Success Stories
What Other People Just Like You Are Saying About The Healing Spot Physical Therapy in Colorado Springs, CO...
Greta M,
“After my doctor referred me for physical therapy, I was so thankful to find The Healing Spot. The whole team is so kind and the welcoming atmosphere of the office is peaceful and clean. Mary mainly worked with me after my initial visit with Justine. Mary’s expertise in delivering the care I needed was extremely beneficial. The exercises she recommended for home work were very helpful, as well. I would highly recommend Justine and Mary because they care about helping women heal and they are a delight!”
Gina M,
“If you are having pelvic pain, urgency, bladder pain from intersistial cystitis that can restrict your diet from personnel experience this is the place to go. I have been in pain for more than 16 years. Mary and Justine are wonderful PTs that actually listen to what you are saying when you are in pain. They want to help you to feel better.
They actually care for you. I appreiciate them very much as my pain was so intolerable I can barely live a basic life. Going places and urgency, burning always felt like I had a UTI and I could not eat what I wanted. At one point I would use the bathroom 17 times a day. I wanted to stay in bed and not go anywhere as I did not want to deal with it.
In the past dealing with PTs dealing with insurnace it seams I would never heal or the pain would just linger.
After the first visit with Mary I started to feel immediate relief after leaving. She knows what she is doing. I am so glad that I ended up paying out of pocket after going to multiple PTs through insurnace those PTs never helped me the way I needed. They never listened to me. I had a chronic condition to now is very manageable. I can enjoy life again with my family and not have to worry about what I eat because it will effect me or how many times I need to go to the bathroom or burning and all the UTI pelvic pain.
To have my life back is priceless!
Thank you so much Mary and Justine!”
Cassie C,
Mother of 4
Mary C,
Stay At Home Mom
“I started going to Justine about 4 months ago after the birth of my daughter back in the spring. My initial goal with my treatments was simply to heal a prolapse and the “open” feeling I had so that I could get back to the high intensity workouts I loved doing pre pregnancy. What I didn’t realize is that, yes, I had physical discomforts to heal but also a fair share of emotional trauma held in body from the loss of a previous miscarriage.
Through the work I’ve done with Justine I have been able to fully grieve my loss and move forward, ultimately helping me become the wife and mother I want to be.
She’s taught me how to be more aware of my body and how to move it properly through exercise and daily life. My prolapse is healed, my pelvic floor is the strongest it has been in years and I am nearly back to my pre pregnancy workouts. Postpartum is rough and can be a long recovery process, both physically and emotionally, but working with Justine I feel I have healed much quicker than I would have on my own. She is as amazing as the work she does and I can’t recommend her enough! “
Anna H,
Mother and Owner of “Baking with Grace"
“Like a lot of women I have physically pushed the limits of my body which led to aches and pains, and it got worse during my pregnancy, and after birth I just thought this is what life was going to be like, being in pain. My
lower back hurt, I would get pinched nerves simply from just reaching over to get my baby out of her crib. I couldn’t work out, or even go on a walk without triggering pain. I feared never being able to chase my daughter
around.
I am a first time mom so I didn’t know if what I was going through was normal or not but there wasn’t much hope for my conditions; until I met Justine. She truly has changed my life.
My pain was gone after that first visit, and my postpartum depression. I was able to move around immediately and not feel pain which led me to just be happier all around! I’m able to go on walks, and do low impact workouts which is a huge improvement for me.
I honestly forgot what that felt like to be pain free. I am so blessed to have Justine walk with me through this postpartum journey and be prepared for future pregnancies. Justine is very personal and passionate about helping others. She is very responsive and ensures that I feel taken care of!
