We visited our Independence Blvd. location in Wilmington to meet Jennifer Livingston, a Renew patient that has seen incredible results in her recovery journey.
Her journey began with Lindsay Hooks, a personal trainer at O2 Fitness. Shortly after they began training together, Jennifer got connected with Dr. Adam Salzman, a Renew Physiotherapist, to address a lingering achilles injury.
Jennifer was a former college athlete, and at the time of her achilles tear, she was training and participating in half marathons. Her goal was to get back to running pain free with the help of Renew Wellness, and soon realized that she was able to achieve much more.
“I started with Renew Wellness in April 2022, shortly after I joined O2 Fitness,” Jennifer said. “I was out of shape and with various ailments, but my original concern was my right achilles from surgery in 2019 due to an old sports injury. I did not get enough physical therapy after surgery and years later I was feeling the effects of it.”
Jennifer had been dealing with lingering pain from her surgery for roughly three years before booking her first appointment with Renew Wellness. In those three years, she had gained 80 pounds, lost confidence, and was unable to do the things she loved without experiencing pain.
After just a few Renew Wellness sessions, Jennifer started experiencing less pain around her foot and achilles. She slowly started getting back to running on a treadmill and regaining her confidence at the gym.
“All lower body stretching and mobility has been a game changer for me! One day, I asked for a good stretching/mobility routine that I could do on a daily basis, especially on leg day, and now it is the first thing I do everytime I go to the gym,” she said. “As for my achilles, Adam focuses on stretching exercises and dry needling with electrical stimulation.”
As her achilles injury got better, Jennifer realized that physical therapy isn’t just for injuries. She began to come in weekly for maintenance appointments, whether it was for preventative therapy or focusing on a new pain point that appeared during her workouts.
“Throughout my journey, I have had moments where something random comes up that has caused me some sort of pain that is worth mentioning,” Jennifer said. “Having access to Renew has allowed me to get that taken care of within a few days. Let’s just say, I come in sore most days and I always leave feeling better.”
Adam described the importance of taking care of those nagging issues before it's too late—even if it’s just stiffness in a joint or muscle.
“It's important to get ahead of that stuff because eventually, over time, that may lead to pain down the road. So it's important to get ahead of it before it becomes an issue,” he said.
This maintenance mindset has changed the way Jennifer views physical therapy and how it fits into her fitness journey.
“I found so much joy in the process. It gave me confidence, increased mobility, and strength,” Jennifer said. “At the end of the day, it comes down to me making the daily decisions, but physical therapy was no small thing for me… it was giving me hope. I was seeing the athlete again that was gone for too many years. The rest of this year was me putting myself back together by doing the work everyday.”
The convenience of being able to get treated in the same location as her personal training sessions was an added bonus.
“It just helps clients get more out of the workouts when we can help them do more things with their personal trainers,” Adam said.
Jennifer’s goal was simply to be able to run on a treadmill again. Within just a few months, she’s accomplished much more than that—from walking into the gym with confidence, running on a treadmill without pain, completing the Goggins Challenge, and having the tools to prevent future injuries.
“I am 80 pounds lighter, down 6 pant sizes, and have gained so much more muscle,” she said. “Adam and Renew Wellness have been a significant part in my transformation journey and I am forever grateful.”
Schedule an appointment with your local Renew Wellness Physiotherapist and find out how you can benefit from physical therapy!
