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The Manual Touch Physical Therapy

Whole Body Approach

Reclaim movement, function and life
For information, call: 847-541-7600
or email: info@themanualtouch.com
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Dealing with an Identity Crisis: “I Can’t Do What I Did 10 Years Ago”

September 23, 2019 By Denise Schwartz Leave a Comment

Aging and Life Transitions

Multiple times a day I help people view their aging or injured body in a new way.

My 75-year-old aunt came to me with knee and back pain. Earlier in the year, she had a total knee replacement of the other knee.  My aunt has always been extremely active. In her younger days, she played a lot of tennis, skied, traveled, and hiked. In fact, she still travels extensively, golfs, walks, and works out regularly.  She never sits still and is always on the move filling every minute of her day with activities and errands.

I had to tell her that she couldn’t play golf until her knee pain settled down. She played anyway.  Her response was, “I have to play, people are counting on me!” After a few weeks of this back and forth, she had a trip planned to Canada which included some hiking.  I suggested she not play any golf until after she got back from her trip. She agreed. Upon her return from Canada, she had no knee pain. Now, unfortunately, she is having leg pain from spinal stenosis which limits her ability to walk more than 15 minutes without both legs feeling tired and achy.  When I told her she might have to slow down her lifestyle including no golf, she looked perplexed and said, “How do I do that?”

Pain and Aging Can Cause an ‘Identity Crisis’

My aunt, like many of my patients who are in pain, is going through something akin to an identity crisis. 

Who am I if…

I can’t do all the things I used to do?  
I can’t exercise the way I used to?
I’m in a constant state of pain? 
I can’t move the way I used to?

I help my patients navigate these concerns and questions daily, guiding them to view their aging or injured body in a new way. I constantly remind them throughout the healing process of what they couldn’t do when they first came in and how much progress they’ve made. “You can’t rush mother-nature”, and “healing/rehab takes time”. “It’s completely normal to take two steps forward and one step back”.  I reassure my patients that they will return to the activities they love. They just have to be patient.

For patients who are going through the aging process or a chronic condition, I emphasize that they will experience a new normal going forward.  Experiencing grief or loss over not being able to continue the same activities they love is normal. There will be good days and bad days, and this can be difficult to accept.

Aging and bodily changes are inevitable

It is inevitable as we get older for our bodies to go through changes that affect how we move and function.

Now that I’m in my mid 50’s, I notice I don’t sleep as well as I used to. And, after the first couple of steps in the morning, my feet and ankles feel very stiff.

My older patients and friends complain of back stiffness upon waking in the morning.  In fact, no matter the age of my patient, whether they are 30, 40, 50 or older, they all complain, “I can’t do what I did 10 years ago”.

Some things to expect as we age

After age 25

We begin to get shorter as our discs in our spine begin to lose height. (This is unfortunate for me as I started out just shy of 5’!)

After age 30

Tendons become less flexible. Tendons connect muscles to bones. (With reduced tendon flexibility we lose speed.)

After age 50

A lot changes when we reach the age of 50:

  • Vision changes
  • Hearing decreases
  • Muscle mass decreases
  • Balance decreases
  • Hormonal changes contribute to weight gain and make losing weight difficult
  • Bone mass decreases
  • Possible Osteoporosis with a risk increase for fractures
  • Joint degeneration from activity begins to increase

Of course, these inevitable body changes do not affect everybody the same

General health, current, and past activity levels, and genetics all play a role in how much these changes affect your life. With mindfulness, care, and acceptance of your changing body, you can prevent these changes from limiting your life, activities, and health.  I have been fortunate to work with many amazing older folks who do not let age stop them:

  • Joan is an 83-year-old avid hiker, camper and canoer.
  • Hope is a 71-year-old triathlete who is tops in her age group.
  • Peggy is 78 and still hikes the Aspen trails and cross-country skis.
  • Multiple men and women in their 40s – 60s are still running marathons, triathlons, or doing yoga and walking.

For some great tips on how to take care of your aging body, download my free eBook: Mindful Tips for Pain-Free Daily Movement.

In addition to the physical changes, we are also dealing with changing roles

Transitioning from raising children to caring for our aging parents, becoming empty-nesters, or transitioning into a new career or retirement presents challenges.  Finding purpose and meaning in this new phase of life can be both scary and exciting. I went through the transition to empty-nester two years ago when my son went off to college.  You can read my transition story here.

Filed Under: Aging, Health & Wellness Tagged With: aging, Health, mindful movement

About Denise Schwartz

Denise Schwartz, PT, IMT, C is the owner of The Manual Touch Physical Therapy. For over 30 years, she has been helping patients reduce pain and improve quality of life using a whole body approach. Denise specializes in chronic pain, spinal conditions, running/triathlon injuries and prevention, balance/vestibular disorders, functional exercise, kinesiotaping, and various non-traditional and traditional & manual therapies. Contact Denise at denise@themanualtouch.com

