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Physical therapist bounces back from disc injury with physical therapy

A Louisiana woman should have been strengthening her back with the assistance of people who hold physical therapy jobs, such as her colleagues.

But Shellie of Magnolia Physical Therapy in Southern Louisiana did not and suffered the consequences while in the early phases of training for a women's marathon, according to a published account on NOLA.com. The personal story was written by the runner and shared by Beth Winkler-Schmit, chief executive officer and owner of the physical therapy firm.

Shellie had been suffering from periodic bouts with Sacroiliac pain, which is between the hip and the lower back. One day she returned from a training session and commenced warm-down stretches on her living room floor, where she encountered sizable challenges getting up.

"[The] pain progressively worsened throughout the day," according to the runner's story. "By the time I got home that night I was in severe pain with symptoms that radiated all the way down my right leg into my foot with numbness/pins and needles under my foot. I was in so much pain that I couldn't sit, couldn't lie down, and couldn't get comfortable for the life of me."

Shellie began physical therapy that day, which included walking on a treadmill, enhancing her stamina and strength training.

Her training sessions are up to about eight miles and she plans to run a half marathon in January.