Marc was first introduced to KCP Physical Therapy many years ago by his family physician. He and his doctor were both runners, and Marc was preparing for a marathon at the time. After one of his long training runs, Marc began experiencing sciatic nerve pain and was barely able to move. Upon calling his doctor, he promptly received a referral to KCP. He says the experience with physical therapist Joy Pfuhl was positive and that she was able to help him in a short time and ultimately still run the marathon.

After that, Marc decided that running wasn’t the best form of exercise for his body and switched to walking. Compared to his time as a runner, however, he admits that he began to get more out of shape physically. Two years ago, his back began hurting. “I basically spent a whole Saturday on the couch, and then on Sunday I could not get up,” he says. “On Monday, it was so bad at work. Just trying to get from my office to the bathroom 40 feet away was awful – I had to lean on the water cooler along the way. So, I knew I needed to go back to KCP.”

He began working with Joyce Kight. “Basically, we started realizing that my core was weak and my balance was horrible,” Marc says. “We started some exercises and dry needling and stretching, and then I moved into strengthening and core balance.”

Marc transitioned from rehab on his back to 1:1 personal fitness sessions with Joyce. He later paired with another client of similar abilities and now attends a semi-private workout session with her and either Joyce or Karina, one of KCP’s exercise specialists. “It’s great because I save a little money and it makes the time go by faster,” Marc says. “We’ve been working out together now for almost a year. It’s fun.”

Since re-engaging with KCP, Marc says that his back pain has disappeared. He intends to continue with his weekly training sessions as part of his pursuit of an active life. “I don’t know if I could force myself to really do a non-stop hour of working out on my own,” he says. “They keep me motivated. I really, really like working out with them, and I just want to keep that up. I’m good at walking everyday. My mom is 81 years old and went for a 3.5 mile walk with me the other day. She still walks to church.  It’s good to see that if you take care of yourself, it pays off. I want to be able to do that, too.”

Joyce says, “Marc has come so far. He is back to walking and has been training with KCP for over two years without injury.”

Lynne is an active 62-year-old empty nester with a demanding corporate job. Running and cycling are two of her favorite activities, and she relies on them as fun and active outlets. “I just gotta exercise!” she says. “I want to stay active so that I can be strong and fit during my retirement.”

“As I have gotten older, I started getting injured more,” she shares. “The last bad one was a couple of years ago when I was training for a marathon, and I literally had to use a cane to walk because my lower back just couldn’t take it anymore.”

No stranger to KCP, Lynne returned to see physical therapist Joyce Kight. “Joyce has seen me so many times. She understands and remembers my body, so she knows how to help me get better. She got me fixed up again like she had so many times in the past, but this time she recommended that I start coming to her fitness training classes. She said it would help strengthen my other muscles and help prevent the reoccurring back pain and injuries. So, I started doing that, and it really made a big difference in my overall health,” she says.

Lynne attends a workout group twice weekly with other active members her age. “It’s a small group and it’s a customized set of exercises that changes every session,” she says. “Joyce is very deliberate about trying to help us improve our posture since so many of us sit hunched over a computer all the time. She also helps us with strength and balance, and I can do harder things than I might not have otherwise done. And with the group, we’ve all become friends and have seen each other through kids’ weddings and parents’ aging issues and life. I’m not only there for the workout. I’m also just seeing my friends and being a part of a community. “

Lynne says that the community environment at KCP is important to her. “The staff is always welcoming, and you never feel like you’re just there to grab a number like you do in a large clinic. Everything is customized, and it’s very evident that they all care about the patients and their overall welfare.”

Joyce says, “Lynne is committed to maintaining her healthy and active lifestyle. She is back to cycling and paddle boarding and playing with her grandchildren. She realizes that her exercise program is the key to staying healthy and active.”

Mimi first became a client of KCP Physical Therapy over 15 years ago when she was having neck pain. She worked with physical therapist Joy Pfuhl who was able to help resolve the issue.

After she had moved past the rehab stage, Mimi decided to try the 1:1 personal fitness training program that KCP had begun offering. “Joy taught me the concepts of strength training and toning,” she says. “I had been a cardio junkie prior to that – I would never lift a weight or do a plank or push up unless you forced me to. Strength training is so important though.”

Mimi committed to improving her health by both improving her activity level as well as her nutrition. She joined Weight Watchers in addition to going to personal training sessions twice a week. “By the time she finished with me, I was a stud!” Mimi says. “I had the best arms, I was strong, and I’d lost 40 pounds.”

She left Charlotte after that to live in San Diego for some many years. When she returned and injured herself lunging for her dad’s runaway wheelchair, she reconnected with Joy and KCP.

