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Physical Therapy

2 Words That Can Change EVERYTHING

Dr. Stephen Mayo, DPT
Dr. Stephen Mayo, DPT |

Imagine IF....

Two simple words that can completely change the way you see yourself.

Imagine if you could lift with full confidence in your body again.

Imagine if you FINALLY ran that marathon.

Imagine if you could swing a golf club with no restrictions — go on those golf trips with your buddies, play 36 holes, and not have to worry about your back breaking down halfway through because you move well, feel strong, and feel confident.

Imagine if that was you.

Where would you go? What would you do?
How much better would you perform?
How much more would you enjoy life?

We spend so much time focusing on what hurts that we forget to imagine what’s possible.

What if it works?


My Story: From Pain to PRs

In June 2024, I hurt my hip — BAD.
Barbell squats, something I’d built my training (and identity) around, were suddenly off the table. Even walking down stairs was brutal.

Worse than that? I couldn’t play with my kids the way I wanted to. They were 5 and 3 years old — and I was missing out.

I tried the things I knew:
Dry needling. Shockwave. Manual therapy from fellow PTs.
But nothing stuck. (sound familiar?)

It wasn’t until I stopped chasing the quick fix and did what I knew worked that things changed.

I made smart modifications to my training.
Dialed in my recovery — sleep, nutrition, stress.
And slowly, my pain started to fade.

Fast forward a few months — I competed in my first AND second powerlifting meets in January then April.  HIT PERSONAL RECORDS in squat and deadlift.


Back-to-back. Pain free.

In June 2024, I couldn’t even walk down stairs without excruciating pain .
Within 6 months, I was able to squat over 400 pounds, no limitations.

Imagine if I had accepted that pain was my new normal.

 


Why It Matters

I could throw research at you all day — studies, statistics, data.
But that’s not what changes people.

What changes people is emotion.
It’s caring enough about what’s being taken from you to finally take action.

Pain sucks.
But everyone wants pain gone. The real question is:

  • How much is that pain costing you?

  • How much are you saying “no” to?

  • How many memories are you missing out on?

  • How long are you willing to wait?

Because at some point, the pain isn’t just physical anymore.
It’s emotional.
It’s the frustration, the isolation, the feeling that you’re being left behind.

And you don’t have to live that way.


Chuck’s Story: The Turning Point

Chuck was one of my first real clients as a business owner.
He drove nearly an hour to see me — passing at least a hundred clinics on the way.

He's your typical 60-something year old man. Worked hard his whole life, Navy guy, keeps things close to his chest.

After an hour of conversation, it just felt like something was missing, I finally asked him:

“Look man, you drove almost an hour to get here. Why? Why are you really here? What’s important for you to get back to?”

He instantly broke down. The man who I could barely get anything out, I was now consoling him, helping him get himself back together.

He told me about a family event a few weeks prior — his son, daughter-in-law, their kids, and her parents all together. His son said to the grandkids:

“Why don’t you take Papa Chuck to see your new playground?”

And his 5-year-old granddaughter said:

“No, I’ll get (my other grandpa). His shoulders don’t hurt, and he can actually play.”

That moment broke him. He was embarrassed, ashamed, and finally realized pain wasn’t just keeping him from lifting his arms — it was keeping him from living his life.

That day, everything changed.
Since then, he’s been my longest-standing client.
He's able to play with his grandkids, and he's working to keep getting stronger every week.


Your Turn

So let me ask you:

Are you like Chuck?
Are you tired of letting pain write your story?

Imagine if you finally decided to change.
Imagine if you stopped waiting for the “perfect time.”
Imagine if you refused to let life leave you behind.

Imagine if........if it works?


Ready to Stop Imagining and Start Doing?

If this hit home — if you’re tired of feeling stuck, frustrated, or left behind — maybe it’s time to take that first step. 

We offer free Discovery Calls to talk over your current limitations & your goals.

Just click the link: Free Discovery Call

“Imagine if…” doesn’t have to stay a daydream.
It can become your reality.

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