Happy Patients
When choosing where to go for help with any sort of problem, it's always good to know that others have had a good experience and have found success in fixing their issue. Several of my patients have been gracious enough to share their story. Here are just a few. Perhaps you'll hear some similar struggles from these people which might increase your confidence that working with me would be a great decision!
Michael’s Story
Hear Michael describe his struggle with the ups and downs of 3 months of recurring back pain. He shares what made his pain worse, how that affected his ability to perform in the CrossFit gym and with his kids. Learn what he tried before, which failed to provide lasting relief, and how he learned what to do and how to return to all his activities with confidence.
Carson’s Story
Hear Carson and his mom talk about the trouble he had with his back which completely stopped him from doing the one thing most important to him - golf. Carson describes how he felt upon receiving the diagnosis of facet syndrome, what he had tried, what failed, and how he finally found relief and got back out on the golf course... with no pain!
Doris’ Story
Hear Doris' description of how her life was disrupted for 15 years due to back pain which prohibited cooking, shopping, getting up and down from sitting and sleeping. Learn what finally provided relief and how she's doing now. Find out if you could discover true relief like Doris without the need for medicine, shots, surgery or just quitting doing the things you love!
Zack’s Story
Zack struggled for two years with pain in his hip every time he would stand up from his chair. He stopped running due to the pain and became increasingly awakened from sleep. He shares how attempted chiropractic adjustments, traditional physical therapy, and nerve blocks failed to provide lasting relief. He also describes his experience of going through a more thorough mechanical exam and how he’s doing now.
Tiffany’s Story
Hear Tiffany’s experience with with 5 years of back pain and getting worse. You’ll hear how her ability to play with her kids, participate in yoga, and jog were severely impaired due to the progression of her pain. Her biggest takeaways from going through therapy and how she’s doing now are highlighted.
Anne's Story
Hear Anne describe her 9 month battle with headaches which caused her to quit exercising and distracted her from work. She explains how she received no relief from migraine medicine which her neurologist prescribed and how traditional therapy including dry needling failed to resolve her complaints. You'll hear how she found she could actually shut her headaches off and ultimately keep them away.
Ruby's Story
Hear from Ruby who struggled with over 20 years of back pain. She shares her disappointment when prior treatments, including traditional physical therapy failed to result in any lasting relief. She explains how she was limited and how her pain had taken a great deal of her functional abilities away from her until she received a proper mechanical exam and the proper education to know how to find relieve and get back to doing the things she loves.
Beulah's Story
Hear how Beulah struggled with neck and arm pain, even after 2 surgeries. You'll hear how she found relief and keeps it relieved with one simple method. She shares what she couldn't do before and how some simply changes to daily activities along with one relieving exercise has allows her to get back to doing the things she loves.
JT
"During the workouts over the past couple weeks, it hasn't slowed me down at all."
JT's story
I tripped and fell (embarrassingly) while running about 4 months ago. Sprained my wrist pretty badly. It didn't really bother me at first but has just not healed and is still giving me a lot of trouble...
Read JT's story of persisting pain and recovery...
Joyce
“Physical therapy with Jason is worth every penny”
Joyce explains her story as follows
"I began having pain sometime in the summer of 2008 as best I can remember. I did some yard work that required me to bend, pull...
Michael
"I was able to compete - while I rehabbed my shoulder."
I’m a Crossfit athlete and I had an injured shoulder that I thought would keep me from competing in this year’s Crossfit Open. I tried to keep up with my training but...
Minnie
"I’m in control of my pain and I’m back to doing what I love to do."
My problem began in October of last year when my back and legs began to hurt. The pain was bad enough that I could not stand or walk for even 5 minutes. I hurt a lot trying to cook or clean...
Mike
"At first I was skeptical that there could be such a simple solution to a problem that had lasted months..."
I badly irritated an old back injury during training at the end of last year. I could barely walk, work was miserable, and training was impossible. I tried to just ignore it and train through it; that went terribly. I then tried to rest; that didn’t help. Finally I consulted Dr. Google...
Pam
"Well, much to my surprise within a day or two I saw considerable relief..."
I had been hurting in my elbow for about 8 years and was diagnosed with chronic tennis elbow or tendonitis. I was given a series of cortisone shots but when they worked only temporarily...
Diane
"Right away, Jason was able to diagnose what was going on with my lower back."
I don’t even remember how I hurt my lower back. It had to be returning to exercise after being inactive for quite some time... I came in to see Jason with pain that wasn’t getting better...
Read more about Diane's experience here...
Doug
"I thought my neck would never get any better and now I’m basically PAIN FREE..."