“I hurt my lower back and pulled my piriformis muscle with that incident,” she says. “I was in a ton of pain. I couldn’t sit or do anything – it was crazy bad. We did some PT and I got a steroid shot, which dulled the pain but didn’t take it away. Finally Joy suggested that we try some dry needling, and that got me the rest of the way. I made it back to 95% of where I was previously and was so much more functional. She helped me so much.”

“Mimi’s fortitude is inspiring.” says Joy. “She has been through life altering back pain on a few occasions, and I was happy to help her get back to her golf game!  She has learned the value of strength training and rarely misses a workout unless she is traveling.”

Mimi has not strayed from the fitness habits she developed fifteen years ago. She joined KCP’s group fitness program, which offers both Zoom and in-person workouts throughout the week. “I love working out in a group,” she says. “It makes the hour go by so fast.”

“Joy is one of those people who has changed my life,” she says. “And the rest of the staff there is amazing. They hire well there. In a time where medical care has become so impersonal and you feel like you are a cog in a wheel, KCP is the opposite. They listen to understand what’s going on, they understand your pain tolerance, and they come up with the right treatment plan for you. It’s not like a mill where you have a different person every week. It’s like Cheers – everybody knows your name.

“I tell anyone who needs a PT to go see them. You get phenomenal care at the highest level with real humans. It’s a really nice and great place,” she says.  Nice is nice, but it’s also all about the results. I’ve gotten results every single time.”

KCP Physical Therapy recently presented a class entitled “Staying Strong: Good Pain vs. Bad Pain” at the Harris YMCA in Charlotte. Members learned about the physiological changes that our bodies go through as we age, as well as strategies to continue challenging ourselves while making injury prevention a priority.

After the presentation, the class was invited to ask questions. Many focused around strategies for starting and maintaining a safe senior fitness program. The questions were terrific and are likely shared by many, so we thought we would share some of the highlights and answers given by physical therapist Joy Pfuhl.

Q: How do I choose the right weights? How many reps should I do?

A: In general, I prefer that you start with lower weights and progress to higher repetitions. Mostly, I do one minute intervals. If you’re doing them nice and slow, it’s going to be somewhere between 15-20 reps at the most.

Q: How do I know when to increase the weights?

A: You should be able to exercise with the weight you are comfortably using for three to four weeks without an issue.  Then, feel free to increase your weight and reevaluate your response to exercise. Exercise with this weight for four to six weeks before moving to the next level.

Q: Should I use lower weights for lateral raises?

A: Yes. When you put a weight in your hand, basically that weight is equal to the weight times the distance from the fulcrum, if you will. I cringe when I see people using heavy weights for lateral raises – there aren’t many people who can do that safely. Some can, but in general, women should probably do a max of five(ish). Most should be doing two, three, or four pounds; men can probably work with four to six pounds.

If you use too much weight for lateral raises, it may result in increased forces through the elbow and result in tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis). Lateral epicondylitis can cause a great deal of elbow pain and be slow to resolve.

Q: Is it okay to wobble a little while I’m doing balance exercises? 

A: We never want you to be unsafe. If that’s where you are, it’s okay to wobble a little as long as you have something reliable and safe around you should you start to lose your balance. If you feel unstable, just make sure there’s a countertop or something that you can reach for or just be comfortable putting one foot down should that be necessary. Even with wobbling, you are exercising your calf muscles, glutes and hamstrings, which is also effective. Any time we are challenging ourselves, we may experience a little wobbling.

Q: Is there a good rule of thumb for how many days a week you should be doing strength training?

A: I prefer at least two or optimally three. I will tell you – this is not based on research. It is based on 30+ years of personally experiencing recovery in my own body and managing clients’ responses to exercise. If you’re really pushing your workout, you will need proper recovery. However, if you are using light weights and challenging yourself a great deal, you will not need that level of recovery.  Again, it is really important to meet people where they are. So, if that’s having one good session a week and being active elsewhere, that’s great. But optimally, I’d say two to three.

Q: Do you need a doctor to recommend you to a physical therapist?

A:  Yes and No. A physical therapist in North Carolina can treat without a referral. However, if you plan to file with Medicare, you will need a prescription /referral to be eligible for reimbursement. Humana also typically requires a referral. We can help you obtain the referral should you be interested. If you have a good relationship with your doctor, it’s usually not a big deal. You just tell them what’s going on and that you’d like to get started with PT.