I’m hoping that my testimony will help others realize that you don’t have to deal with the pain, there is a way to fix it! Don’t feel guilty of wanting to take care of yourself! As moms we deserve to feel better! “
Kelsey B,
Mother of 2, Online Client
“Telehealth physical therapy…will this really work? I’ll admit I was skeptical that a Telehealth session would be as effective as in-person, particularly because of Justine’s focus on energy and leading me to my sticky spots. I doubted that I could find the right headspace in my home to release and wasn’t confident in my own ability to get to the sticky spots without hands on my body to assist. All of these doubts and insecurities were quickly squashed. Hearing Justine’s voice immediately put me in the headspace I needed and somehow I could still feel her energy flowing through the screen. I started unwinding a few minutes after our session started and experienced a release that was like an out of body experience. I wish I would’ve caught it on camera! My body moved in ways and with speeds I could never imagine possible without injury. I felt so light and energized after our session. Waking up this morning, I still feel that energy despite a late bedtime and early rise for the kids. My typically rounded shoulders haven’t crept forward yet, a huge win!! My neck which was crunchy yesterday before the session now moves fluidly with literally no crunch, something that hasn’t happened since my injury about 15 years ago! AMAZED is an understatement that a Telehealth session could accomplish so much. Butjust as an in-person session, Justine’s intention to heal never wavered and she allowed me the space to receive. Her presence was all that was needed.
If you need to continue your healing, please don’t hesitate to schedule a session. We all need some extra healing right now and she is the perfect practitioner to turn to. I am so incredibly grateful for her and will continue my work with her through this time and probably continue Telehealth with her once we move!”
Caitlin G,
Mother of 2
I first sought out Justine when we moved to Woodland Park from Florida. I was just over a year postpartum, loved being a mama, but I had headaches and body pains that were becoming more and more frequent. I was also seeking to continue recovery from a prolapse and tight, but weak pelvic floor after birthing my son. Emotionally, I felt like my body was falling apart and failing me more and more often. I was not able to be as present in life or for my family as I would have liked to be due to the pain I often experienced. Justine was a breath of fresh air and healing for me after moving across the country as a new mama.
Through her myofascial release work, Justine and I slowly started addressing and unwinding the underlying tension my body carried day to day. As I sought out this bodywork, I coupled it with some counseling. Turns out a lot of my undealt with emotions were being stored in my body and physically presented as tightness and pain to get my attention. After a few sessions with Justine and beginning to work through my emotional baggage, the headaches became less and less frequent to nonexistent. Tension I unknowingly was carrying from my pelvic floor up through my head was dissipating, and as my pelvic floor was relaxing, it was also getting stronger. I began to feel more empowered each day and trust that my body and mind could handle whatever was to come.
A few months after seeing Justine, I was surprised to find out I was expecting my second child, a baby girl. I say surprised because of all the time, tears, and testing it took before conceiving my first. I was so blown away that all the work, trudging through all the physical and emotional healing, created so much space in myself that there was room for another life to come. I continue to see Justine for check-ins to prepare my body for the birth of my baby girl, and plan to see her afterward to ensure my body is well enough for the blessed job of mothering and being present for my children and family. I am very grateful to have Justine on board my journey through motherhood and have learned that when I show up for myself, I can better be there for those I love most.
Sarah H
“I had an 11 pound, 24-inch long baby girl in September 2018. I labored for five days before I gave birth at home to my giant child. Postpartum felt like I had been ran over by a big rig truck and dragged 100 miles down the freeway. During pregnancy, I tried to do as much research possible to prepare myself for the postpartum period, often called the fourth trimester. But as most moms tell first-time moms, there’s not much you can actually prepare for. It’s hard to describe. However, as I stand 15 months postpartum, here is my experience I’d like to pass on to any new mom or expecting mom reading this.
I constantly felt like I had just had a baby even at 10 months postpartum. My baby started sleeping through the night at four months. Why in the world did I still feel foggy, depleted, and exhausted all day? I am an Army veteran and have been an athlete my entire life. It is my lifestyle to MOVE. I could not move my body to exercise. I was too tired.
I was always tripping and felt wobbly on my feet. My body didn’t feel like my body. I literally couldn’t remember things for more than 10 minutes. When speaking I’d forget basic vocabulary words. My husband was always making comments about my mom brain. In fact, people would always ask me if I was pregnant already…6 months after giving birth to my daughter . Truth be told, I still felt pregnant.
