Blue Skies Smilin' On Me

Aug 29, 2011 by Gretchen Seefried

“Tell me where it hurts.” Last year it was my shoulder; before that it was my wrist.  After a boatload of Advil began eating a hole in my stomach, I finally cried “Uncle!” and consulted an Orthopedic doc.  Little did I know my good fortune when he prescribed a course of physical therapy (P.T.).

P.T. is one of those things that you never really know anything about until you need it.  Having been to a physical therapist before on the East Coast, I resigned myself to the inconvenience of two 45-minute interruptions to my busy week without much faith that it would make a difference. But lo and behold, it did.  And it was actually enjoyable; but that may be because the place I went for treatment was Blue Sky Physical Therapy. 

Using a variety of manual therapy techniques, the therapists at Blue Sky treat all major orthopedic dysfunctions, balance deficits, neurologic disorders, chronic pain, and a broad spectrum of other injuries. Run by a trio of experienced, female physical therapists, Blue Sky was founded just last year.  But Jennifer Lane, Karen Lewis, and Hillary Joseph had worked together at Cherry Creek Physical Therapy since 2005.  After the unexpected death of owner Donald Nelson, they decided to pool their resources and their 30 collective years in healthcare and wellness to create Blue Sky Physical Therapy.  They share a passion to help guide patients from injury through recovery into wellness.

It’s difficult to say what impressed me most when I walked into their lobby in last year.  Centrally located a few blocks east of Cherry Creek Mall, Blue Sky has an enormous (3200 sq. ft.) space with state-of-the-art Pilates equipment, several treatment tables, as well as private treatment rooms.  With one wall made mostly of windows, it’s a cheery spot even on gray winter days.  Over a period of 6-7 weeks of bi-weekly therapy, I never waited more than five minutes, was always greeted by a friendly receptionist, and treated by one of the owners.  All three women have a master’s degree in Physical Therapy with a strong manual therapy background and have completed an extensive list of continuing education courses in order to be on the cutting edge of therapy techniques.  Each of them is also a Certified Pilates Instructor.  By combining physical therapy methods with Pilates during rehabilitation, they help patients to not only recover stronger and faster from their initial injury, but also teach them how to maintain those benefits and prevent re-injury.

A relaxed atmosphere with casual conversation and good-natured camaraderie, Blue Sky is also a place that is clearly run by professionals.   Patients receive the undivided attention of their therapist for the duration of their appointment.  I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only are most major health insurance plans accepted at Blue Sky, but also that they handle the majority of the insurance information submission and request process.  Whew.

All in all, it was a great experience.  The pain in my shoulder improved quickly, as did my range of motion.  And Jenn even gave me a series of exercises to help me continue strengthening work on my own once the insurance coverage ran out.

If you are like so many of the active mid-life women I know, you may be in need of a good physical therapy clinic sometime down the road. If you’re fortunate enough to live in Denver, you will be in good hands at Blue Sky where there is a steadfast commitment to creating individual treatment plans that help patients do more than just recover from injury.  Utilizing neuromuscular re-education and training, Pilates, core stabilization, massage therapy and other therapeutic procedures, the P.T.’s aim is to improve function, promote healing, and enhance each patient’s wellbeing.

The difference between Blue Sky and the other place I went a few years ago?  Well, to be perfectly frank, it’s the women.  They understand when I describe the difficulty with lifting my overflowing purse off the passenger seat, or the challenge of trying to pour detergent from a typical mega-container.  They gave me exercises for the car, as they relate to how busy my day can be, and don’t berate me when I tweak my shoulder while shaking out a king-size sheet half-way through my treatment program.  Now, I’m not trying to imply that there aren’t some fabulous male P.T.s, but in my book now, I’ll go with a gal every time.