ABOUT ME
Hey!I’m Dr. Lisa
A native Howard County, Marylander & 90's kid.
Who now helps middle agers kick pain to the curb to get back to living their playful lifestyle through movement and mindset!
I’m passionate about all things sports medicine, orthopedic and women's health physical therapy and loves doing this type of physical therapy with a touch of mindset magic.
You are in the right place!
Read on my friend and please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Let’s go back to the beginning
I was in my 21st year in healthcare.
At work I felt like me, even with the daily hip and coccyx pain, I felt alive at work
I was doing all the things and it felt awesome! Caring for clients, managing 10 people, office “fires”, productivity/efficiency, website, newsletter, blogs, submitting payroll, communicating with the staff, enforcing rules, holding staff meetings.
When I came home from a long day of work, all I wanted to do was crash on the couch and have 20 minutes for me, but it never happened.
What it actually looked like was me walking in the door, my kids wanting a warm hug from their mom, but their sweet hugs sent painful tingles up my spine.
So what my kids got was a short hug, with me pushing them away and being overwhelmed by the mess of the house the instant I walked in.
I was craving space to heal.
But I wasn’t the one to ask for space or help.
I had a highly competitive spirit of “push through pain and suck it up”
I wasn't intentionally putting myself on the list to receive help from another source.
I felt like I knew exactly what I needed to do for my body.
Because of my professional training plus, being a former athlete. I thought I knew what I needed to do.
So I’d start focusing on hydration, mobility and meditation
Before the month was over
I found myself doing one of those each day until my will power totally ran out.
Then a few months later, I’d try to
Go shopping for healthy meals, start foam rolling, get a monthly massage
And again, by the end of a month, I was doing nothing, because
“Life got in the way”
Has that ever happened to you?
It was a rollercoaster
This self-care rollercoaster was up and down and all around. I couldn’t stay consistent with anything. Because life always got in the way!
So I continued to struggle year after year with chronic pain
Which started to lead to obesity and fatigue
I recognized I now had 3 preventable lifestyle diseases
Even though each day I helped clients rid themselves of daily persistent pain in their body, sleep better, get their health back on track
I was struggling and I would often think
“If I just stayed consistent with what I recommend my clients to do, I know I’d feel so much better”
But I couldn’t commit. I found myself even becoming slightly jealous of those clients who were my age with young families that were committing to helping themselves.
Because I decided to NOT make a change, I continued to experience daily persistent shifting pain.
I was fortunate, I could mostly do what I needed to do “grinning and bearing it” with two young kids.
…until I’d have to say no to the activities that made my heart explode with joy, like challenging family hiking adventures or throwing the ball with my kids
because I HAD TO be able to push through at work and “didn’t have time to hurt”
I finally asked for help
from both my PCP and Ortho
I was given a steroid injection along with a X-ray and then MRI. The injection lasted for 3 months and the X-ray and MRI showed my hip was gorgeous! No issues AT ALL!
The picture of my low back was a different story with multiple herniations and degenerative changes, but of course it didn’t hurt
After my providers saw what was going on inside they prescribed medication
Even though I didn’t want medication for pain, which made me angry that I had to take meds
But, I had to be honest with myself, I also never asked for what I ACTUALLY wanted and know I needed.
I needed HELP from someone else…
And admitting that I needed help - at first - felt like a punch in the gut…
But then … I noticed, I don’t have to be angry
I can simply ask for help from someone else!
Someone who wasn’t living inside this body (and stubborn mind)
Someone who could see me objectively and point out my blind spots
And that is when my entire body softened
I knew exactly who I was going to see, I made an appointment and another and another and another!
In a month I had reduced tailbone and hip pain because she could help point out where I needed help.
At the same time I was further studying about the mechanism of pain.
What I discovered was that pain is a complex interaction between your body and brain, and doing all the physical body treatments was only half of the picture. I was missing the other half. And once I incorporated it with a daily ritual to address my brain, I started to feel the pain ease more and stay away longer than before.
Now the pain I was experiencing was diminished AND staying away for days at a time.
Which meant I started sleeping better, I started to feel the gratitude and joy come back inside of me. I could feel my daily irritation and frustration with my life situation start to soften.
I had so much more clarity, and I could see how all of my decisions led me to being the president of the burn out club. (Not something I like to show this certificate to)
Because I could finally think straight, see straight and finally hear what people had been suggesting to me for YEARS…
I decided I was ready for a new path
To create a space that could help people who were feeling the same way I was to:
✓ Start to heal from pain
✓ Start to think clearly
✓ Start to again say yes to life with my family
So I did it!
I jumped and invested into my mindset for business.
Through this journey, I was able to find even more strategies and techniques that could ease my pain to the point of being completely a non-issue in my daily life.
The pain I was convinced I was going to have to live with for the rest of my life (because I wasn’t going to do injections, surgery or medication) was permanently melting away!
And because of my journey:
▶︎ I have learned how to help others free themselves of persistent pain!
▶︎ With both movement and mindset and getting to the root of the problem.
If you're feeling a bit scared and overwhelmed, I will help you find the answers to your questions.
I hold space for people who are scared to do the things they once loved doing because of injury/illness/ or believing it’s because “I’m getting old”.
I support people who are being affected by:
✘ Overall Body aches and pain to any area of the body
✘ Poor sleep
✘ Feeling Bloated/constipated
✘ Needing to Pee every 1-2 hours
✘ Increased stress
✘ Forgetting what you love to do for fun and play
Helping you explore your evolving body and create a roadmap that works for your season in in life is the reason I created EWM.
So I left, and I created this company to help YOU, the one who is still reading this who is ready to make a change.
And because you are, I invite you to listen to that whisper in your heart that says "go and sign up for a free call..."
And who wants to experience a different way of PT that treats the FULL YOU,
I’d be truly honored to work with you to get you from feeling stuck to getting started on your path to wellness.
If you’re not sure what you can or can’t do. Your heart tells you one thing, but your medical doctor tells you another.
Let me help you bridge that gap and provide you the support you’re looking for.
Keep Flowing Friend!
XO, Dr. Lisa
Let’s keep moving on your epic adventure together! I’ve got your back!
Here’s what clients say:
Guess what? You can have what they have!
Step one is to come up with a plan!
CV and Fun Facts
CV
Physical therapy Technician - 1999
Bachelors of Science in Athletic Training from Marietta College -2004
Certified and Licensed Athletic Trainer 2005-2021
Masters of Science - High Point University in Sports Studies with a concentration in Athletic Training 2007
Masters of Physical Therapy - Winston Salem State University 2011
Women’s Health training through Herman and Wallace
Doctor of Physical Therapy - Northeastern University 2015
Certified Manual Trigger Point Therapist from Myopain Seminars (aka Trigger Point Dry Needling)
Fun Facts
▶︎ 4th Gen Working Mom
▶︎ 3rd Gen Health Care Pro
▶︎ 2nd Gen Entrepreneur
▶︎ Married to my high school sweetie
▶︎ Mom to kids and doggie
▶︎ A New Golfer
▶︎ Jumping is my favorite movement
▶︎ And a girl who can never pass a playground without making an appearance