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 Cindy Meyers & Susy Russell
Egoscue Affiliates Cindy Meyers and Susy Russell opened Pain Free Performance in 2006 with one mission...educate the community of Charlottesville, Virginia about the Egoscue Method. How did they get to this point?
Cindy owned and operated a fitness center in New Jersey for 16 years and worked in physical therapy for more than 10 years with a specialization in cranio-sacral therapy and strain/counterstrain techniques. Susy received her Master’s in Physical Therapy from Duke University and worked in a variety of settings from neuro rehab to pediatrics. Over her 20 year career she developed an extensive background in manual therapy techniques with an emphasis in spine dysfunction and gait analysis. Despite all of these techniques and years of experience, they could not find the right combination of rehab to help Cindy heal from a knee injury. After all of their efforts, she was still limping around the outpatient physical therapy clinic where she and Susy were working. As fate would have it, a patient came in the clinic armed with the book Pain Free, by Pete Egoscue. Cindy was immediately drawn in fueled by her own discomfort and frustration and she read the book cover to cover. After diving into the e-cises described for the treatment of knee pain as outlined in the book, Cindy started to notice a gradual and consistent improvement of her symptoms….the pain was subsiding. Susy remained skeptical but after reading Pain Free, she agreed that Pete’s method did seem to make sense. What was undeniable was that the e-cises they were teaching to the physical therapy clients were making a difference in their pain level and function. Susy watched as an elderly lady who had not responded to traditional physical therapy techniques and exercises, made major progress with an e-cise menu. She said “I feel 30 years younger and now I can get down on the floor and play with my grandchildren!”. This intensified Susy’s desire to learn more.
One key factor in the decision for Susy and Cindy to leave physical therapy came when a patient arrived in the clinic with a prescription for shoulder strengthening in preparation for shoulder surgery. Cindy took one look at her and could not ignore the fact that the pelvic girdle and hips were completely out of alignment. She gave her a series of e-cises as a home program which balanced the pelvis and changed the position of her shoulder. Her symptoms were significantly reduced. This patient returned to her orthopedic doctor and showed him her exercise program, explaining that she did not see the need for surgery. The physician was furious that his patient was doing exercises concentrating on the hip rather than strengthening the shoulder. The physician contacted the clinic to inform the therapists that in NO uncertain terms, they were legally required to treat the shoulder as stated on the prescription. Although the training in physical therapy involves assessment of the entire body, the actual practice is dictated by physician referral and is most often focused on a symptom. Knowing that they could no longer treat the body in parts …. Susy and Cindy set out on a mission to get certified and educate the community about the Egoscue Method.
Power Point Presentation and brochures in hand, they presented the Egoscue Method to anyone who would listen. The strategy was to provide at least one educational seminar per week to physician offices. They offered complimentary treatment sessions to physicians and other health care providers including alternative practitioners. They educated massage therapists, chiropractors, personal trainers and Pilate’s instructors. A big break came when they were invited to present the Egoscue Method to the physicians and residents of the University of Virginia Pain Management Clinic and the UVA Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Three years have passed since Cindy and Susy opened Pain Free Performance in Charlottesville, Va. They now have a beautiful studio that allows two full hours for an initial evaluation and plenty of time for client education. A common question that comes up is " why not combine physical therapy and the Egoscue Method?" They still believe fully in the benefits of physical therapy and refer often to their colleagues; however, the medical model is not set up to allow the Egoscue Method to be utilized in its PURE form in the context of physical therapy due to legal and time constraints. Finally, we also wanted to put our patients in charge of their musculo/skeletal health. Susy and Cindy believe that the client needs to realize that they are ultimately in charge of making changes in their own body!
Pain Free Performance is also home to another Egoscue trained postural alignment specialist, Ashleigh Quick, who has her Masters in Exercise Physiology from the University of Virginia. She is especially gifted at working with the elderly population and has added fresh energy to the growing practice.
Susy and Cindy are filled with gratitude for the opportunity to guide people toward a pain free future. They love watching others gain a sense of empowerment with regards to their ability to grow old without losing the ability to participate in activities that bring them joy! They are indebted to Pete Egoscue for changing the path of their lives and for allowing them to share this gift with their community. In their quest to educate others they even wrote to Oprah with the hopes that she will help us spread the Egoscue Method to the world. For now, at Pain Free Performance, Cindy, Susy and Ashleigh will continue to enlighten others about the EGOSCUE METHOD, one client at a time!
PAIN FREE PERFORMANCE
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA
www.painfreeperformance.org |
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