Faith’s story - Hip, ankle and foot pain

Before Align

Before coming to Align, I had pain in my low back, hips, knees, and feet. I love playing sports, but it was really frustrating because every time I tried to perform, I would end up getting injured. It made me feel like I couldn’t reach my full potential.

I was born with a hypertonic disorder, which makes my muscles and joints really tight. Because of that, I’ve always had pain and trouble moving the way I wanted to. I went to physical therapy and occupational therapy, and they did help, but whenever I tried to keep up on my own, I would fall back into the same injury patterns.

Coming to Align

The moment that really changed things for me was when I broke my hip at a soccer camp during the off-season. After that, my orthopedic surgeon told me about Align, and that’s how I got started.

The Journey

When I first started at Align, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but pretty quickly I started noticing changes. About a month and a half in—before my school volleyball season—I realized I was already feeling stronger. That was the first moment I felt like it was really working.

One thing I’ve learned is how important it is to stretch every day. That’s something I didn’t fully understand before.

Life After Align

Now I feel stronger and healthier, and I’m able to play sports without feeling like I’m going to get hurt all the time. I also really enjoyed building connections with my trainer, Jamie, and everyone else at Align.

Because of Align, I feel more confident and more connected to others, and I can just live my life better without constantly worrying about pain or injuries.

Pass It On: What would you say to someone who is considering starting their Align journey?

If I could tell myself something when I first started, it would be: it works.

And if someone else is going through something similar, I would say: don’t give up. It will pay off if you stay consistent and stick with it.

A Coach’s Perspective: Coach Jamie

Faith had a rotated pelvis, hypertonic muscles, and significant weakness. She was running on unstable feet and ankles, utilizing ankle braces for support. It hurts my heart that young athletes roll their ankles so often and have no rehabilitation or strengthening after, so it continues to happen. Until the underlying issues were addressed she was going to continue to have problems and be at a high risk of injury in her sports. We methodically addressed each joint issue, ensured she had proper range of motion in each joint and built her into strength. She’s out of pain and no longer needs ankle braces because she has built up support!

I’m really proud of Faith for working hard, showing up, and keeping with it. I’m proud of what she’s learned. She knows how to steward her body better for the years and the sports to come.