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Testimonials

I can honestly say that Denise was the first physical therapist to listen to my story.   She has demonstrated more patience and compassion than any other therapist that I’ve ever met. For the past 8 years, I have been symptomatic with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a rare genetic condition which affects the connective tissue throughout my body. As a result of this disorder I deal with ongoing severe acute and chronic pain and a variety of other rare overlapping conditions such as thoracic outl… Read more
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The physical therapy I received at The Manual Touch PT helped reduce my sciatica pain to a manageable level in just a few sessions.  The exercises I was given strengthened and trained my muscles to prevent further back problems allowing me to return to playing basketball.
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I’m very excited because I’m getting stronger, more stable when I’m walking, and more flexible.  Yesterday, for the first time in several years, I was able to travel by train downtown and visit the Art Institute.  There was lots of walking and sitting, activities which previously caused me to be in pain for several days afterwards.  But today, I’m just a little sore.  I feel I’ve made very good progress in feeling better, stronger and feel less pain.
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I came in to see Denise due to a cervical disc herniation.  I have been told by Illinois Bone & Joint that they refer patients to Denise often as she is able to help when other physical therapy programs fail.  That was definitely the case in my situation. I had 6 weeks of PT at another location but still was unable to turn my head fully or work at a desk without terrible pain.  After seeing Denise and following her exercise program, I was almost back to normal within a few short months.  I… Read more
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Due to a stroke of good luck, I saw a class on Lower Back Pain offered by Denise from The Manual Touch Physical Therapy at Northbrook YMCA. I followed up with an assessment by Denise. Three years ago, I fell and broke my right arm and hip, followed by months of physical therapy. I still have “ issues” with my neck, back, hip and knee….which Denise has explained are all related. She is a “ new set of eyes” on an old problem, and has helped me immensely. I have learned new exercises for… Read more
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Denise has worked on areas of severe pain and has diminished them to a tolerable level.
Read More
I had recurring back and knee issues and thought I wouldn’t be able to race triathlons again.  Denise gave me exercises and encouraged me to sign up to compete. I was able to complete the triathlon and had my fastest run split in years.”  
Read More
My physician referred me to The Manual Touch and I’ve been going to see Denise there for 5 months now. Initially I went to help me heal from a torn meniscus surgery in my knee. I was also experiencing a great deal of pain in my lower back due to spinal stenosis and a couple herniated discs. I soon learned that all the tightness in my back was not helping my knee heal. Denise taught me exercises that began to loosen up the lower back and hips in general, the knee soon began to heal better and I a… Read more
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Just a note to thank you for the time you spent with me Saturday in evaluating my running technique and body alignment.  Your suggestions are already making sense and having an early impact.  After our meeting, I went out for a 5K run and found your suggestions “to shorten my stride” and “being conscious of not overlapping my steps” to be helpful. Thanks Denise  
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Denise Schwartz at Manual Touch is a marvelous diagnostician and therapist. During the past few years, I’ve sought out Denise’s care for various physical limitations. I am continually amazed by her ability to determine my discomfort’s cause as well as by the effectiveness of the exercises she recommends to ease my pain. She also knows how to best manipulate my aching joints to bring relief. I can whole-heartedly recommend Denise because she is a skilled, proficient, compassionate professional. … Read more
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Our Mission


We believe all body systems and mental/emotional health are connected. We take a whole body approach to discover why patients are not healing and what were the initial causes of their current symptoms. 

Our mission is to use this whole body approach to help patients heal and overcome pain and limitations, resulting in improved quality of life. We also aim to promote wellness in our communities through ongoing education. 
Top 10 physical therapists in Wheeling

A winner of the
2015 Patients' Choice Awards
for
Wheeling Physical Therapist

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Testimonials

I can honestly say that Denise was the first physical therapist to listen to my story.   She has demonstrated more patience and compassion than any other therapist that I’ve ever met. For the past 8 years, I have been symptomatic with Ehlers Danlo… Read more
The physical therapy I received at The Manual Touch PT helped reduce my sciatica pain to a manageable level in just a few sessions.  The exercises I was given strengthened and trained my muscles to prevent further back problems allowing me to return… Read more
I’m very excited because I’m getting stronger, more stable when I’m walking, and more flexible.  Yesterday, for the first time in several years, I was able to travel by train downtown and visit the Art Institute.  There was lots of walking an… Read more
I came in to see Denise due to a cervical disc herniation.  I have been told by Illinois Bone & Joint that they refer patients to Denise often as she is able to help when other physical therapy programs fail.  That was definitely the case in my situ… Read more
Due to a stroke of good luck, I saw a class on Lower Back Pain offered by Denise from The Manual Touch Physical Therapy at Northbrook YMCA. I followed up with an assessment by Denise. Three years ago, I fell and broke my right arm and hip, followed … Read more
Denise has worked on areas of severe pain and has diminished them to a tolerable level.
I had recurring back and knee issues and thought I wouldn’t be able to race triathlons again.  Denise gave me exercises and encouraged me to sign up to compete. I was able to complete the triathlon and had my fastest run split in years.”  … Read more
My physician referred me to The Manual Touch and I’ve been going to see Denise there for 5 months now. Initially I went to help me heal from a torn meniscus surgery in my knee. I was also experiencing a great deal of pain in my lower back due to spin… Read more
Just a note to thank you for the time you spent with me Saturday in evaluating my running technique and body alignment.  Your suggestions are already making sense and having an early impact.  After our meeting, I went out for a 5K run and found you… Read more
Denise Schwartz at Manual Touch is a marvelous diagnostician and therapist. During the past few years, I’ve sought out Denise’s care for various physical limitations. I am continually amazed by her ability to determine my discomfort’s cause as well a… Read more
Read More

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The information provided on The Manual Touch Physical Therapy website is for personal and noncommercial use only. The resources and content provided should be used for educational purposes only and not as a substitute for appropriate medical care. If you are experiencing pain or discomfort please seek medical attention.