Ascend Spine & Rehab

Ascend Spine & Rehab Dedicated to treating the root cause of your pain. Bridge the gap between pain and performance. Runners Guide: https://go.ascendspine.com/introduction-page

Dave came to me with shoulder pain that had been bothering him for a long time.He had already seen an orthopedic surgeon...
09/10/2026

Dave came to me with shoulder pain that had been bothering him for a long time.

He had already seen an orthopedic surgeon, had X-rays taken, and was told his shoulder was “bone on bone” and that surgery was likely the answer.

But Dave wanted to know if there was anything else he could try first.

He went to physical therapy and actually started making some progress. His range of motion improved. He felt a little stronger.

But the exercises always felt more like a warm-up than a workout.

Eventually, he stopped going, continued the exercises on his own, and hit a plateau.

For months, nothing really changed.

By the time he came to see me, he already had surgery scheduled.

This was his last shot.

We didn’t find some magical exercise.

We progressively loaded the basics.

Overhead presses. Push-up variations. Simple movements that gradually became more challenging as his shoulder became more capable.

And that was the difference.

He got stronger.
His shoulder became more capable.
And ultimately, he was able to avoid surgery.

Sometimes you don’t need a fancier rehab exercise.

You need the right exercise progressed to the point where it actually creates change.

Your rehab shouldn’t stay a warm-up forever.

Your rehab should become your workout.

09/05/2026

“I’ve tried everything.”

I hear this all the time.

PT. Chiropractic. Injections. Maybe you’ve even been told surgery is the next step.

But seeing multiple providers doesn’t always mean everything has actually been assessed.

A few things I commonly look at with low back pain:

1. Intra-abdominal pressure
Can you breathe, brace, and create pressure through your trunk so your low back isn’t doing all the work?

2. Feet + ankles
Your foot and ankle help absorb, control, and transfer force from the ground up. If that system isn’t working well, something above it has to compensate.

3. Hips
It’s not just about having “mobile hips.” It’s about knowing how to actually use them. Can your hips and glutes create movement and force without your low back constantly picking up the slack?

So if all of your treatment has focused on the exact spot that hurts…

you probably haven’t tried everything.

DM “BACK” and we’ll help you figure out what’s actually driving your pain.

There’s so much information about exercise and rehab that sometimes the hardest part is figuring out what you’re actuall...
09/04/2026

There’s so much information about exercise and rehab that sometimes the hardest part is figuring out what you’re actually supposed to do.

Don’t round your back.
Don’t squat that deep.
Don’t run.
Stretch more.
Actually… don’t stretch.

Eventually, all that conflicting advice creates paralysis by analysis.

You start questioning every movement and feeling like you’re always doing something wrong.

But movement is a good thing.

The real challenge is knowing what makes sense for YOU, right now.

That’s why rehab shouldn’t be the same exercise sheet, the same adjustments, or the same treatment for everyone.

It should be specific to your body, your goals, and your presentation.

Less noise.
More clarity.
A clear path back to doing what you love.

If you feel stuck and don’t know what direction to go, click the link in my bio for a free discovery call.

09/01/2026

When Amy first came to see me, she had basically stopped running.

And that was a BIG deal for her.

Amy was an avid runner. She loved signing up for marathons, training with friends, and being part of the running community.

But for years, the same cycle kept happening.

She’d sign up for a race, start increasing her mileage… and her knee pain would come right back.

Eventually, training became so miserable that she stopped running altogether.

When we finally looked at her running mechanics, we found something important.

Amy was overstriding and repeatedly absorbing more impact through her knee than she needed to.

So instead of just treating where she hurt, we worked on WHY her knee was being overloaded in the first place.

We cleaned up her running mechanics, worked on getting more contribution from her hips and glutes, built strength through her core, and slowly built her running capacity back up.

And eventually, Amy wasn’t just dealing with less knee pain…

She was running with her friends again.

THAT was the real win.

Because for Amy, running was never just exercise.

It was her community. Her outlet. And something she genuinely loved doing.

Pain stopping you from running like you used to?

DM me “RUN” and I’ll show you how to start addressing the root cause and get back to running pain-free.

08/28/2026

If your neck pain keeps coming back, maybe it’s time to stop ONLY looking at your neck.

Massage the tight muscles.
Adjust the neck.
Stretch it.
Get some temporary relief.

But a few days later… the tension comes right back.

Why?

Because where you FEEL pain isn’t always where the problem starts.

Your shoulder blades create a foundation for a lot of what happens around your neck and upper body. If you lack strength, control, or movement there, the muscles around your neck may have to work overtime to compensate.

That’s why at Ascend, we don’t just ask:

“How do we make your neck feel better?”

We ask:

“WHY does your neck keep getting irritated in the first place?”

Relieving pain is important.

But finding and addressing the root cause is how we work toward keeping it from coming back.

Dealing with neck pain that just won’t go away?

Click the link in my bio to schedule a FREE Discovery Visit 👆

A patient came to me after “throwing out” his back doing something incredibly simple:He bent over to pick something up.S...
08/27/2026

A patient came to me after “throwing out” his back doing something incredibly simple:

He bent over to pick something up.

Suddenly, movement became the enemy.

He couldn’t go to the gym.
He was hesitant to bend over.
Even helping his kid in the bathtub became difficult.

That’s when you realize how much movement is life.

Our goal wasn’t just to get his pain down.

It was to figure out why such a normal movement overwhelmed his back in the first place.

For him, part of the problem was that he had very little ability to move and load through his hips, so his low back was constantly being asked to pick up the slack.

So we rebuilt it.

Hip movement.
Core control.
Low back strength.
And eventually, confidence bending and lifting again.

Because rehab shouldn’t end when the pain goes away.

The goal is to build enough capacity that you can get back to living your life without being afraid to move.

If pain is keeping you from doing the things you love, DM me “MOVEMENT.”

08/22/2026

CrossFitters: shoulder pain isn’t part of the sport.

If you’ve been pushing through it or working around it, it’s time to do something about it.

DM us “SHOULDER”

08/21/2026

Anne had been dealing with knee pain for years.

After being diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both knees, her doctor told her they were “bone on bone” and that she probably shouldn’t squat anymore.

But Anne wanted to squat.

She wanted to lift, garden, walk her dogs, and stay strong as she got older.

When she came to Ascend, we looked beyond just her knees.

Her feet. Her hips. Her strength. Her movement.

Instead of avoiding the squat, we started building her back to it.

Because a diagnosis doesn’t automatically mean giving up the things you love.

If pain has you avoiding lifting, running, or doing what you love…

DM “BUILD.” Let’s build you back.

Not every position your body gets into throughout the day is going to be “perfect.”Sometimes you bend and twist at the s...
08/18/2026

Not every position your body gets into throughout the day is going to be “perfect.”

Sometimes you bend and twist at the same time.

Sometimes you reach awkwardly to grab something.

Sometimes you pick something up with a rounded back.

Sometimes you have to react quickly without thinking about your form first.

That’s life.

The answer isn’t to completely avoid these positions because we’re afraid they might cause an injury.

Instead, we can gradually expose our body to different positions, movements, and loads and build strength and stability within them.

Start where you’re comfortable. Slowly add range. Add load. Add speed. Add complexity.

Over time, positions that once felt unfamiliar become something your body is prepared to handle.

You don’t need to move perfectly.

You need a body that’s strong and capable in more than just “perfect” positions.

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3833 E. Main Street
Saint Charles, IL
60174

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Tuesday 2pm - 7pm
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