#ChoosePT: 9 Months Update – Living an Active Life Without Pain Medication

A Once Reluctant Physical Therapy Patient Found an Answer Outside of Pain Medication

In December of 2017, we went to Eclipse Physical Therapy and Sports Performance to hear the story of Dean Waxler. Dean was the victim of a motorcycle accident who looked to physical therapy instead of pain medication to recover from his injuries. Dean, with the help of Dr. Adam Eubanks and other therapists, has made tremendous strides in recovery over the past 9 months. Dean’s journey has been a true physical therapy success story that has taken courage and hard work.

Where is Dean now? Watch an update from him and Dr. Eubanks below:

APTA launched the #ChoosePT campaign under their MoveForwardPT.com web-directive, encouraging their followers to choose physical therapy over opioids for pain management.

Interested in more PT success stories? Watch more here:

Patients should #ChoosePT when… (Greg Todd and Michael Anastasas of Renewal Rehabilitation gathered a group of real patients to share how PT helped them avoid, or eliminate, the need for pain medications.)

#ChoosePT: Choosing Physical Therapy for Safe Pain Management (We spoke with Physical Therapist Pat Sheehy, MS, PT from Cranberry Township, PA about how hands-on pain management supports a healthier population.) View Video Transcript

Do you really think he’s going to be running again soon?

He will be running again soon.

I’ve been doing physical therapy for about nine months for my injury in my leg. I didn’t think it was going to work like it does, but after the nine months of being here, it’s helped tremendously.

Dean truly is a testament of what hard work and a great work ethic can bring you. Physical therapy has provided him a great alternative to pain medication and has allowed him to return to full weightbearing at this point. He’s been able to progress off of his crutches, non-weightbearing, to then to a single point cane and currently he’s been able to progress off of his cane.

Before my accident, I would fish, I would hunt, I would ride quads, motorcycles, but after the accident I thought that’d be all over. But now we’re outside, we’re going on the side by side with the grandkids, we’re going on the quad with the grandkids. We’re having a ball with them now but eventually I want to run with them.

So as Dean has progressed with his weightbearing tolerance, we’ve been able to progress him from exercises involving weight through both of his legs, other hip strengthening exercises involving standing. Currently, we’ve been able to progress to single leg balance exercises, single leg strengthening exercises, which really help improve his balance, but also target his hip musculature, which will improve his gait and walking without a limp.

If I would’ve stayed with the doctors, did what they wanted me with the pain medicine and everything, I don’t think I would be where I’m at today. I would be in a different kind of rehab. It’s going to hurt worse when you start, but in the long run it’s going to be so much better than taking pain medicine.