Peak Performance Physical Therapy & Sports Training

We humbly honor on this Memorial Day those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect this great country we are blessed to live in. And thank you too to those who "made it back" and to those who continue to serve and protect us all.

With this stretch of summer-like weather we’ve had, I hope you’ve been able to get outside and enjoy all of the activities you love to do! Sure, for some that means running and hiking the many trails that Rochester and the Fingerlakes have to offer...and for others, it’s getting on the water to kayak and paddleboard (once the lake and rivers warm up a bit .) But for tons of people, the Memorial Day weekend and the return to summer means the gardening season has begun. Who... doesn’t love getting a little dirt on their hands and planting some beautiful flowers or vegetables, am I right? I know I sure do! I also know that gardening means a lot of bending over and kneeling which can wreak havoc on your back and knees and lead to injury. Check out this VIDEO I made with a few tips to help reduce the stress on your back and knees to minimize the chance of injury. I hope it helps you to still be smiling after hours of gardening. Enjoy this beautiful weather and have a great summer!! Best Regards, Allison

Meet Eric! Our May 2021 Peak Performer of the Month! Eric was running down the court during a basketball game on January 4th, 2020. He stopped suddenly and his right knee gave out tearing not only his ACL, but also both of his Meniscus'. He had his share of ankle sprains and muscle pulls in his long basketball career, but this was the first time he had to have surgery or PT! The process was slow, and in the middle of it, he required another surgery in order to continue h...is progress. Eric Says: "I didn't know what to expect since I had never been to PT. Every visit seemed very personal and tuned to my specific injury. Each adjustment along the way led to minimizing pain/discomfort and improving my strength. I feel like I'm getting closer and closer to 100%! Thanks to the Peak staff! I couldn't have succeeded without you!" Karen Says: "When you hear about pro athletes following ACL surgery, you often hear that in 6 months they are running, and returning to sports. That's not reality for most individuals. Eric was used to playing hard, but the work required to come back from an injury like this is difficult. When sports IS your workout, exercise alone can be tedious. Eric never complained and never stopped working! With each advancement he celebrated, and with any setbacks, he dug in harder. He is optimistic and determined. The fact that he never gave up is a testimony to his character. See you back on the links and the court!" Eric has chosen The Ronald McDonald House for the charitable donation we're doing in his honor! Yours in health, Karen

Meet Edwin! Our April 2021 Peak Performer of the Month! Edwin was starting his snow blower and felt a pain in his left shoulder late in February. He knew when golf was painful, and he wasn't sleeping that he needed to call Peak PT. He was no stranger to Physical Therapy having gone through it with Peak for hip pain as well as two knee replacements in the past two years! Edwin Says: "The individual attention I received helped with my recovery. Allison and Rachele were able t...o adapt the exercises if the original was ineffective. I quickly began to see improvement which encouraged me to do daily exercises. Not only was I getting better quickly but I was having fun. Every day I would work hard and laugh!" Allison Says: "Edwin always came in with a smile, and left every day saying "Thanks for the laughs!" PT is hard work. It takes determination, self-discipline, and encouragement. We provided the exercises and manual therapy, and he provided the discipline. I remember the smile on his face when he went back to golf without pain! Edwin makes the job of Physical Therapy such a pleasure each day! Thanks, Edwin!" Edwin has chosen The Advent House for the charitable donation we're doing in his honor! Best Regards, Allison

Got out just in time to take my favorite weighted vest and playlist to the track for a quick workout! Don’t let that last bit of sunlight go to waste! #peakptrochester

Stories of success never get old! We have so many deserving patients who have stayed focus, trusted us, been dedicated, and overcame. It's never easy to pick one person but this month Joe stood out. Check out Joe's story... Joe tore his ACL on October 22, 2019. He remembers that exact day - when life seemed to change. It was the day his future suddenly became more uncertain. Instead of a smiling, confident, and imposing football linemen, he was now... injured. He came ...in looking defeated; no smile, and low energy. But that wasn't the end to Joe's story!! Fast forward to now... Joe Says: I was so lost when I tore my ACL, however I was determined to play football my senior year! Every time I came into Peak there was a push to challenge me in every part of my exercises. My friends and family supported me throughout the entire process. At Peak, not only did I meet all of my goals but I can even cut and pivot faster than before! Thank you Peak! Mike Says: "Joe is ONE BIG DUDE!!! It's no easy task being that tall and having all that muscle on top of a knee and to be able to come back to being a great athlete again. I'm so proud of Joe! He really, really got after it in the clinic. He's totally a gentle giant - a kind hearted guy, but a bull when he was working out. Totally committed and trusted our process! A great role model for getting through a tough injury and coming back better than ever! Congrats Joe! Joe has chosen The Bethany House for the charitable donation we're doing in his honor! Yours in Health, Peak Performance

