I am a runner, and at the time I first came to Dr. Shepard I had been struggling with multiple overuse injuries (plantar fasciitis, piriformis issues, to name a few); some of which were chronic and did not respond to traditional treatments. I had been to physical therapy several different times, had worked with other chiropractors, podiatrists, and orthopedic specialists, and no one seemed to be able to pinpoint the reasons for my chronic issues.
Dr. Shepard was one of the first people who didn't tell me that running is bad for you, that I am not built for it, I have bad feet, bad hips, et cetera. What he did was a combination of treatments with me, such as ART, to relieve some of the soft tissue issues I was experiencing. He also did DNS to retrain some of my movement patterns and actually looked at the "big picture", rather than just focusing on where I had pain. I found that ART was very effective in removing some of the adhesions that had built up over time, and I finally got to the point where injuries were not preventing me from training. Beyond that point, continuing with some ART as needed was also very helpful throughout my running season in dealing with acute soft tissue issues that would come up when I would tweak something during a hard workout or a race. I was always able to get appointments promptly when needed; which I believe kept me healthy through the course of my racing season.
Dr. Shepard was also one of the first people to give me alternatives to traditional passive "stretching", which in my experience does not work and was recommended by most other practitioners I have seen. Instead, he emphasized using techniques such as nerve flossing or dynamic movements that have been way more effective than the stretches recommended by other therapists. He also provided me with a lot of useful information which has changed my philosophies and helped to guide my diet and training regimen following treatment. During the course of the time I was a patient he answered emails quickly and took the time to answer my questions in detail. I would highly recommend him to any athletes who would like to resolve chronic soft tissue issues. read more