Fitness has always been a cornerstone of the work we do at KCP Physical Therapy. We even included it in our tagline, “Fitness and function – for life!” We love to see active seniors, enjoying life without limitations. If you’re interested in joining a physical therapist-led exercise program designed to help you build strength, endurance, and balance, please reach out to schedule a consultation with us. We’ll meet you where you are, assess your current abilities, address any concerns, and help you get started with the right (individual or group) senior fitness program option.

KCP Physical Therapy recently had the opportunity to join the Harris YMCA as a featured speaker, presenting a class entitled “Staying Strong: Good Pain vs. Bad Pain.”

Physical therapist Joy Pfuhl led the class, designed for those ages 50 and up. She was joined by Ashley Williams, DPT, who also contributed and answered questions after the presentation.

Topics included the normal aging process of the musculoskeletal system, common problems seen among an aging population, how to prevent injury while safely pushing to build strength, and understanding the difference between “good” pain and “bad” pain.

Participants learned about the normal wear and tear they can expect their joints to experience over the course of a lifetime as well as the effects of a general decrease in bone density and loss of muscle tone and mass. Postural changes, gait changes, and a reduction in balance may occur as natural results of these physiological changes.

Joy discussed common problems that she often sees accompanying some of these changes. Osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, shoulder impingements, cervical degenerative disc disease, hip and knee pains are all not only common, but also treatable through a combination of physical therapy techniques, including manual manipulation, modalities such as ultrasound and electrical stimulation, and general strength, balance and fitness training.

The group also learned the importance of incorporating a variety of movements into their fitness regimes. Strength training, balance training, cardio, resistance training, and low-impact activities form a well-rounded approach to allow the body to perform optimally. Each person should pay close attention to how his own body reacts to each new activity or weight used, assessing how they feel during and after an exercise is complete as well how they continue to do over time.

Finally, the class discussed when to call a professional for the pain, reviewing “good” pains (muscle soreness that occurs with building strength) and “bad” pains (deep aching, searing, burning, tingling and sharp pains or numbness) that should be addressed after persevering for more than two weeks (or sooner based on severity).

KCP would like to thank the YMCA for the invitation to be a part of their healthy aging programming!

Nancy has been a client at KCP Physical Therapy for over 15 years. A minor injury brought her to practice initially. She was pleased to be seen quickly and receive prompt treatment; she says she healed well and made KCP her first choice of treatment over the years for occasional injuries.

In 2014, she says a freak accident occurred, leaving her with a serious injury and crushed vertebrae in her back. Once again, she came to KCP for treatment, but physical therapist Joyce Kight advised her that she needed to continue exercising on a consistent basis to help with injury prevention as she aged.

Nancy took her advice and joined one of the senior exercise classes offered at KCP.

In 2016, she began spending her winters in Florida. She says it was important for her to continue with her core exercise program, and she joined the classes virtually through FaceTime.

Over the years, she has continued to choose KCP for both physical therapy and fitness classes.

“I can’t say how much I value them,” she says. “Anytime I have an ache or pain, they have a suggestion. I think that I’m often able to head off more serious injuries. If I come for a couple of sessions and Joyce thinks I need to see the doctor, she gives me questions to ask. It gives me more confidence when I’m talking to the doctor and helps me make the visit more fruitful.”

With regard to the fitness program, Nancy says, “The value is in the consistency and showing up, even when you don’t feel like showing up. There are days I’d like to roll over and go back to sleep, but I’m always glad when I finish. I feel like I’ve rewarded myself and that it’s been time well spent.”

The camaraderie she feels at KCP is also a draw for Nancy. “Everybody there is a little bit like me – dealing with current injuries or injuries from the past. I like to go in person since I’m retired; it’s good to be with other people my age.”

She also notes a lack of pretentiousness in the classes. “I’ve been to gyms where the women show up in their Barbie doll costumes, and I feel like a beached whale. I’m not obese, but I’m not slim. I feel like I belong at KCP. I feel comfortable. They know me. They treat me like I’m a person. They make everybody feel special. You won’t find that in every gym.”

Because Nancy has remained committed to her exercise routine, she says “I’m pretty strong for 70 years old. It’s a good feeling.”

Being strong allows her to enjoy the things in life that are important to her: family and travel.

“I can get down on the floor to play with my toddler nephew. I can catch him if he wants to jump off the monkey bars. I can do things other women my age can’t do,” she says.

Nancy also loves to travel and recently took a bucket list trip to New Zealand. “Traveling involves a certain level of stamina and fitness,” she says. “When you have that, you can enjoy the whole experience more. On our trip, we got to go kayaking across a lake in the rain, hiking up some very steep grade hills, and walking on the beaches. Being able to do all of that was just so meaningful to me.”