Eventually, it wasn’t just athletics that would aggravate my neck… everything started to hurt… you name it: taking a shower, sleeping, reading a book, driving my car, going for a light jog… I was in constant pain.
Joyce
“Physical therapy with Jason is worth every penny”
Prior treatment included:
Multiple doctor visits including primary care physician (PCP), physiatrist and an orthopedist
Medications including anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers and prescription pain meds
X-rays, MRI and ER visit
Accupuncture, massage therapy and two separate physical therapists
All this was over the course of several months with her pain at times reduced, but only temporarily and ultimately her pain was worsening.
Joyce explains her story as follows:
December 28, 2013
"I began having pain sometime in the summer of 2008 as best I can remember. I did some yard work that required me to bend, pull, and yank small bushes (re-planting) and after that I started feeling some sensation in my back which felt like ants crawling at the right side of my spine going up and down. It would come and go…but in December 2008 I decided to see a chiropractor. It did not go away but somehow the pain did not worsen but if I do prolonged computer work or repetitive right arm movement, I would feel the pain.
So, from 2009 up to 2013, I have been to numerous clinics (Campbell clinic, Rheumatogist of Memphis, Semmes Murphey, Rehab etc.). I underwent an MRI each year for my cervical and thoracic spine and I was diagnosed with a bulging disc in my cervical spine and some arthritis in my thoracic spine.
At Campbell (yr 2010), I had to do 3 weeks of physical therapy including exercises
At Semmes Murphey (yr 2012), I had a more therapy + exercises
At Rehab Etc. (yr 2013), I had physical therapy, primarily dry-needling…..(whew, that hurts!)…
In September 2013, I had a severe muscle spasm in my neck where almost fainted. I still managed to drive myself from work….I was crying and talking to my husband to meet with me so we could see a doctor. When we met somewhere along Wolf River blvd, I was caught in between decisions….either I go to see Jason or go to the Methodist Emergency Room. If it wasn’t 5:30pm and the traffic wan’t so bad, I would have gone to see Jason. So I ended up in the ER and was given some pain medications. I went to see the doctor the next day and she recommended another PT facility BUT instead I went back to Jason. Why??? Because IT WAS THE ONLY PT THAT I NOW KNOW WOULD PROVIDE ME RELIEF.
On the first visit Jason evaluated me and felt that I should change the way I was sitting and begin doing one particular movement throughout the day. The movement was pretty uncomfortable but he explained what an acceptable pain was and differentiated that from what type of pain I shouldn’t cause or allow. He explained that some pain wasn’t only okay to produce but even necessary in order to really fix my problem and I have to admit it was kind of scary to move into the pain. The first few days were tough and I didn’t really get on board with the exercise like he wanted but after a few days I increased them to nearly what he recommended. About 12 days into physical therapy at MOR I reported my pain was ranging from 0 to 3 on the pain scale. I could see that the movements were relieving the pain when I would do them at work. For the first time in a long time I began to feel like I had control over my pain rather than it controlling me. Jason asked me after about 15 days into the treatment to estimate how much improvement I had experienced. I told him about 70-75%! Within another 2-3 weeks I was having only occasional pain that I could consistently relieve with what I had learned from Jason.
It’s now been over a month since I completed therapy with Jason and I am doing very well. There are occasions of spasms BUT I am not that scared anymore because I was taught how to treat these symptoms before or during the spam.
I look back at all the things I received and all the money I spent which probably was over $2,500 including all tests and prior physical therapy and then how much I spent with Jason and I’d say it’s a pretty good deal. That is, if you want to get to the bottom of why you’re hurting and learn what you can do to fix it and not just get something to cover up the pain temporarily.
To someone debating over whether or not to spend the money on physical therapy with Jason, I’d say SPEND the money….IT’S WORTH EVERY PENNY!
Michael
"With Jason’s help, I was able to compete ... while I rehabbed my shoulder"
I’m a Crossfit athlete and I had an injured shoulder that I thought would keep me from competing in this year’s Crossfit Open. I tried to keep up with my training but I had to ‘scale’ many of the workouts, some I couldn’t do all together, because of the pain.
A couple of weeks went by and my shoulder wasn’t getting any better. In some cases it felt like it was getting worse with some acute pain on certain lifts and movements. I even tried to baby it, so to speak, by staying out of the gym for a few days and that didn’t work either.
My friends at the gym recommended Jason Ward and I set an appointment. He trouble shot my injury, gave me 3 specific exercises to work on 2-3 times a day, and my shoulder got better within days. The improvement was steady, I was working out more often, and the best part was, I was getting strong again!! Bottom line: The PT kept me in the game.
