I have been running for over two decades and have had right knee pain for as long as I can remember. Throughout high school and into my mid-twenties, I went to numerous physical therapists, with no change in results. In the past, I had to stop running entirely for weeks to give my knee pain a rest. Even when I resumed running after time off, my knee pain was limiting my running pace and the frequency of my runs.
When I started to train for a marathon this past summer, my knee pain returned as expected. But this year was different as my knee pain was progressively worse, having to cut each run shorter and shorter. Despite returning to my strength exercises and running at a slower pace, I eventually couldn't run for one mile without excessive pain. Being an athlete and someone who enjoys working out, I was frustrated that the limiting factor to my activity was my knee pain. I knew something had to change if I wanted to have any sort of race season. I asked around at the gym and was recommended by a friend to see Dr. Parson.
On my initial visit, Dr. Parson was not only incredibly thorough with his assessment, but he asked what my goals were in seeing him. His passion for getting me mobile again to reach the point where I didn't have to come back to physical therapy was infectious. From our initial visit, the progress was exponential. He was observant to detail on what exercises were working and what was not, and quickly modified instructions as needed. Dr. Parson was attentive to my reports on returning visits after asking "How are things going?" and adapted the exercise progression as well as needle stimulation accordingly. His diagnosis of my knee issue actually stemming from my hip/gluteal region was spot on, and my knee pain vanished! VANISHED! I couldn't believe Tae fixed my knee issue in less than 3 months, what other providers hadn't been able to solve for years. Tae is extremely intelligent and is fantastic at explaining what he is doing and most importantly, why he is doing it. Thanks to Dr. Parson, I not only had a great running season, but one of the fastest seasons of my life! I continue to do the playbook of exercises Dr. Parson showed me and I remain free of knee pain. I am so grateful that years of my bad knee pain led me to Tae, an incredibly passionate physical therapist who I would recommend to anyone!
- Jenna R
