Some mothers and daughters bond during shopping, others during a spa day, others during a run together. However, Julie and Hannah Osbourne bonded during something else altogether…physical therapy.
Last summer, Hannah started experiencing knee pain while playing sports. This active soon-to-be fourth grader continued to feel the pain throughout soccer season and volleyball season. She went to the doctor at the end of March and was diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), a joint disorder in which cracks form in the cartilage and bone. Because of the pain from the OCD, Hannah began favoring her knee, leading her to develop patellofemoral syndrome. The doctor suggested she go through physical therapy to help strengthen her knee.
Hannah’s mother, Julie, decided that she’d join her daughter in physical therapy, not just as a chauffeur to and from appointments, but as a patient. Julie had been experiencing stiffness in her back since late February, and after her doctor suggested physical therapy to relieve the pain, Julie decided to go through rehabilitation herself. It was off to ATI Physical Therapy in Smyrna, DE, for the Osbourne family!
This mother-daughter duo began doing therapy together three times per week throughout the month of April. The team at ATI in Smyrna developed personalized treatment plans for each of them. Hannah focused mainly on strengthening and balancing exercises, while Julie focused on stretching to relieve her back pain.
“ATI was so accommodating,” Julie said. “They were really helpful and attentive to both me and Hannah and would always help us schedule appointments so we were here at the same time. They were great!”
While both worked towards recovery, they had some “friendly” mother-daughter competition along the way.
“We may have tried to compete with each other to see who could finish PT first for the day,” Hannah said with a laugh. “My mom always won, except for one time when I beat her! We had fun.”
After six weeks of physical therapy, both members of the Osbourne family are back to full function and ready to tackle summer sports season.
“I’m a pretty active person, and my goal was just to get back to exercise,” Julie said. “I really wanted to be active with my kids this summer and help coach volleyball. After six weeks of PT, I’m going to be able to do all of those things.”
Hannah is also back to her active lifestyle. On May 18, two days before her final physical therapy appointment, she ran the Girls on the Run 5K.
“I favored my knee so much because of the pain that I forgot how to run,” Hannah said. “I was scared to put weight on it. [My PT] Mike and everyone else helped me run like I should be and finish my 5K.”
Julie notes her appreciation for ATI and recommends the company to anyone in need of physical therapy.
“We’re both fully back to normal,” Julie said. “If any of us needs PT again, we know exactly where we’ll go.”