Kelly sought out GMCF Physical Therapy in the spring of 2024 because her back pain prevented her from bending over and climbing stairs. She had gained weight over the previous 4 years; she had been experiencing some life stress and began eating poorly. She tried to start exercising to lose weight, but her back pain kept getting in the way. She was unable to lift anything over 20lbs without pain. Due in large part to her work with GMCF Physical Therapy, Kelly gradually learned exercises that improved her strength while simultaneously utilizing strategies to control her pain. Kelly graduated from PT with a newfound confidence in her body’s capabilities and a new interest in weight lifting. 

I’ve been an “exercise person” for as long as I can remember.

I started as a runner in my teenage years, and when I entered physical therapy school, I was introduced to strength training—squats, deadlifts, overhead presses. I loved how it felt. I felt stronger, ran faster, and for the first time, I saw visible changes in my body. That eventually led me to CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting, where I found not only a new physical challenge but also a sense of community. Exercise became more than self-care. It became a shared experience with friends. I was drawn to the process of getting stronger, but also to what it represented. I found myself
doing things I once thought were impossible like pull-ups, pistol squats, snatches. It shifted how I saw myself. Lifting heavy weights, especially as a woman, felt like reclaiming a part of me that had been small for a long time.

Over time, though, something began to change.

Persistent shoulder pain is no match for a carefully applied strengthening program. Garet had suffered two bouts of recurrent shoulder pain from a chronic rotator cuff tear.