Bob is a guy who’s always on the move. A competitive runner since the 1970s, and a health and physical education teacher in Avon for the past 32 years, Bob doesn’t let anything slow him down—especially not aches and pains. He says matter-of-factly that he and wife, Rochelle, just don’t do well sitting around—they need to be physically active to feel their best.



Bob’s activity almost came to a screeching halt in September 2013, when he had to have surgery to repair his achilles tendon. Bob’s physical therapist, Cindy Myers, worked with him extensively after surgery to ensure he could return to the things he loves: running, remodeling houses, and keeping up with Rochelle and their nine grandchildren. Working closely with a physical therapist allowed Bob to get to know his body better than ever before; he knew he could overcome the obstacle he was up against.

With a lot of patience and physical therapy, even a major procedure like an achilles repair didn’t get the best of Bob—he and his three grown children celebrated the one-year anniversary of his surgery with a hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. “The idea is to be able to continue to do the things you love,” says Bob. “I would rather keep going back to therapy than to give up the activities I enjoy.”

This past year, while helping his niece rebuild a barn in Kentucky, Bob was doing a lot of overhead work in a precarious position. The result was, literally, a pain in the neck. Bob knew immediately who to call: his physical therapist. Indiana’s direct access law allowed him to self refer and reconnect with Cindy, without waiting for a doctor’s order. Bob started receiving treatment right away and was able to regain good range of motion in his neck, without the excruciating nerve pain he was experiencing from his injury.

Feeling better, Bob is refocusing his efforts on life as a runner. With more than 25 full marathons under his belt, running is in his blood and he’s not willing to give it up. Easing his way back into the sport, Bob ran two half marathons in 2014. “My goal is to run this year’s 500 Festival Mini Marathon and get my half marathon times back under an hour and a half.” That’s a lofty goal for any runner, but one that this 56 year-old grandpa is going to achieve.

Thanks to physical therapy, Bob is still able to do all of the things he loves. He’s even working some new muscles now by trying yoga. Yoga may not be on his “love list” yet, but give it time.

Call (317) 495-9995 or click here to request an evaluation at one of our four locations: Avon, Brownsburg, Danville and Plainfield.

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