I firmly believe that physical therapy is one of the best ways to get on your feet again after an injury. Granted, I wasn’t exactly saying that three months ago when the physical therapist I went to after a knee injury pushed me so hard that I couldn’t walk the next day. After finally deciding to get back on the horse, I found Glick Physical Therapy through a friend of mine who actually babysits for the Glick family. Since they took my insurance, I decided to give the whole process another shot.

I started working with Jamie Glick, who owns and manages the business himself. He was so kind and understanding, my anxieties just melted away during the first session. What impressed me most was that he didn’t push me excessively, the way my previous therapist had. That’s not to say he didn’t challenge me; as I got better and the exercises became easier, he added more weight to really help me strengthen. However, he taught me the difference between muscle strain and real pain, something I had trouble differentiating before. Apparently, more pain isn’t necessarily more gain; it can really hurt you.

Jamie is a marathon runner himself, so he was an ideal fit for me (my injury was sustained while running). He knew that I not only wanted to walk again, I wanted to run! With his vast understanding of human musculature, Jamie helped me build up the muscles around my knee so that it would be better protected during activity. He showed me that everything in the body is connected: because my hip and quadrilateral muscles were weak, they were not able to support my kneecaps. After working with Jamie, my legs and thighs are strong, my knee has recovered considerably, and an added bonus: my butt has never looked better! Though I no longer attend sessions with him, Jamie has helped me set up a home regimen and I’m feeling great.

Most insurance plans cover physical therapy, although some have limits on the amount of sessions. I strongly encourage anyone with pain from an injury or arthritis to find a therapist, but please make sure you’re going to someone who knows what he or she is doing. If your physical therapist pushes you too hard, ignores your pain, or leaves you alone at any point, walk right out of there (I dearly hope you still can) and find someone new.