I’m a Physical Therapist who has lived and worked in lots of different places— Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, The Netherlands… Yeah, that one doesn’t fit so well, does it? Story is that my husband, daughter, and dog, Piper, have moved from our lovely home in Maynard, Massachusetts to The Hague, The Netherlands for a three-year expat assignment.

It’s an amazing place, the City of Peace, but I long for the work that was EmpowerPhysio when we were back in The States. After working in physical therapy and rehabilitation facilities in veterinary hospitals for years, I established a mobile service in the Boston area, allowing me to work directly with pets and pet parents, focused on their mobility goals and what was real life, in their home environment. It is incredibly rewarding work.

Another focus of my work has been in education. I’ve been fortunate to have learned so much through my work in large veterinary specialty hospitals and when teaching other Animal Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Professionals in workshops and continuing education courses across the USA and the world. Over the years, I’ve participated in courses that have given me the knowledge and skill to help, not only my “human” patients, but my “animal” patients as well.

In the early days of my animal physical therapy and rehabilitation career, I found that my work was rather isolating. Many of my colleagues were solo practitioners, far away from other therapists who could lend a second set of eyes or hands in helping to problem-solve those most challenging cases.

Now I find myself in the unique position of being able to help my clients (and colleagues) virtually. Initially, I couldn’t imagine that it could really work— physical therapy is a “hands’ on” profession— but there are amazing benefits to that virtual practice setting— I’m wherever YOU are, I can be focused on you and your pet, I can, literally, ZOOM IN on things and play it all forwards and backwards and on repeat, to really, really get to the root of the mobility issue.

I’ve used technology to help athletes— both runners (of the human kind) and agility athletes (the furry ones, and, yes, sometimes their human parents/handlers, too)— and just recently have used this same technology to help pets who are just pets, who just want to move again, to chase a ball or a squirrel or a friend at the dog park again. I’ve learned that I can help, even from another time zone, another country, on the other side of the world. Technology is an amazing thing.

So if you’re feeling a little lost— how do I help my dog walk again, run again, play again? And maybe you don’t live near an animal physical therapy and rehabilitation facility. Or maybe your work-life-home-school schedule doesn’t allow you the time to get to a facility for the regular sessions that you know will help your dog. Or maybe you just need some help between sessions— am I doing these exercises the right way? When doing range of motion on my dog’s knee (Is this the knee?), am I pushing too hard or not hard enough? THIS IS WHY.

Maybe you’re an animal physical therapy and rehabilitation professional. One who is new in the field. Maybe all alone in a busy, large practice. You’re comfortable with all of the patients with knee (stifle) injuries, but now you have a patient with a supraspinatus tendinopathy? What to do? Who to ask? THIS IS WHY.

Oh, yeah, and I’m a runner and do Pilates, too.  These are activities that have molded me in so many ways. They have allowed me to create balance in my life, in my work, in my body. Allowed me to be confident, and comfortable, in my movement WHILE I help people and pets. All of these things are unrelated and, yet, inter-related, and make me who I am so that I can best help you (and your pet) to find solutions to mobility problems.  THIS IS WHY.