testimonials

Ankle Pain…  

I highly recommend Advance Physical Therapy.  During this  past fall, they helped with acute achilles tendonitis when no one else could or would.  I injured my achilles tendon exercising during a “boot camp” and found myself in alot of pain and limping. It went on for more than 3 weeks when I decided to make an appointment with a local orthopedic doctor. He looked at it and did a few movement tests and then told me “that it was not torn but would take a year to heal”

ACL  Tear  Rehab…

“I greatly recommend Advance Physical Therapy for any rehab, and especially for an ACL recovery. Their dedicated, personal style was refreshing and it was clear that I wasn’t just another patient.  They actually wanted to help in my recovery. I’m very thankful for all that Advance Physical Therapy did for me; they are the major reason for my successful return to an active lifestyle”.

 

I saw the ball in the air. I ran, jumped, landed, and then the opposing player fell into my planted leg. I felt the pop and then pain. It all happened so fast, but those few seconds greatly altered my life for the next year.

After numerous doctor visits, the MRI confirmed my worst fear: that I had torn my ACL. I needed to have surgery, and had a long rehab ahead of me. Luckily, I found Advance Physical Therapy and Matthew Harwood to help me through the process.

Twice a week for a few months, I made the trip to Advance Physical Therapy’s clinic. One of the things I liked best about the clinic was the relaxing atmosphere. I never felt overwhelmed or out of my comfort zone. The entire staff was very welcoming, and their smiles and encouraging words really helped me through the rehab process.

The staff was honestly amazing. Matthew Harwood, my physical therapist, went out of his way to ensure I could meet with him. He was willing to stay late, come in early or even meet me at UNC’s campus so that I could rehab. Advance’s accommodating approach really worked well for me and my college schedule.

Those visits also paid off. It was astounding how much I improved from week to week. The exercises Matthew gave me helped to improve my flexibility, and helped me build strength in the injured leg. I went from crutches, to walking in a brace, to walking normally again. Ultimately I was able to return to sports within 8 months of surgery, and have gotten back to the active life style I had hoped for. Matthew, and Advance Physical Therapy’s entire staff, was very knowledgeable and thorough throughout my experience.

- Chapel Hill, November 2011  - Caleb Wittum

 Ankle Fracture Rehab …

With Matthew’s help, I have made a wonderful recovery from a very difficult bone fracture, and have improved my body’s overall posture and strength. I’m thrilled.

In October of 2010, I broke both leg bones in my right ankle joint. After being in a cast for three months, I was able to recover a good amount of flexibility within my joint, but began to notice pain in other, seemingly unrelated parts of my body such as knee, hip, and the bottom of my left foot.

I spoke with several different therapists, I realized there were many different approaches to physical therapy. I decided to work with Matthew Harwood at Advance Physical Therapy because I liked his whole body approach to healing. I felt very confident with his broad knowledge and training, his experience working with my kind of injury, and his ability to assess and demonstrate how to effectively strengthen and heal my ankle. During the course of our sessions, Matthew evaluated my improvement, made adjustments to my treatment plan, and kept me motivated about our progress! As well, I came to understand this injury changed my entire body, not simply the “broken” part.

Postural Restoration is a thorough, personalized, and exciting approach to healing the body!

– Durham, October 2011 – Joyce Hopkins

Postural Restoration Exercises…

I have to say that I think Advance Physical Therapy, with the Postural Restoration approach, is fabulous. I have had many body workers over the years, but at Advance Physical Therapy they have the tools to help me get to the fundamental problems unlike Rolfing or Yoga or continuum or chiropractic ever did. The exercises are hard, but I do them every day – even weekends! – because I can feel that they are helping so much.

The constant pain I was having is much improved, although it is easy enough to set things off still. Sometimes, if I don’t quite have an exercise down correctly, I can aggravate the problem, but the therapist always seems to figure out what I am doing wrong and helps me correct it.

I never dreamed that it would take this much work and time to deal with this situation, but I am thrilled to be on the path of restoration. I think I would have been running into some big trouble down the road had I not found such a skilled and knowledgeable therapist to help me with this. They have helped me to better understand the mechanics of my problem, which only heightens my consciousness about it and enables me to be more aware of how I move in the world. This is a good thing!

