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PHYSICAL THERAPY

& PERFORMANCE

FOR

GYMNASTS

Here's my story...

START HERE

I was a gymnast for 16 years.

I was that rare gymnast that LOVED bars. I started doing "bigger" skills like giants and double backs... and it was so much fun :) 

And then, my shoulders started to hurt...
 

I didn't speak up about my pain, because I thought that's what gymnasts did.

So I pushed through until the end of the season.

I tried PT, but I had done too much damage already. I ended up having surgery on both of my shoulders in 2014 & 2015. 

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I missed out on 1.5 years in the sport I loved, just from my shoulder injuries alone (there were many others).

To this day I still wonder... if I hadn't have had all of those injuries...
...what other skills could I have learned?
...what level could I have made it up to?
...would it have been enough for a college scholarship?

All I know now, is that I am so determined to help as many gymnasts that I can be the best that they can be and not be limited by injuries. 

Looking back now as a Doctor of Physical Therapy, I see things differently.
Here are some problems I encountered...

Looking back now as a Doctor of Physical Therapy, here's where my problems were...
 

PROBLEM #1
Gymnastics isn't "medically necessary"

Despite my goal of returning to gymnastics, my insurance deemed my physical therapy "not medically necessary" since I could perform daily tasks, cutting off coverage halfway through rehab. 

I hadn't attempted a handstand yet and was far from ready to return to gymnastics. I was left with a basic gym routine and no guidance on returning to skills like handstands, swinging on bars, or tumbling.

 

 Unfortunately this is a very common outcome in traditional PT clinics. 

PROBLEM #2
Prevention

If I had been screened by someone who understood gymnastics, I believe I could have prevented my shoulder pain before it began.

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A simple test, as shown above, could have shown my overhead flexibility was insufficient. My muscles lacked flexibility, so in order to swing bars, the extra motion was forced to come from my shoulder joint, which explains how I tore the cartilage (labrum) in my shoulders.

PROBLEM #3
The myth that is holding gymnasts back

As a gymnast, I believed the myth that lifting weights would make you bulky and harder to flip.

However, I've since learned how beneficial weightlifting is. It strengthens muscles, tendons, and bones, enhancing performance and preventing injuries. 

Gymnasts endure daily impacts on their body and need to be strong enough to handle it all. A good, personalized, strength and conditioning program can help achieve this.

SO HERE'S WHAT I'VE CREATED TO HELP

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1:1 GYMNASTICS-SPECIFIC PHYSICAL THERAPY

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INJURY SCREENING 

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

SEE WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING...

Justin

"Sarah was great to work with. Very professional, responsive, and flexible on scheduling with us. My daughter (16) is a varsity and club gymnast who was looking to relieve some residual pain in her knee, and just before our first appointment, my daughter wound up injuring her foot/ankle on a vault landing. Sarah took the time to really understand what my daughter was dealing with, where the problem areas were, and to just connect with her as a person (and former gymnast herself)... This was 1-on-1 time spent for the full session, unlike most PT facilities where you are 1 of 2 or 3 other patients where the therapist has to split their time. Sarah understands what it takes to be a high-level gymnast, and the exercises/tests/program were all designed with the challenging moves in mind that my daughter will need to be capable of to return to her gymnastics without limitations. We are highly satisfied and would 100% work with Sarah again."
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