I could not flex my abs and have muscle tension. I would flex and I could put my finger through my abdominal wall. Nothing was keeping it from touching my intestines and stomach. If I had to urinate, I knew for a fact that I needed to find a bathroom instantly or I was going to pee my pants. I could not hold my urine in. If I sneezed, jumped or jogged, it was time to change my underwear. Being intimate with my husband was uncomfortable and sometimes was too painful to continue.
I eat healthy. And with the efforts to workout (despite the exhaustion), I could not lose weight to save my life.
This means that for the previous 10 months, my body was being told that I was still in labor. Therefore, it was keeping my muscles loose and my abdomen soft. My cervix wasn’t truly healing because it was still being told a baby needed to come through. Justine determined this within the first 15 minutes of our appointment. Through her gentle adjustments, my hips went back into their normal position and miraculously my body changed almost overnight. Please reference the picture below, as it’s hard for me to even believe what has happened. Because what happened in just three appointments, I knew that it was critical that I do a complete package of 10 appointments with Justine. If I didn’t, it would be like working out for two weeks and saying, “That’s good enough, I don’t need to train anymore for my marathon that’s next year.
I went from barely being able to work out twice a week to hiking almost every day for an hour with my daughter. I’ve lifted weights since I was a teenager and hadn’t been able to touch them since giving birth. But after completing my therapy package with Justine, I’m lifting weights again, I go to barre three times a week, yoga once a week, and I look forward to spending time with my husband. I’ve lost all my baby weight and then some, in just three months. The results are incredible. The proof is undeniable!
The way I was feeling for the first 10 months did not make me want anymore. But now through my experience with Justine and pelvic floor recovery, I’m ready to keep growing my family. I am excited for what the future holds. And I’m even more excited to experience the postpartum journey with this new information.
Don’t settle. We want to thrive, not survive. And finally, while peeing your pants because you sneezed is common in women, it is not normal. As women, we must advocate for our health. Our intuition is powerful and we cannot ignore it. We deserve the very best.
Kasey K,
Mother and Photographer at Moose and Bear Photography
“My girl was nearly 11 pounds when she was born, which did quite the number on my body! Two months after birth, I was unable to walk or do much of anything without being in pain. I wanted to be able to carry my girl around, wear her, pick her up without feeling weak, and do normal life things without pain and feeling like my insides were going to fall out.
I was able to get there with Justine’s help. Her treatment was gentle, caring, natural, effective and helped me to be so much more in tune with my body than I have ever been. I was also able to address a lot of emotions and inner turmoil that I was dealing with postpartum, as my body was able to release the physical trauma it was holding onto. Considering what my body went through, I feel so normal, healthy and able to do most of what I could do before birth without pain and discomfort!
I am a full-time wedding and birth photographer. This means being on my feet for 8+ hours at a time. Through the wedding season this year I was stronger and felt a hundred times better than the last. This is my heart. I love telling love stories, as well as working in the birth space of mamas who invite me in to tell the stories of their babies’ births. This business allows me to stay home with my girl and experience all her firsts, and I am so thankful that I am able to do it to my fullest capacity, largely due to the physical recovery and healing I was able to find through working with Justine and The Healing Spot. I am so thankful for her love and care and it was so worth the investment in my own health!”
Kelly H,
Mother and Grandmother
“I was exhausted. I was having pain that felt like an electrical charge or a hot poker from my hip to my ankle every night. I tossed and turned, unable to get relief. I would get up every two hours to take Ibuprofen, put heat on it, and apply Biofreeze. I had gone for massage therapy, chiropractic, and physical therapy. My doctor recommended surgery if it didn’t get better. My bloodwork showed problems with my kidneys because of all the Ibuprofen I was taking.
I overheard my physical therapist comment to the other therapist that she didn’t know how I was able to walk due to all the issues with my body. One day she tried myofascial release on me and I experienced immediate relief. But when she left the practice, I needed a new therapist.
I decided to look for someone who did myofascial release. I contacted Justine Calderwood at The Healing Spot and she got me in for an appointment.