– Chapel Hill, April 2011 – Susanna Stewart

Knee Pain …

“My experience at Advance Physical Therapy has been excellent. The decision to consult there was one of the best I’ve ever made for myself. The therapist listened to me and evaluated my walk in ways no other health professional ever has. While the work to correct my gait is very hard work, I have much less pain when walking, a better appreciation for how my body works, and greater ease in the activities of daily life.”
-Pittsboro, February 2011 – Karen L. Shectman

Chronic Pain and Postural Restoration…

“Thirty plus years of chronic pain. Surgeries that made things worse. Fibromyalgia. Physical therapists either helped very little or exacerbated two things while trying to fix a third thing. I spent a year with a hypnotherapist trying to achieve pain control with no success. I took Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction classes trying to accept pain with… well, mindfulness. No good. None of it any good.

I was not particularly hopeful about postural restoration.

My daughter, who lives on the other side of the country, told me about this fairly new thing and suggested I find someone locally. I really dragged my heels. I was recovering from heart surgery and had never fully recovered from back surgery. The exercises prescribed for strengthening my heart were playing merry hell with my sciatica. My life was revolving around pain day and night and I wasn’t having any fun, nope, none at all.

On top of the pain, I had come out of heart surgery with a partially paralyzed diaphragm. Exercise not only was painful but I could barely breathe.

I tried Google, searching ‘postural restoration’ and found a place in nearby Chapel Hill. I put off calling. My daughter nagged. She had heard more good things. Okay, okay, I finally made an appointment.

Then I met the therapist of Advance Physical Therapy. She listened patiently as I listed all my ailments and explained to her why she couldn’t possibly help me. “Let’s just try this.” she said. As she measured and evaluated the movement of my limbs, she explained how Postural Restoration works. I was not fully convinced but made two more appointments to come back.

It has been about six months now. I walk without a limp. I climb stairs upright instead of hauling myself up hand over hand using the railing. I walk down stairs casually and without fear of falling. I go for long spells without thinking of pain every minute instead if pain constantly pushing all other thoughts away. I still have sciatica, but it is no longer the most controlling factor in my life. Now I can sit at a table and enjoy meals with my friends and family or watch an entire movie without having to get up and walk around the lobby to ease pain in my leg and back. I’ve come a long way from spending days in bed because it was too painful to sit or stand or walk.

Postural Restoration is working for me. I’ve learned a different way of standing and sitting and do a few simple exercises each day. A great depth of thought and understanding of the body and how all its parts work together are behind this. Not everything we’ve tried has worked, it’s true. But every body is different and every time something does not work it gives the therapist new information and we are able to go on. I’ve come to appointments saying I was in too much pain to do anything and she listens carefully and says, “Let’s just try this.” And usually by the time I leave the clinic I am in much less pain – even feeling pretty darn good. After 30 years, ‘good’ is something I never thought I’d ever feel again. “
- Durham, February 2011 – Lois Henry

Knee Pain …

“Today I walked for 45 minutes, at a brisk pace, over a challenging course with some steep hills, and never thought about my knee! Since I hurt it in an aerobics class about 5 years ago it had gotten progressively worse and I always thought about it when I walked. I thought the time had finally come for a replacement. Then I found Advance Physical Therapy and Postural Restoration. From May until August of 2010 they worked with me on Postural Restoration Exercises and now I can move normally. The dreaded knee replacement is not on my radar. Not only did they teach me some very effective and simple exercises, they explained why they work and how my posture was having such a negative effect. They went beyond working on my knee to include the entire body. This is amazing stuff and I consider the folks at Advance Physical Therapy to be miracle workers!”
- Chapel Hill, September 2010 – Sharon Perry

Tin Man . . .

“After the first few days of practicing the Postural Restoration exercises given to me at Advance Physical Therapy, I realized to my astonishment that I could move like the newly oiled Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. I hadn’t realized how much stiffness and effort was required to get to the floor or up to a high cabinet until it suddenly felt effortless. What a joy just to move!”
- Chapel Hill, February 2009 – Margie Brache, Massage Therapist

Car Accident. . .

