Healing the Body and Mind: Ron Schiding’s Success Story

By, Allison R. Weder

“My injury was not strictly a physical one. When a life-threatening injury can occur on a no-frills walk with your dog, especially during the difficulty of the COVID years, and you have people who rely on you, it’s easy to become afraid.” – Ron Schiding, Phoenix Patient

An ankle injury turned into much, much more for Ron Schiding. “I twisted my ankle in a particularly bad way, with swelling that was comparable to a tennis ball, and a good deal of internal bleeding and bruising. More concerning, this injury, combined with immobility and a pressure boot, led to the relatively rare result of a blood clot in the calf above the injury.”  It was a scary, emotional time for Ron, who spent nearly a full day in the hospital. “It was a frightening night of calling friends and family about the seriousness of the circumstance, and trying to comfort and reassure my children.” Ron received treatment just in time and was placed on blood thinners. He had to change the daily routine that kept him healthy physically and mentally because of the blood thinners and his ankle injury. “I was struggling to walk, use stairs, and I couldn’t carry items because of the crutches. I had also come to rely on jogging as my main source of stress relief. I had developed anxiety that had been acute enough to call for medical treatment, and those medications were not something I could take because of the blood thinner required for my blood clot.”

Ron was prescribed physical therapy. It would be a long road, with at least 18 sessions, so finding a convenient clinic was a top priority. Ron chose Phoenix Physical Therapy in Robesonia, Pennsylvania. This wasn’t the first time Ron injured his ankle, so he expected a similar PT routine of picking up foam peanuts with his toes, getting cold treatment for the swelling and some resistance band exercises. But after his first session, Ron realized Phoenix was going to be different. “I was impressed that my therapists were free with discussion of the anatomy of my lower leg and a source of far more information than the doctor I’d seen after my blood clot emergency room trip, my general practitioner, and the foot doctor who was my primary source for help with my ankle.  None of those doctors could take the time to talk with me about my mobility, causes and locations of pain and reduced mobility, and none offered much in the way of specific prognosis and what to expect from my healing body.”

Encouraged by his evaluation and the knowledge of Clinic Director, Mike Bartolomucci, PT, DPT, Ron began his sessions that included uniquely tailored strengthening and mobility exercises, just for him. “I had several calf-stretching exercises, and learned about the critical connection between my calves and my ankles. I had balancing exercises on unstable surfaces, including a foam block and a pair of tools that are like ‘wobble boards’. I also had leg strengthening exercises to maximize all the supportive muscle groups pertinent to my ankle stability and recovery.  I also had a focused ankle massage with each visit, and a 15-minute rest after exercise with my foot in a device that circulated ice water over the affected area.”

Ron’s goal of being able to jog again was extremely important to him. The life-threatening injury left him worried and fearful he would not get back to doing the things he loved to do and needed to do to stay healthy. His therapists understood that fear and worked with him to combat that and the pain. Ron is grateful to them, “for understanding the sense of fear that my injury produced, and for taking it seriously, and compassionately, when I said that I had become worried and anxious about regular everyday movements, then giving me proactive ways to fight that fear with exercises that made positive outcomes far more likely.”

Ron felt empowered as he progressed through his customized treatment plan. He knew Mike would be there to help him until he reached those important goals. “Beyond ending pain, and achieving basic stability, the therapists took the “checking in” survey they had given me very seriously, and saw that when asked if I could do the things I enjoyed doing, I indicated that I was nowhere near that goal. I wanted badly to be able to jog again. Not just to walk without pain, but to be able to start running again. I didn’t want to run marathons, yet, but being able to rely on my foot for a 20-minute jog would make a serious difference for me.” Eventually, Ron reached a milestone. “My most valuable progression with my physical therapy regime was when they felt ready to let me run on the treadmill, and they gauged a safe and healthy way for me to return to the exercise I needed.”

Ron’s recovery quickly progressed from there. “I can walk without fearing any demands to change directions or speed without notice. I can jump, run, and balance. In fact, at 48, my balance is probably better now than it’s ever been. I’m in condition to run a 5k comfortably, and have done so on several occasions since the end of my PT. It has a great impact on my physical and mental wellbeing. In fact, I don’t take any anxiety medication, despite that being an option again.”

Grateful he chose Phoenix, Ron found trust and compassion in the people who helped him recover from a terrifying event. “They were good listeners, validating my concerns. They were always kind, careful, and attentive. They were also friendly, and I think we found things to laugh about at every one of my sessions. They adjusted fine on days when I was less talkative or forthcoming. They also didn’t shy away from asking me to do challenging exercise and they gave me a decent little workout as we progressed.” Mike was impressed with Ron’s drive throughout his therapy experience. “Ron thrived, eventually achieving his goals of jogging, hiking, and returning to his active lifestyle. It was a pleasure being part of Ron’s success story and our Phoenix Team wishes Ron the best in his future endeavors!”   

Ron is now pain-free, and his fear is at bay. He’s back doing what he loves and would recommend physical therapy to anyone struggling to get back to life. “(Physical Therapists) are patient and informed, and motivated to help solve the mysteries of what will most efficiently promote your recovery. They will help to figure out how your case is special, what the surrounding circumstances and influences on your problem are, and they will prescribe well-known solutions, while creatively developing variations for you as an individual. If I could afford it, I’d see a Physical Therapist every month, just to check in on my goals and how to best heal, maintain, and progress toward improvements.”

Ron was so touched by the people he met at Phoenix, “I secretly left some gifts under their little Christmas tree. They were books. After many weeks of talking about our interests, I felt able to make informed choices about books they’d like. That’s something I don’t think I’d feel confident doing for anyone else who’s provided me medical care.”