Cyndi is a swimmer in her mid-50’s who had been having pain in her shoulder. When she asked her swim coach if she knew anyone who could help, the coach recommended fellow swimmer and KCP physical therapist Joyce Kight.

In Joyce, Cyndi says she found someone who was willing to listen, understand, and help. “Joyce always wants to help you figure out your problem,” she says. “She’ll help you try one thing, and then if that’s not working, she knows what to try next.”

Cyndi’s initial treatment consisted of dry needling and strengthening exercises. When her pain persisted, Joyce recommended that she see an orthopedist. An MRI revealed a muscular tear which required surgery and more rehab. Cyndi says that Joyce was a great person to work with during the process, helping her to navigate the process and conversations with the surgeon.

“She really helped me to be my own advocate,” Cyndi says. “Sometimes we are too proud and stubborn to take care of ourselves. We ignore the pain until we can’t anymore. We need to change that. Joyce is helping me to get better about taking care of myself.”

During her rehab, Cyndi says that she was also able to address some ongoing hip pain that she had been feeling. “When we talked about my hip pain, we ended up talking about my office setup. Joyce realized that my office chair and my computer screen were not placed correctly;  I never connected that dot. I’ve changed my setup and the way that I’m sitting every day, and I can tell the difference. It’s all helped with the quest,” she says.

Cyndi also discovered the exercise classes offered by KCP and has added those to her training regimen. “(Exercise specialist) Karina is the cutest thing ever,” she says. “I’m so grateful. I work out four times a week now; it helps keep me out of pain. And I need the discipline!”

Cyndi lives in Waxhaw and says the drive to KCP’s Ballantyne office is worth it. “I know it’s a haul. I have other options, but I don’t want to go anywhere else. I’ve been to quite a few other physical therapists, but KCP is not like any of them. They’re not cookie cutter in their approach; they personalize the experience. I don’t know how to explain how much I like Joyce and Karina. They’re going to get me back to where I want to be.”

Joyce says, “Cindy has struggled with pain that has created setbacks, but she is always determined to understand the cause and ensure that she is able to enjoy her active lifestyle. She greets each session with a smile and determination. She is a pleasure to treat!”

Joan’s experience with KCP began several years ago with a back injury from lifting her wriggling handicapped dog. She says he was a moving target, and it was hard to lift him using good form. She saw a doctor who referred her to KCP Physical Therapy.

It turned out to be oddly good timing, according to Joan. Her gym had closed, and she wanted to look for a new personal trainer. She was pleased to find out that KCP offered both physical therapy and personal training.

The physical therapy for the back injury was helpful, and Joan quickly felt better.

She joined the group fitness classes and was appreciative of the support and direction she received in them. “All of us have issues, and they keep track of all of them – who’s knee is bad, who’s got shoulder problems, and they just look out for us and tell us how to modify any exercise if it’s not good for us at the time. I don’t know where else you would get this!” she says. “It’s unlike any other doctor – patient relationship I’ve ever had.”

Years later, Joan experienced another back injury. This one was worse than the first, she says.

“Joyce worked with me intensively for a few weeks, but she could see that it wasn’t getting better like it should have. She referred me to a really good physiatrist, helped me get an appointment quickly, and they discovered that I had a bulging disc. I got a cortisone shot and continued the PT, and the two worked so well together. I’m pretty much back to normal now,” she says.

Joan describes KCP as being like a family. “They’ve all been there for years,” she says. “They don’t have a lot of turnover. They seem to be really happy there. And I really like how they are mentoring the next generation. I’ve watched Ashley go from being an intern to being almost finished with PT school, and I see more interns there now who are getting help with their professional futures.”

Joan enjoys coming to the workouts in person, but often takes advantage of the Zoom sessions as well. “We didn’t miss a beat during the pandemic,” she says. “And now that we can Zoom, even if I’m in Florida for a while, I can still join the workouts.”

Joyce Kight, her physical therapist, says that she is proud of Joan’s determination and accomplishments. “Joan was and still is committed to maintaining her active and healthy lifestyle,” she says. “Her recent injury created a setback, but Joan would not be deterred. She was committed to her rehab and has been able to return to hiking and twice weekly training. I’ve watched our training group become her second family. Joan is a pleasure to work with!”

Joan continues to train with her group, and says, “It’s made me feel younger. I was getting to an age where I thought I couldn’t do things anymore, but that wasn’t true. I do have some arthritis in my knees and back, but with proper treatment and strength training, it’s gotten so much better. I feel safer. I feel stronger. It’s a real confidence booster. I’m so happy I found this place – I don’t know what I’d do without them!”