“My daughter was involved in a very serious car accident when she was 4 years-old. She broke numerous bones in the accident including two cervical vertebrae. After wearing a neck brace for eight weeks following the accident, she had a severe side bend with her head tilted toward her right side, and her chin was elevated and turned toward her left side. It was very painful for her to turn her head to the right.

For about a year, it seems like we tried every treatment imaginable and unfortunately did not have very much success. No one that we talked with seemed to really understand what was causing her condition. However, in August of 2005, my daughter’s orthopedist referred us to Advance Physical Therapy and Holistic Health.

The improvement in my daughter’s condition has been absolutely amazing! Her range of motion while turning her head is now normal and she no longer experiences pain while doing so. The alignment of her head with her spine is symmetric such that her side bend is very rarely noticeable. Postural restoration techniques, which treat the body as interconnected and not on a joint by joint basis, have been largely responsible for this change. My daughter is almost 9 now and we still have monthly physical therapy appointments so that we can address issues that are arising as her body grows. Although I’ll never really know what would have happened if we hadn’t pursued this mode of physical therapy, I believe that the consequences of addressing these issues in a different way would have been much more invasive and likely less effective. We feel so fortunate to have found Advance Physical Therapy!”
– Chapel Hill, January 2009 – Alison Marquis

Knee pain and Hip pain. . .

“In August, 2007, I begin to have trouble with my right knee. I tried a number of cures; acupuncture, steriod shots, etc. The doctor I went to did not prescribe physical therapy, but said that he would do an MRI if I continued to have pain. I had gone to you in the past for my back and decided to give physical therapy a try again.

You started me, slowly, on a regime called postural restoration. At first, I was a little skeptical, but I faithfully did my couple of excercises every day and within a very short time, I noticed that my knee was markedly improved and that I was having fewer back aches. Now I rarely have either knee or back pain. Another wonderful side feature is the reshaping of my hip area. I probably have lost a couple of inches and have had to have all my pants taken in.

Should you begin postural restoration classes, I would be very interested in expanding my knowledge. I am a convert. What a revelation. Thanks so much.”
- Chapel Hill, July 2008 – Cissy Pearce

Shoulder Pain. . .

“I’m writing this note to express my sincere gratitude for the excellent service I’ve received from Advance Physical Therapy in the treatment of pinched nerves in the neck and shoulders.

I arrived for my first appointment in excruciating pain, wearing a wrist splint, and a sling on my arm. After the very first treatment, my pain was relieved and after several treatments, I no longer had to take any pain medications and I was able to go without the splint/sling.

The therapist was extremely knowledgeable, positive and comforting with her professional and calm attitude. Each physical therapy appointment greatly eased my pain. She very thoroughly explained and demonstrated the various exercises that I need to do in order to relieve the pain as well as to live in a manner that would help prevent my reaching this level of injury again. (including providing pictures and written directions). I cannot thank you enough for your important service. I am now back to work and enjoying life once again.”
– Pittsboro, April 2008 – Lynn Bailor

Scoliosis. . .

” I must admit, that I was more than a little skeptical of postural restoration when I first heard about it. I had heard claims of non-surgical ways of arresting the progress of scoliosis, but frankly didn’t believe these claims. My orthopedist had only told me about very invasive surgical correction for my progressing scoliosis. He believed the condition of my spine was responsible for the shoulder, hip, and back pain that had visited me intermittently for many years.

One day, a friend, whose advice I respect greatly, referred me to Advance Physical Therapy. Because I didn’t want to take time from work and assume the risks associated with surgery, I decided to give it a try. Also, I work hard at my daily fitness program, and was afraid surgery would temporarily, if not permanently, affect my ability to reap the rewards of such a program.

My physical therapist graduated me through many very unusual exercises, which I did twice a day for a year. At first I was still skeptical, as these were very different from exercises I had been given by other physical therapists. However, my pain began to subside quickly, so I continued with the program. Now, not only am I pain free, but x-rays performed by my orthopedist show no progression over the past year.

I highly recommend postural restoration, especially to any one who is considering surgery to correct posture-related discomfort.”
- Chapel Hill, December 2007 – Beth Keena

Jaw Pain. . .

“I was aware that my spine curved in various ways that caused my posture to be less than straight and my shoulders rounded. But when I started getting lower back pain and neck stiffness over the years, I went to chiropractors first and eventually orthopedists and then physical therapists.

