August 10, 2015

Looking far ahead in my life, I want to be able maintain a level of activity and mobility that will allow me to enjoy the things that I love doing today. In my mind, being active and being mobile go hand-in-hand, be that in a round of golf or exploring a new city on a vacation. To make sure that that dream can become a reality and I can have peace of mind that my knees won’t hinder me in the future, I’m being proactive with my knees (early in my twenties). A little about myself… Right from the beginning, there was never a sport that I wouldn’t try. It was a never ending parade from playing t-ball as a toddler, to playing professional hockey as and adult, and everything in between. I quickly had to make a choice on which sport I was going to pour my time into, and hockey came out on top. However, that didn’t stop me from playing basketball, baseball, soccer, and volleyball. I just loved being active and the thrill of competition. As I became more and more serious about my hockey career, I joined the Hockey Academy that had opened at my high school a few years prior. There I developed my skills and my fitness over the next three years. It wasn’t until then I realized that my knees were beginning to give me issues. After an intense plyometric workout of box jumps and other explosive exercises, even the lightest jog would be too painful to bear. Many times, I would have to opt out of a good portion of our workout. It was frustrating for someone who loved pushing the limits of their capabilities. In 9th grade I was drafted by the Portland Winterhawks and came to play for them full time the following season. I continued to experience knee pain and avoid the exercises that caused it. On top of that, in my first year with the Winterhawks, I suffered a 2nd degree MCL tear, ending my hockey season. A year later, our team had made the playoffs for the first time in five years, and I was excited to get my first taste of playoff hockey experience. To my horror, in the second game of our first series, I suffered another 2nd degree MCL tear on my other knee. It was beyond frustrating to watch the games from the sidelines as I recovered and rehabbed, but during my physical therapy, I found that the same exercise I was doing for the MCL, were also making my knee pain less intense. It was around that time that I started to realize that there were many more options available to me than just the patellar straps that I had been trying to use. When I was 21 years old and just finishing my career for the Winterhawks, I heard about Reflex through my girlfriend at the time (now wife) who works there. She explained their non-invasive procedures and insisted that coming in to be seen by one of their physicians could offer additional options. After a knee evaluation, the doctor recommended trying Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy, saying it would help with my knee pain. I was impressed and excited at the idea of using my own plasma to help encourage healing and recovery. Especially after experiencing knee pain for so long. I decided then, that I was going to need be proactive with my knees. After the procedure, my life changed. For the first time in years, the pain that I had usually been experiencing had moved far into the background and was no longer limiting me in the gym and on the ice. I experienced accelerated progress in both my fitness and on-ice abilities. Without my knees holding me back, I was once again able to push my body to the limits without worry. If it had not been for my proactive mindset about knee treatment, and the helpful and knowledgeable staff at Reflex, my hockey career might have ended long before I ever had a chance to find my full potential. Now, I look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure my future stays free of knee pain. I would recommend to anyone struggling with knee pain to schedule an evaluation at Reflex. You don’t have to live with the pain, and you don’t need to let it hold you back.

The Necessity of Being Proactive with Your Knees

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