In late October 2015, I was forced to cancel my trip to USA Powerlifting Raw Nationals due to multiple injuries. My right shoulder and bicep had been getting progressively worse for months, from a feeling of tightness to outright pain when bench pressing or squatting, pain that would take several hours to subside. Similarly, my lower back was in constant pain. Squatting and deadlifting were extremely painful, and I was limited in the weight I could use. Eventually even the act of sitting down hurt.

I was broken.

The thing is, I'd been broken for some time. As a masters lifter (over age 40), it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between the stiffness and creakiness that come with age and actual injury. I had not paid enough attention to the warning signs, and had not done the things I needed to do to get better. So by the time I decided to get help, things were pretty dire. Luckily for me, I contacted Jonathan at RPM Physical Therapy. As a former athlete and skilled physical therapist, he understood my issues and was able to quickly diagnose them and treat them. The results were immediate, and astounding. I went from not being able to perform my competition lifts without severe pain to pain-free movement. What's more, Jonathan took the time to educate me about my specific issues. He explained what the symptoms were, and what muscles were the cause of those symptoms. He then gave me a set of activities I could do as part of my warm-up and cool-down to increase my mobility and prevent a recurrence of the injuries.

That's right: he didn't just fix my problem, he taught me how to prevent the problem from happening again. That is a rare, amazing thing, and speaks volumes about Jonathan's mission: to make people better, and keep them that way.

I have since recommended RPM Physical Therapy to a number of athletes that I coach. They have all experienced success - old injuries rehabilitated, new injuries prevented. Any time I meet someone who is experiencing pain in their muscles or joints, I tell them that they should consider mobility work or physical therapy with Jonathan. It can be hard, but the results from the work are tremendous: improved quality of life and continued ability to move comfortably in the world are definitely worth it.

I thought my injuries had ended my career. But they showed me that not only could I be treated, but I could learn to keep myself healthy. That is gold, my friends.