None of these practitioners offered postural restoration: an integrative way of looking at the body, and how my recent jaw pain stemmed from areas that were out of alignment in the rest of my body. With the help of Advance Physical Therapy, I am in the process of restoring my posture to where it needs to be for optimal functioning. My back, neck and jaw pain has significantly decreased and I have a tremendous amount of hope for continued improvement over the rest of my life.”
- Chapel Hill, November 2007 – Linda Kolstee-Ozkaynak

Volunteered after only one visit. . .

“The lame walk. I came in a week ago, limping badly and in pain. For the last week, I have been walking normally and almost free of pain.”
- Chapel Hill, November 2007 – Bill Brown

Scoliosis…

“When I was 14 years old in 2006 my family and I found out that I had scoliosis. It means my spine is curved. It is sure that all spines have curves, however when there are abnormal side-to-side curves in the spine, it is called scoliosis. I learned that a curve is considered bad if it is greater than 25 to 30 degrees. My doctor said my curve was 37 degrees and recommended using a brace while sleeping. He also informed us that 45 degree is a critical degree for a surgery.

After knowing a brace and surgery are all treatments in a hospital, my mother started researching about scoliosis. She wanted to know any treatment for my scoliosis. My mom took me to chiropractic and physical therapy. We chose to keep going with physical therapy because we believed that it would be better to make the muscles stronger, instead of cracking my bones in place. The stronger muscles will finally push my spine and straighten it.

For half of a year I had used a brace while sleeping, and I had done special Postural Restoration exercises taught by my physical therapist. However, in April 2007 my curve turned out 42 degrees. My doctor warned my family and me if the curvature exceeded 45 degrees at the next visit, we would need to seriously consider a surgery. He said he would put metal rods next to my spine to straighten it in an operation.

My mom, my physical therapist, and I discussed about this situation and decided to try hard one more time. Three of us have worked hard together and especially my physical therapist has been wonderful. She has kept encouraging me and has been cautious about my situation. She always helped me.

Finally, I took an x-ray again at my hospital in September 2007, and my curve was 29 degree. It was even better than my first degree (37 degree). The option of the surgery was out of topic. My doctor came to measure the curve of my spine again and again because it was not normal. Usually the curve tends to go worse and worse. He said the measurement of truncation is also better. He finally concluded the brace worked very well. However, we don’t think so. The exercises taught by my physical therapist have worked well for me.”
- Chapel Hill, October 2007 – A. J.

Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Hip Pain. . .

“After over 25 years of chronic neck, back and hip pain, I had not considered the possibility that there was a therapeutic course left that could address any of these issues. My quality of life had been significantly altered as my symptoms worsened through the years. I had been to both traditional and non- traditional practitioners in many cities that could only provide a temporary fix – and not to all aspects simultaneously.

Through Postural Restoration I have truly received a “lifeline”. As a result of the very personalized program designed to address my specific and changing needs, I have achieved a level of physical comfort and stability that I couldn’t have imagined was possible. Through this therapy I have been taught an awareness of what has created the problems, why a particular approach should be taken and how to be an active participant in resolving my pain. Through Advance Physical Therapy and Holistic Health, I have been provided with pain resolution, maintenance of issues and a program for strengthening and gaining back the active lifestyle I had.

I am so thankful that I am now able to resume activities which I would not have considered undertaking just a short time ago. I cannot speak highly enough about the results I have achieved, and am very grateful for, through Postural Restoration.”
– Chapel Hill, September 2007 – Melanie Aquilino

Stroke Recovery Treatment …

“On March of 17th of 2009, I had a stroke at the age of 40 which left me with paralyzes on my left side. While in the hospital, I was fortunate enough to have had Katie & Josh, Neuro Physical Therapists, work with me on my gait.

I have been in outpatient re-hab ever since my release from the hospital, in April. My therapist left the hospital and joined the Advance Physical Therapy team and I followed them to Advance Physical Therapy because I had experienced so much improvement while working with them.

However, I was still in need of much more. They work me hard, but we see improvements everyday and I am very grateful to God for the dedication that they both show to their patients.”
- Mebane, January 2010 – Angie Sprinkle