If you’re an athlete, I’m sure you already know that working through an injury isn’t easy. I only hope that you will let me suggest that before you resort to surgery, prescription pills, or quitting all together, give physical therapy a shot. With Jason’s help, I was able to compete and pursue my fitness goals while I rehabbed my shoulder.
Minnie
"The pain was bad enough that I could not stand or walk for even 5 minutes."
"...my doctor referred me due to back pain. My problem began in October of last year when my back and legs began to hurt. The pain was bad enough that I could not stand or walk for even 5 minutes. I hurt a lot trying to cook or clean and I couldn’t exercise including Zumba that I love to do. I went to my family doctor and after an x-ray and starting on some medicine my pain only worsened so then was referred on to an orthopedic surgeon. I received an MRI and it was recommended that I get an injection. I didn’t want a shot and I asked for some other medicine but they said they didn’t have any other and would recommend the shot. I looked around for some exercises to do on the internet so I could get some relief. I had several exercises that I tried but I wasn’t getting the relief I needed. The new medicine wasn’t helping and the side effects just made me feel worse. I continued to have pain that was radiating into my legs and was getting worse. I had a lot of pain while I sat and it was affecting my ability to keep my grandson and do some part-time work as a patient caregiver.
I was evaluated on July 8th (by Jason) rating my pain from a 7 to 9 out of 10, in my back down to my left lower leg. Within the first two days I began seeing an improvement and by my 6th visits on the 23rd of that same month I felt 90% better. I could walk for up to an hour and by August 6th I was walking for 30 minutes on a treadmill. Just the other day I went shopping from 1 to 4 pm that afternoon which I hadn’t done in months. I do occasionally feel some mild discomfort but I just go back to my exercises and I’m feeling better right away. I am back to Zumba and have kept that up twice a week for over a month. I’m in control of my pain and I’m back to doing what I love to do."
Mike
"I was skeptical that there could be such a simple solution to a problem that had lasted months"
"I’m Mike Knolton, 23, a coach at Faction Strength as well as a Crossfit athlete. I badly irritated an old back injury during training at the end of last year (2013).
I could barely walk, work was miserable, and training was impossible. I tried to just ignore it and train through it; that went terribly. I then tried to rest; that didn’t help. Finally I consulted Dr. Google looking for any conventional physical therapy exercises and “stretches” that I could find. None of these worked (some made my condition worse).
A couple months went by and every time I tried to pick training back up, my back would hurt like crazy. I was going nuts.
Finally I met Jason at the gym, and after one visit he had my back feeling better than it had in months. He gave me a couple very simple exercises to do as well as explaining in simple terms what was causing the pain.
At first I was skeptical that there could be such a simple solution to a problem that had lasted months, but I did what Jason showed me and my condition improved quickly. Before long, I was back in the gym and functioning normally.
I still use what Jason has taught me to this day to keep my back healthy. Jason is a solid dude and I would (and do regularly) recommend him to anyone."
Pam
"Well, much to my surprise within a day or two I saw considerable relief..."
"My pain had started the prior November and was overall worse than when it first started. I had seen a chiropractor who adjusted me and gave me electrical stimulation and for a few days I was better but my pain returned. I didn’t have any specific things I could do when at home that I could count on to relieve my pain. I was taking an anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxer which gave me temporary relief. My pain was worse every morning when I got out of bed for at least the first 30-45 minutes. I wasn’t sleeping well, awakening about 4 out of 7 nights per week especially when I would roll over in bed. I was evaluated and sent home with some movements to perform very regularly all throughout the day. I have to admit, they were quite uncomfortable at first and I didn’t do them as well early on but Jason helped me understand the right reaction of my pain from the exercises and the wrong reaction so I felt better about doing them. I continued for several sessions and by mid August I remember not awakening when I was rolling over in bed and I could use my exercise when I began to hurt and control my own pain.
Maybe even more exciting to me was what happened after Jason evaluated my elbow on August 2nd because it was hurting with some of the exercises he was asking me to do for my back. I had been hurting in my elbow for about 8 years and was diagnosed with chronic tennis elbow or tendonitis. I was given a series of cortisone shots but when they worked only temporarily I was casted for 3-4 weeks. That doctor wouldn’t do more injections so I did nothing for about a year. I went through a few more shots and because of no permanent relief he performed surgery. I was pain-free for about 6-8 months but then the pain returned about the same as before surgery. For months I just lived on 800 mg of Advil 3 times a day most days and if I tried to write or work at a computer I would have to ice my elbow and would resort to a compression strap. I didn’t expect for Jason to be able to help with such an old, persistent pain and even joked that if he got rid of that pain I would gladly stand at the street and advertise for him!