*Important Information Regarding Seniors' Health Care in 2021* Did you know that the government has some big cuts coming up in 2021 that could directly affect seniors' access to 35 different health care providers - including Physical Therapy? Physical Therapy has repeatedly been shown to be a low cost, low risk, effective treatment as compared to medications, injections, and surgery as well as many expensive tests that are sometimes performed before being necessary.... And it's not going to matter whether your insurance is "straight" Medicare or you're on a "managed" product by one of our local carriers. Almost all "Senior" insurances will follow the rules that national Medicare sets! We have so many seniors who are benefitting from Physical Therapy throughout the year - and COVID makes it an even harder time to be implementing cuts that are likely to end up in reducing accessibility to services for one of our most vulnerable populations. The best start is to GET INFORMED. Once you have more information you can decide for yourself whether you want to tell your local and federal legislators that you support their getting behind the planned cuts or if you expect them to reject the plan and make modifications so that seniors (and others) don't end up having fewer options for Physical Therapy. Check out more information by clicking the link below Yours in Health, Peak Performance

Meet Suellen! Suellen was an independent woman until she took a fall while doing some home improvements. For the first time she had an injury that threatened that independence. She lives in a two story house and had to navigate stairs, knee pain, and life all while on crutches. Knee fractures this bad take a long time to heal. That was February 2020. ... Suellen Says: My first injury ever was this, a SHATTERED tibia. I had no idea if I would ever have the ability to walk with any kind of true independence or natural ability. I learned to stay focused. No excuses! Karen and the staff were my teammates on this journey. They noticed when I was down and encouraged me! This experience restored my faith in people and the profession of PT. I am now walking, and living. The difference made for me at Peak Performance is difficult to express. I received trust, faith, incredible skill and kindness, notes of encouragement, and the kind of dedication that has me walking. As long as I live, I'll never forget my experience at Peak. I am forever grateful to Karen, Mike, Rachele, and the entire team! Karen Says: Suellen ran the gamete of emotions with this injury. Not only did she have to worry about a 6-9 month grueling physical rehabilitation, but the emotional task of navigating isolation from COVID, job shutdown, and pain. She had always been active, but this was slow and tedious and at times felt overwhelming. This is where her toughness showed up and she stuck to it! She was reminded to measure progress by the month, not by the week or day. She is now back to climbing stairs, biking, hiking, and anything else she wants! Each week brings her closer to the pre-Suellen!! I am blessed to have witnessed her transformation Suellen has chosen Cracker Box Palace for the charitable donation we're doing in her honor! Yours in Health, Peak Performance

Please join us in welcoming Kim Carr to the Peak Performance Team!! Kim is our new Customer Service Specialist! Make sure to say hi to her your next time in or leave a comment here for her! Kim is a very devoted and dedicated professional with 25 years of experience in early childhood education. She is a life long learner and is eager to apply her experiences and skills into her new role here at Peak Performance and provide all of our patients with the most amazing custom...er service!! Here are some fun facts we'd like to share with you about Kim! I'm From: Bath NY and recently relocated to Fairport in September 2017 Favorite Restaurant: Mr. Dominic's Favorite Food: Strawberries and Cheesecake Workout Music Playlist: 80's Rock Favorite Band: Keith Urban and Bon Jovi On Her Days Off: You will find her spending time with family by the pool, reading, or traveling Favorite Sports Team: NY Yankees and Rochester Red Wings!! College: Attended Corning Community College but she is the proud Mom of a SUNY Geneseo grad!! Something you should know about Kim: She loves to cook as well as make scrapbooks for her family! When asked why she was most excited to work at Peak: "The atmosphere is very positive and I am excited to challenge myself to learn something new!" We're super excited to have her join the team and we can't wait for you to meet her!!

Meet Amy! Amy came in to Peak with intolerable back pain. Her pain even stayed after injections, ablations and prior PT. She was a long time triathlete and competed in Iron-man races as a top level competitor. She knew what it was like to push through that muscle ache, that burning in the lungs that came with the races, and yet this was different. This felt hopeless... this felt like her last chance. Amy Says: I got out of bed daily with pain. I couldn't put on my so...cks or shoes without pain. I couldn't drive, do yard work or housework. I couldn't sleep without pain. Now I'm running 4 miles every other day and pain free with all of my other tasks. I am thrilled at Peak's functional approach and my results!! Thank you Allison - I have my life back!!" Allison Says: Amy was so down. She was even wondering if this pain was her new normal. Her back pain was disabling, sapping any energy she had to have fun with her family or just to get through the day. Once she saw how functional stretching undid the life long repeated compensations she had developed, she turned on her athlete brain and went after her exercises like race training. Pretty soon that remarkable smile and contagious laugh showed up at Peak each time! So glad I got to be a part of it! Amy, you're an inspiration!!" Amy has chosen The Bethany House for the charitable donation we're doing in her honor! Yours in Health, Peak Performance

