Shannon's Story - Back and Leg Pain Journey

Coach Jaylee: “Shannon’s Story is close to my heart, not only because she is a dear friend who I was able to help out of pain, but also because her story is one lived out by many young people who with the proper guidance could transform their bodies and mindsets for the rest of their lives. Many people, not just young adults, workout on a consistent basis, but something doesn’t feel right, they are prone to injury, or have past injuries that are affecting them and never seem to let up. The good news is this is all changeable and those in this situation can fix the underlying biomechanical issues to create a sturdy foundation, prevent future surgeries and injuries, and build strength for the rest of their lives.”

Before Align

“I worked out at multiple gyms throughout my life. I love working out. Over time, my quad became very painful. I began not being able to workout like I loved to do, like taking barre classes or lifting weights. Even some normal everyday movements started getting tricky.  I tried to blindly follow workout instructions without much body knowledge, as well as avoid pain. I ended up over-emphasizing certain muscle groups and neglected others to the point it became dysfunctional. I would avoid working out in ways that triggered my pain. I thought it may just “get better.” I remember trying to sit down one day and just tearing my quad. Funnily enough, Jaylee and Matthew witnessed my quad tear and diagnosed it on the spot. I had been mulling over the idea of going to Align before, but this cemented it!”

Coach Jaylee: “Shannon was dealing with a chronic bout of strained quad muscles. The underlying issue was that her pelvis was unstable. When the SI joint rotates out of position, and is lived on in that rotated position the glutes get weak and atrophied, and in Shannon’s case the quadricep muscle was severely compensating for the glute weakness. The quad muscle was trying to do so much work for the glutes, that when it was overloaded, it strained easily. Allowing the strain to heal, but not doing anything to fix the underlying issue led to more compensation from the quad, causing this issue again and again over time. It can feel frustrating to be stuck in this type of cycle especially for people who love to move and maintain an active lifestyle. Being Shannon’s friend, I could see her frustration about it, and I knew she was ready to come to Align!”

Life At Align

“What I loved most about Align was that I actually got better. I love understanding the root of my problem and that we actually rehabbed my body so it’s functioning properly. I was surprised how the root of my problem came down to uneven hips and biomechanics! But it makes sense. My results have been fantastic. My body feels “secure”. I’m so excited I can keep getting stronger! I love being able to lift more and grow in strength. I also enjoy not being afraid of doing movements (from life or exercise) that used to give me pain. I also enjoy the community and accountability of Align.” 

Coach Jaylee: “Shannon made the decision to fix her biomechanical deficiencies when the symptoms began to appear. Many people wait much longer to seek help fixing biomechanical issues until after there is more severe structural damage. If Shannon wouldn’t have fixed her unstable pelvis now, in 20 years it would have led to knee replacements and a lot more pain. Most people don’t realize how degeneration is expedited with unstable biomechanics and a lack of strength in specific stabilizing muscle groups until the cartilage is gone and they are facing joint replacements. My heart is for the younger generation to prevent these issues ahead of time, and not have to clean up their biomechanical messes 20 years down the road.” 

Pass It On

“My advice is listen to your body and take the time and energy to make it better. It’s better to nip those problems in the bud now, than to wait for the issues to compound into greater problems in the future. You and your health are worth it!”