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Finding Pain Relief to Reach Her Goal: Ann’s Success Story

February 18, 2025 | Patient Success Stories
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By, Allison R. Weder

50 running races in 50 states. Ann Chlebnik set a lofty goal for herself. “I would have been 56 years old. I started running in 2009, with a half marathon in Michigan. Then I was traveling to see my sister in Arkansas and there happened to be half marathon there. My niece got an internship in Georgia, so we went to visit her and there happened to be a half marathon. My brother lives in North Carolina. There was a half marathon. So, it just kind of evolved. In 2017 or 18, I said, oh wow, wait a second here, I’ve got quite a few done already.” That is when Ann started developing a plan to achieve her goal. She planned her vacations around races and even thought ahead to her 50th wedding anniversary in 2022. She hoped to complete her 50th half marathon in Hawaii on her 50th wedding anniversary. But the pandemic crushed that idea but not her motivation to reach her goal.

During her quest to run 50 races in 50 states, Ann noticed some pain in her back. “It doesn’t bother me when I’m running. It does not bother me when I’m walking, but afterwards, after I sit for a while, my back would be really sore, and it would kind of seize up.” Ann visited her doctor and asked about physical therapy. “I was wondering if it might be beneficial for me to see if there were some tips they could give me to alleviate some of that discomfort.” Her doctor agreed and Ann chose to attend therapy at Advanced Physical Therapy Center in Goodrich, Michigan. Advanced PT is part of the Phoenix Physical Therapy family.

Ann’s first appointment was with Heather Luna, PT, DPT. “She was measuring different things and seeing how far I could do one thing versus another thing.” Heather created a plan just for Ann that included exercises to help her reach her “50 race-50 state” goal with less pain. Ann recalls those exercises. “Well, it always started with electrical stimulation and heat. Then they would measure my hips. They were always checking my hips. Then we just had a series of different exercises that we did. A lot of them were balance exercises like squats and lunges.”

On Ann’s third visit, she was given a survey. It asked about her satisfaction with her treatment and whether she would recommend Advanced PT to her family or friends. But Ann felt some frustration, which she shared. “They were very busy that day, like every station was busy, and they kind of told me what to do, but left me on my own. So, when they asked for feedback, I said, I was frustrated because I felt like I was there on my own and I didn’t know if I was doing the things right or not. I thought, this isn’t going to do me any good if I’m not doing it right and I don’t know if I’m doing it right.” The Advanced therapists always take any feedback seriously and responded right away, which made Ann happy. “They got right back with me and said they were sorry that I felt that way and that they would make sure they provide greater focus, which going forward they did.” Ann’s advice as a patient at any health care facility? “If you have a concern when you’re there, make sure to express it.”

Ann’s therapy continued with new exercise additions for each session. “They were always very, very kind to me and added something new so every time I would go for a session, they would say, ‘the next time you come, we’re going to do this in addition to what you’ve done.’ They would warn me this is going to happen next. It’s nice to know what’s going on because you can get into a routine, then you get kind of sloppy with what you’re doing. By changing up the exercises or the order of the exercises, you have to refocus and make sure you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing the right way.”

Ann’s therapy was sandwiched between several races. She noticed progress after the second race. “I had done a couple of sessions and went to North Dakota (for a race.) I came back, did three or four more weeks of sessions, and then left for Connecticut. That’s where I got to test out whether or not the therapy was working. And my back actually felt better.” Ann’s therapy team, which included Clinic Director, Amy James, LPTA, gave her exercises to do on her own to help maintain the pain relief she felt. “There are three or four specific exercises to stretch out my back that they gave me. I try to do those, especially when my back is sore.” Amy took a moment to reflect on her time with Ann. She says, “Ann is very focused and won’t let anything stand between her and her goals. She is inspiring! Running a marathon for personal reasons is great, but running many charity-based marathons to support others is particularly inspiring. (Ann) has overcome many hurdles in her past marathons. Injuries or unexpected illness throughout her training did not stop her from getting to the finish line.”

Ann recommends trying physical therapy, especially when someone may be relying on pain medication. “Well, I would rather do anything than take medication. There’s really nothing to be afraid of. (The therapists) are not going to make you do anything that you’re not going to be capable of. They do make you do exercises you might not enjoy but there is a purpose behind it. It’s worth trying because it might actually be successful for you. In my case it alleviated the stiffness in my back that I was having.”

We checked in with Ann and she did reach her goal! She completed 50 races in 50 states in Hawaii. She is proud of her accomplishment and is grateful she shared some of her races with her family. “It’s been a great journey and I’ve gotten to run with my daughter in a number of these races, and that’s of course, that is priceless.”

The entire Phoenix Physical Therapy Team is committed to providing our patients with quality physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy in a safe and healthy clinic environment. We continue to follow the guidance provided by the CDC, WHO and public health officials to update you as new information becomes available. Let’s work together to keep each other safe and healthy.

The safety of our patients, communities and team members remains our top priority. We know you have a choice in your care providers and appreciate your commitment to Phoenix and our qualified clinicians.

Here are the actions we have taken to keep our patients, communities and team healthy & safe:

  • Flexible scheduling allows for social distancing
  • Regular cleaning and sanitation of all clinic surfaces
  • Facemasks must be worn by all Phoenix staff and are recommended for all patients
  • Screening questionnaire and temperature checks prior to entering clinics
  • 6 feet of social distancing throughout the clinics

Keeping Our Clinics Safe

Here are some tips on how we can keep each other safe:

  • Handwashing is your best self-defense against the spread of germs. When soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, use at least a 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Please stay home if you are not feeling well, especially if you have a fever, are coughing or sneezing, or are experiencing shortness of breath. If a patient shows up with symptoms, the clinic team will work with them to reschedule.
  • Be vigilant. If you have traveled to any of the countries where there are outbreaks of the virus, please follow guidance from the CDC website and our Travel Guidelines.

Here are actions we are taking to keep our clinics clean and safe:

  • Equipment will be wiped down after EVERY use with antibacterial wipes/sprays
  • All surfaces that patients or staff may touch including door handles, countertops, seating, pens at sign-in, bathroom and all other common areas will be disinfected regularly
  • Treatment tables will be 6 feet apart
  • Team members will wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, particularly after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing their nose, coughing or sneezin
  • Clinics will have hand sanitizer available at the front desk and in the treatment areas
  • Any Phoenix team members who are ill will be asked to stay home
  • We will maintain social distancing between patients in the clinic
  • Caregivers that are bringing a patient to the clinic should wait in their car or come back when the appointment has ended unless necessary (i.e. minor requiring a guardian or for assistance needs)
  • When possible, we will treat patients in private rooms to increase social distancing
  • Any patients that have underlying health issues (i.e. diabetes, respiratory problems, etc.) will be given the option to be seen during special clinic hours or can opt to be treated in a private room away from other clinicians and patients
  • All patients should be self-screening before entering the clinic. Our PCCs will perform a secondary screening during the check-in process and before patients enter the clinic including a screening questionnaire and temperature check.
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