as I’m sure you can imagine.
And it did not end there. Oh noā¦..at this point in my life, in May 2022, I have had SIX total knee surgeries in soon-to-be 9 years, which includes THREE torn ACLs, and an injury loop that seemed like it wouldnāt quit.
Plus, I have had a qualified surgeon tell me that I would be ācrippled in 5 – 30 yearsā because of my many knee injuries. A statement that could very well make a person choose to give up, on their body and on their goals and visions for their life.
Thankfully, I am STUBBORN and I do not give up easily! So, I chose to do whatever necessary to figure out my knee injuries and heal my bodyā¦.and that is when I discovered the magic of Alignment Therapy!
It changed my life because it allowed me to Zoom out, away from scrutinizing solely over my poor knees, and see the body as the connected unit that it is!!
This is what I know now, that I wished I had known after my first knee injury, back in 2013: My knee injuries have been preventable, had I been listening to the signs of my body. Because they were telling me of imbalances that were consistently present, and slowly getting worse, and I wasnāt properly addressing them.
Here is the secret that was revealed to me after 6 years of consecutive knee injuries and 4 knee surgeries later, when Alignment Therapy came into my life almost 3 years ago:
My knees were actually NOT the problem!! Even though they were the joints being constantly hurt. It was actually an alignment issue in my hips and my ankles, putting excessive stress in the knees and creating injury after injury. Because whatās in the middle of the hips and the anklesā¦..
THE KNEES!!!!
And by finally addressing the misalignment found in my hips and the dysfunction found in my ankles, my knees have had space to heal, less undue stress placed upon them, and they finally became more balanced and pain-free!
Now, my knees and leg strength are not perfect (yet!!), by any means – – six knee surgeries requires a great deal of dedication and commitment upon which to rebuild, OF COURSE!! However, I am a never-giving-up work-in-progress that continues to get better and better every day AND Alignment Therapy has been a major factor in maintaining the balance that I need in my body to rebuild as fully as possible.
This is what I know. The body never does ANYTHING without a reason.
AND symptoms, like pain, tightness, discomfort, headachesā¦..they only reveal that there is an issue that needs attention. Yet they do not tell us where the issues are coming from because pain/discomfort can be deceptive!!!!
And until we address the actual source of the issue, the problem remains, no matter how many braces, orthotics, laser treatments, or multiple surgeries later!!! And that is why Alignment Therapy was a life-saver for me and my amazing knees.
That’s me, about 3 months ago!! š
Itās about understanding our pain/discomfort and releasing itās reason for being there. And Alignment Therapy is a restorative and lasting method of real change and improvements towards a pain-free existence.
And soā¦ā¦ā¦
Itās ALIGNMENT THERAPY FOR THE WIN!!!!
SCORE!!! š
If youāre struggling with any kind of pain, discomfort, or movement limitations, give yourself the chance to take control of your health and heal yourself with this powerful and effective method.
Now is the perfect time because it is NEVER TOO LATE to take steps to help your body, to better yourself, and to improve your wellness. Reach out to me, Jamie, at Trifinity Wellness and I will show you how true this is! Join me on the quest of living our fullest and most exceptional lives possible! š