If you are experiencing unresolved pain, I would highly recommend seeing Justine for a consultation. You can trust her to be honest about whether or not myofascial release is the solution for you. I had relief from the very first appointment. The healing I have experienced since seeing her is nothing short of amazing. I have gone from exhaustion, getting up every two hours for pain relief, to sleeping all night most nights. Sometimes I need Biofreeze in the middle of the night, but certainly not every two hours and not every night. My bloodwork showed the problems with my kidneys were resolved since I no longer need the Ibuprofen.
Justine is gentle, informative, knowledgeable, and compassionate. My insurance wouldn’t pay for this type of therapy but it was worth every penny and certainly a better alternative than surgery.
I have always been a happy, high energy person and at 71 I’m determined this doesn’t have to change. I am pain free most days as long as I remember not to overdo it. I have a bad habit of forgetting I’m not 30…. (Skydiving, downhill racing, and bull riding are probably not for me.) However, dancing, hiking, and traveling are back on the agenda thanks to the relief I experienced with Justine! Life is good!”
Heather P,
mom of 2, pudendal and sciatic nerve pain
“I am so thankful for Justine’s role in my postpartum healing journey. While she has helped me with a number of injuries, the most painful and urgent need I turned to her for was pudendal and sciatic nerve pain. I have an internal facial tear in my pelvis which is mostly asymptomatic, however, the nerve pain was recently provoked. The nerve pain was debilitating and I was not able to care for my two daughters, stand, sit, or sleep without intense shooting pain in my pelvis and leg.
The first appointment was a turning point, I experienced a significant reduction in pain, and several appointments later the nerve pain is almost back to being asymptomatic.
Justine’s work helping to correctly realign my pelvis and release tension has made all the difference. I can sleep at night again and be focused on my family and not on managing constant pain.
Justine’s passion for her work is so evident in everything she does. She is skilled and gentle, I trust her with something as sensitive as nerve pain. I am now sending all my friends recommendations to see Justine for their pregnancy, postpartum and chronic pain needs!”
Deb S,
Physical Therapy Assistant
My name is Debra. I’m a Physical Therapy Assistant and I had an injury a few years ago where I wasn’t a candidate for surgery. I had a partial disc tear and they just had to let it heal, so for a year I was in excruciating pain and really couldn’t do anything. I had to sit or lie flat on my back with my legs up; anything else was horribly painful. Walking or any kind of movement, transitions or anything were painful. I started feeling better and was able to do more things but I still had the discomfort. I was terrified of trying any of the activities that I used to do, like hiking or horseback riding or cross-country skiing.
I met Justine during one of her classes and I started coming to her for treatments afterwards; she immediately recognized several things that I had going on. I was guarding where I was having a lot of tightness and odd sensations in my back, so she started working on that and I immediately started feeling release. Sometimes it would make me want to cry, it was such a physical release.
We started talking about doing my activities again and she guided me through exercises and things I could start doing before I started big things because my real goal was to get back to horseback riding. I had actually been told by a couple of different doctors not to ride horses or take the risk, but I loved riding and I was so upset and depressed that I would never be able to ride again.
Justine brought me back to feeling like a whole person again. I disconnected from my body and as a physical therapist assistant I know about exercises and the body but it really took her hands-on work and her guidance with me to get me
past that. It was such a huge thing in my life.
I am totally back 105% and I give Justine all the credit for this. My goal was horseback riding though I got back to doing so many other things; I can do yoga now and I never thought I was going to be able to do that.
You won’t even believe some of the things Justine can work you through. I thought I knew quite a lot when I came to see Justine, but I learned so much more. She was right there with me the whole time; listening and knowing what to do to help me get through all of it. I had had people tell me that the things I wanted to do more than anything in my life that it might not ever happen again and I just could not accept that. My biggest goal was I wanted to ride horses and I just wanted to be able to do things without pain and without fear. And I got back to everything I wanted to do, including riding horses. I followed Justine’s suggestions on everything and now I am just back in my life more than I was before.