At first, the movements he asked me to do for my elbow were quite painful and after a session or two I quit. When I returned, he re-assessed my elbow and came away with the same conclusion. Something about how my pain behaved during and after movement made him believe it was the answer. Well, much to my surprise within a day or two I saw considerable relief and within 14 days I was working at the computer and writing without any need for anti-inflammatories and not using ice or the compression straps either. If I began to feel anything in my elbow at all I would just go back to doing the exercise he taught me and I was pain-free. It’s now been several months and I do feel my pain but the key is to do the movements I was taught regularly. I feel myself occasionally wanting to go to ice or anti-inflammatories but I need to grit my teeth & stretch it out as that’s what always gives me relief in the end."
Diane
"Right away, Jason was able to diagnose what was going on with my lower back."
"When I went in to see Jason I don’t even remember how I hurt my lower back. It had to be returning to exercise after being inactive for quite some time. A combination of a spin class and kickboxing left me in terrible pain. I came into to see Jason with pain that wasn’t getting better and after ruling out injuries with my primary care doctor and gynecologist.
Right away, Jason was able to diagnose what was going on with my lower back. I was able to feel relief that same day. Jason gave me some exercises to do several times during the day and it helped relieve my back pain and within a couple of weeks I was feeling back to my old self!
I am so glad that I was able to get into see Jason as soon as I did. I am a true believer that physical therapy with Jason works!"
Doug
"I thought my neck would never get any better and now I’m basically PAIN FREE..."
" As a life long athlete (current MMA fighter as well as former high school wrestler and college football player), I’ve been pretty rough to my neck over the years. About 3 years ago my neck started having some sharp pains that just wouldn’t seem to go away. Eventually, it wasn’t just athletics that would aggravate my neck… everything started to hurt… you name it: taking a shower, sleeping, reading a book, driving my car, going for a light jog… I was in constant pain.
I met Jason at Faction Strength and Conditioning and, after a short conversation about my neck, decided I’d come in for some treatment. I HAD VERY LOW EXPECTATIONS as after a few years I was pretty sure my neck pain was basically permanent and had learned to deal with it.
I’ll save you the suspense: MY NECK WAS (AND STILL IS) SOOOOOOOOO MUCH BETTER after just 6-8 visits. It still gets mildly achy here and there, but the sharp pains are gone and when it does “flair up” I just do some of the quick exercises that Jason showed me and the achy feeling goes away.
He was/is very personable, which is one of the main reasons I was so consistent coming in to get treatment. During my initial evaluation, Jason helped me understand exactly what to expect from treatment and made me feel very comfortable before we even started (I was worried he was going to make my neck feel worse!). Even coming in with a (very) painful neck, the first visit wasn’t painful at all. We did a bunch of simple tests to help find out what movements and/or ranges of motion aggravated my neck and which others did not so he knew exactly what to do next. Then he showed me a few exercises that I could do at home so my neck wouldn’t hurt anymore.
I thought my neck would never get any better and now I’m basically PAIN FREE and it only took about 6 weeks. He made it easy and enjoyable, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. He has my highest recommendation, if you’re wondering if you should take advantage of his expertise and make an appointment then I’m here to tell you to stop procrastinating and make the call!"
JT
"During the workouts over the past couple weeks, it hasn't slowed me down at all."
Here's what JT told me first,
"I tripped and fell (embarrassingly) about 4 months ago - sprained my wrist pretty badly and it has just not healed and is still giving me a lot of trouble. I went to see an orthopedist after a couple months. It didn't do much good - just in and out. I really need to get back to full strength and pain free."
JT was examined showing loss of mobility in his wrist and pain. He couldn't bear weight through his hand and so pushups, lifting a barbell overhead and even pushing up in his bed was painful. With a specific movement program that I taught him and just 3 visits later JT wrote this...
"... my wrist function is probably 90%+ - the movements you've had me work on have really done the job. Almost no pain, at near maximal bend and under load. During my workouts the last couple of weeks it hasn't slowed me down at all. And when I do feel any pain, I do the stretch you worked out for me and the pain or discomfort essentially goes away. I can do pushups and dips with hands flat on platforms pain free."
If you, or someone you know is dealing with persisting pain, unrelieved with rest or other attempts, make the decision to learn what the root of the problem is and what YOU can do to resolve it!
"Get back to doing the things that move you!"