The Story Behind the Name
Coming up with a name for my virtual athletic therapy services was a long and challenging process with lots of brainstorming and revisions. I wanted a name that not only would I be proud of, but would also reflect my philosophy and approach to rehabbing sports-related injuries. After testing out several names and thinking I had finally found the one, I kept coming back to Bend Without Breaking for the literal and figurative message behind the name.
Literally: many people who have experienced an injury or are dealing with pain in their daily lives often come out of their first appointment feeling like they are broken. They’re often told of all of these different mechanical or movement-based reasons for why they are in pain, such as their posture or how they run. They are then given all of these “diagnoses” followed by exercises to try and correct these issues. This leaves many people feeling that there is something wrong with them, that they have to change how they move, or they won’t get better. This is especially true when it comes to those with low back pain where they become afraid of bending their back or else they will make things worse. While we do know that certain movements and positions can be painful, this doesn’t mean that we’re broken or making things worse. Often times, we just need strategies to help manage pain, let things calm down, and then slowly build ourselves back up. Even with an injury, we are allowed to move, and it is often needed to help facilitate recovery.
Figuratively: we are adaptable human beings. When we expose ourselves to the right amount of stress, say when we work out in the gym, our body responds by getting stronger. If we continue to do this, our bodies become more and more resilient to the stresses we place upon ourselves, making us better able to tolerate all kinds of loads. This is ultimately what influences injury— the balance between the stress we place upon ourselves and our ability to tolerate that stress. If we can build for ourselves a larger window or capacity to tolerate stress, we’re less likely to get injured, even when we do push ourselves a little more.
Bend Without Breaking – the ability to adapt, respond, spring back and grow stronger in the face of challenges or adversity, embodying strength, flexibility and persistence; a balance of toughness and resilience - like a branch that sways in the wind but does not snap.
My main goal is to teach people that they are not broken, but rather unique individuals with the ability to adapt and spring back from an injury; to build resilience and confidence in themselves to continue with the activities they enjoy. The image that kept coming back into my mind when I think about my treatment approach was that tree branch swaying in the gust of wind, bending to the stress of the wind and not breaking, but rather returning back to its resting position when the wind stops.
