“People who are in pain are often afraid of making things worse, and that fear prevents them from really doing things on their own,” says Mary Beth Knight. The founder of Oakley-based Revolution Fitness and the newly launched
Get Your Back on Track program, Knight was once “rescued” from a car-accident-induced back injury, and never forgot the favor.
After losing 65 pounds and developing her strength and flexibility, she became an aerobics and fitness instructor, opening her health center in 1999. One of her clients was John Tew, a local neurosurgeon who came to the gym for personal training.
After watching Mary Beth work with Revolution Fitness members suffering from low-back pain, Tew began referring his non-surgical patients to her. Soon, she was too busy to take new referrals. That's when she embarked on her second company, the Get Your Back on Track program.
Designed to bring Mary Beth’s expertise to people she can’t squeeze into her training schedule, the program’s kit includes a foam roller, two massage balls, a yoga strap and a yoga mat, as well as an instructional DVD. Knight developed the program under Tew’s tutelage, joining him to observe patient consultations. “I’ve really had a spectacular education in a very hands-on manner,” she says.
Knight’s program takes people through three levels of trigger point release, stretching and strengthening. She says releasing trigger points – small bundles of painfully knotted muscle fibers – are critical to a fixing painful backs. Her DVD provides 35- to 40-minute videos designed to make it easy for adherents to stay motivated and perform the exercises correctly.
While the program is designed to be temporary, Knight cautions her clients to exercise regularly, and continue to practice the exercises once a week.
By
Robin Donovan
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.