Ascension Physical Therapy and Performance

Ascension Physical Therapy and Performance Helping active adults stay pain-free, perform better & live strong — with PT + Chiro + 1:1 care.

PT for you, designed for you and your lifestyle
01/15/2026

PT for you, designed for you and your lifestyle

6 months of consistent strength work, and this 70 year old male is seeing significant changes in the metrics AND, more i...
01/13/2026

6 months of consistent strength work, and this 70 year old male is seeing significant changes in the metrics AND, more importantly, he is noticing that he is better able to play with his granddaughter, participate in his church activities, and is simply feeling younger day-to-day.

An investment that will actually pay off 💪
01/08/2026

An investment that will actually pay off 💪

When returning back to athletic activities such as running, jumping, or other recreational activities, power is essentia...
01/06/2026

When returning back to athletic activities such as running, jumping, or other recreational activities, power is essential.

Power is your ability to produce high amounts of force in a short period of time.

It differs from strength, in that strength is independent of the time it takes to develop force. Aka, strength can be slow.

Often, clients will be strong, but still not powerful. The two variables correlate, but improved strength does not automatically transfer to improved power.

Power needs to be an intentional phase of rehab to sufficiently return a client back to jumping, running, and plyometrics confidently.

Affordances - the opportunities for action in a given environment. That's what improving your physical health is all abo...
12/08/2025

Affordances - the opportunities for action in a given environment.

That's what improving your physical health is all about - improve your state of health so that each and every environment affords your greater opportunities to take meaningful action.

Whether it’s rehab or training, too many people are handed cookie-cutter plans and told to “just be happy with the resul...
12/05/2025

Whether it’s rehab or training, too many people are handed cookie-cutter plans and told to “just be happy with the results.” No real conversation, no understanding of their goals, and no connection to what actually matters to them.

But real progress doesn’t come from generic programs.
It comes from internal motivation—and according to Self-Determination Theory, two key drivers of that are:
• Autonomy: feeling ownership over your choices.
• Relevancy: knowing your plan aligns with your personal goals and values.

When you’re not listened to, you lose both.
And that’s when rehab feels discouraging, training feels aimless, and you feel disconnected from the process.

This is why your why matters.
It helps me understand what you want, what you care about, and what success looks like for you.

Because when your why leads the way, your rehab becomes more empowering, your training becomes more meaningful, and your progress becomes something you’re truly invested in—not something you were talked into.

Your journey should feel personal.
Your goals should feel valued.
And your plan should feel like it was built for you.

We sometimes need to lean on objective testing as a way of assessing how the body is responding - pain is an important i...
12/03/2025

We sometimes need to lean on objective testing as a way of assessing how the body is responding - pain is an important indicator, but as I often tell my clients, it is a lagging indicator.

Chasing pain reduction as the primary approach to rehab, assessing the progress only on it's reduction, can lead you astray.

Because pain is so multifactorial, meaning it is complex and A LOT of different factors influences it's magnitude, we often focus on improving the variables that contribute to the pain first, such as strength, range of motion, activity tolerance, sleep, nutrition, etc.

Rehab isn’t a straight line—and that’s exactly why coaching matters.Progress doesn’t just come from a perfect plan; it c...
12/01/2025

Rehab isn’t a straight line—and that’s exactly why coaching matters.

Progress doesn’t just come from a perfect plan; it comes from a responsive one. The real work happens in the in-between moments—when pain flares, motivation dips, or life shifts. That’s where a strong provider–client relationship becomes the foundation for change.

Consistency in check-ins creates accountability. Communication builds trust. And coaching—the kind that listens, adapts, and meets you where you are—turns setbacks into feedback instead of failure.

Because recovery isn’t about doing the same thing over and over. It’s about learning from how your body responds, together.

When your provider is both clinician and coach, the process becomes less about perfection and more about collaboration.
That’s what makes progress possible—even when the path isn’t linear.

“Medical necessity” is often where care stops—but for most people, it’s only where life begins again.In clinical terms, ...
11/28/2025

“Medical necessity” is often where care stops—but for most people, it’s only where life begins again.

In clinical terms, medical necessity means the minimum level of care needed to restore essential function. It’s about helping you walk, work, or dress yourself again—getting you back to “normal.” But normal isn’t the same as thriving. Medical necessity defines what’s required to survive, not what’s possible to live well.

Because for many people, the goal isn’t just to move without pain—it’s to move with confidence, strength, and joy. It’s to return to the trail, the gym, the dance floor. To feel connected to your body again, not limited by it. That’s the space beyond medical necessity—the space where recovery shifts into growth, where healing becomes more than restoration—it becomes reinvention.

When we stop care at “good enough,” we risk leaving potential on the table. But when we keep going, we help the body and mind rediscover their full expression. This is embodiment in practice: not just existing within the body, but inhabiting it fully.

The end of medical necessity isn’t the end of your story—it’s the start of your next chapter. One defined not by what insurance covers, but by what you want to reclaim

This client was dealing with a medial meniscus tear, which occurred over time due to occupational demands.He was in the ...
11/26/2025

This client was dealing with a medial meniscus tear, which occurred over time due to occupational demands.

He was in the middle of pursuing improved health, focusing on longevity, when his symptoms really began to bother him. He was unable to squat, bend his knee, fully straighten his knee, or walk on uneven surfaces.

Now, 6 weeks later, we are seeing some serious increases in strength and power that are translating to improved knee bend, walking tolerance, and straightening his knee is no issue anymore. Pain has decreased significantly, with only minor evening aches in the knee.

His journey is not over yet, but we have some good indicators that his prognosis is very good!

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1873 Buerkle Road
White Bear Lake, MN
55110

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