One of our top Core Values here at Peak Performance is being Dedicated Transformers. To us that means making positive differences in peoples lives. That's what makes this letter from Anne so impactful for us. Way to go Allison, and thanks to Anne for being so over-the-top thoughtful. Check out this note Anne sent. Anne Says: "Allison has been beyond fantastic. Everyone at Peak Performance is! You have a great establishment and I have referred many people to Peak Perfor...mance." "Allison is the best Physical Therapist that I have ever had. Working with her has made a significant difference in what I am now able to do. Allison gave me my Life back! During her care, my issues, which are complicated, have all improved enough that I can do things again that I never thought I could do. And, while working on one body part (ie. knee, shoulder), it improved my other body part issue (ie. lower back). If I was to list all of the reasons why Allison is so great, people may not read the entire letter. Therefore, I will list my Top 10. (It was very hard to stop only at 10.) Allison is: 1.Knowledgeable 2.Experienced 3.Thinks out of the box 4.Understands completely how structurally everything is related 5.Best Trouble-Shooter EVER! (You can literally see steam coming out of her ears.) 6.Takes the time to listen to what you report each week 7.Builds on what you are experiencing and makes perfectly in-tune adjustments, when necessary. 8.Gives and demonstrates practical and useful exercises that build on each other 9.Personable, easy to talk with, and funny 10.Allison does A LOT of thinking and figuring out what will work out for you as a unique patient. She puts her focus on where she believes are the areas that will give the most improvement for you. Her input has been spot on every time. She is Amazing! I know she has the schooling for for this, but she also has a special gift that you just can’t teach. I am so grateful to be able to work with Allison. Exercise have been so important to me all my life. Being limited was extremely challenging. With Allison’s help, I have been able to return to many activities. These are all activities that my husband and I do together, so I am especially grateful for that!" Thanks again Anne for your kind words. We're so happy that Allison was able to help you transform back to feeling comfortable, capable, and confident again.

Do you play to train or train to play? #letstrain #traintoplay #peakptrochester

Allison will explain how and why this happens and give you three tips on how to get rid of that back or headache!

June 2020 Peak Performer of the Month Meet Jacque! Jacque was referred to us thru our Fleet Feet relationship. She had just run the Chicago Marathon in 2019 and was hurting. She was in so much pain; she couldn’t put weight on her leg. She had pain running, walking, and getting up and down her stairs. She had been diagnosed with a meniscal tear.... Jacque Says: I was determined to get back to running. Allison and the Peak team focused on healing my injury first and finding out the root cause of my problem. They went above and beyond to ensure I reached my goals in safety. I now have zero knee pain and can do my daily activities including running pain free!! Allison Says: Running was very important to Jacque, so getting her back to the sport she loved quickly was the goal. Not only did she want to just run, but she wanted to do hills, repeated sprints, and other speed work. It took some time and patience to slow down enough to allow the knee to heal. (not something most runners are willing to do!). When it was time, Jacque attacked her program until she was at her goal of 100% recovery! Looking forward to see you cross that real finish line!! Great job Jacque! Jacque has chosen Lollypop Farm for the charitable donation we're doing in her honor! Yours in Health, Peak Performance

Paddleboarding ROC....we snuck out after work tonight on the Genessee River down by Uof R at the Genessee Waterway Center. Made our way about 1.5 mi north til we got a view of the city and Ford St bridge. Beautiful night, awesome views, burned a few calories and great company! Where do you like paddling or kayaking/canoeing in Rocheater?

May 2020 Peak Performer of the Month Meet Rorie!! Rorie came to PEAK last year with right hip pain that was rendering him unable to play his Varsity AND Club soccer seasons. An MRI showed a Labral tear in his hip. His goal was to finish his Varsity senior season before having surgery. He started the journey before the surgery, finished the season, and returned to PEAK post surgery to continue getting his full function back. ... Rorie Says: After 4 years of dealing with this injury with Advil, i knew that I wanted to do the pre and post surgical PT at PEAK. I knew it would be personalized by Andrew to help me get back quicker. I can now sprint effortlessly, and play soccer. I am back to my painless self!! Thanks PEAK!!! Andrew Says: You think one rehab in a year is hard?? This Varsity athlete did two in one year!!! He started PT during his senior soccer season, and then had to start all over again after surgery. That is tenacious. That is goal driven. That is Rorie!! He is now competing with friends on the field. He feels like he's back at 100% of his old self and can't wait until COVID ends and a season starts so that he can prove himself!! I know that he will be just as successful this fall at college both on and off the field!! Rorie has chosen Habitat for Humanity for the charitable donation we're doing in his honor!

Sheltering out tip #4: explore your town and find a new activity! We are at Canadice Lake, a beautiful little lake next to Hemlock. We have our inflatable and regular paddle boards to account for our different size and needs. Try a small lake or pond, or small river first so that it it smoother and easy to get your balance and proper stroke down. So much to do around Rochester ! Get out and explore