SPEAR Physical Therapy gracing a Maxim Magazine spread? Yup, that happened!
David Swanson, deputy editor at Maxim, recently wrote about his experience rehabbing his torn ACL and fractured tibia at our 56th Street location in his most recent feature, “The Slob’s Guide to Fitness.”
The spread (pages 80-83 of the January/February issue) in the nationally distributed magazine follows seven men over the course of two months as they complete seven different workout regimens.
Swanson’s injuries knocked the editor out of his usual routine and into the care of two crutches for three months before he found himself at SPEAR. Swanson credits persistence, SPEAR’s “super nice staff” and his bonding over music with his therapist (and 56th Street’s clinical director) Kelly Althaus, as the “X-Factor” that helped him overcome his injury.
Swanson’s knee-rehabilitation regimen centered around re-strengthening, with balancing routines, leg presses, and, as he playfully puts it, “lots of playing with balls.” We asked Kelly what those ball exercises were exactly, and she told us they involve the patient “balancing on one knee while bouncing a ball against a trampoline. This makes balancing more difficult, since you’re combining it with another activity.” Done consistently, “lots of playing with balls” can eventually strengthen the patient’s balance. Fun fact: These balance-related exercises get a fancy name: Neuromuscular Reeducation.
Now that David’s back to life, he’s enjoying being able to attend (and stand up at) concerts again. This is good news for the music (and Maxim) fans out there, since Swanson’s coverage of the music industry runs the gamut between Lou Reed, Satan at the Grammys, and Macaulay Culkin’s Pizza-Themed Velvet Underground Tribute Band (which is an actual thing, apparently).
Click here to read the full article or read David’s portion below:
Regimen: Physical Therapy at SPEAR Physical Therapy
What it is: Um, it’s physical therapy. I tore my ACL and fractured my tibia, so after three months on crutches it was time to get back in fighting shape. That meant a series of torturous exercises that wouldn’t have had any of these other jerks breaking a sweat: balancing routines, leg presses, and playing with balls. No, really, lots of playing with balls.
Frequency: Twice a week at the clinic and another two or three times a week on my own.
Convenience: The frequency of my midday sessions made it convenient for me to come up with excuses for why my work wasn’t done.
Intensity: For an able-bodied young dude, it would have been a breeze. I am not that dude.
X-Factor: The staff was super-nice, and my instructor, Kelly, and I had lots of good talks about music. But… there are a lot of people in physical therapy. A lot.
Results: At the start I needed to wear my brace to and from work and use crutches or a cane. After a month or so, I’m off the brace and only use the cane to look fancy.
But can you do it drunk: Every time.
