I was referred to Dr. Lynn Berman at Spring Forward Physical Therapy by one of the top Sports Orthopedic Surgeons in the Upper East Side. He promised me that if anyone could help me overcome the PFPS that had developed in both knees after years of wear-and-tear from Crossfit, it would be Dr. Berman. He called Lynn directly on the spot and made the appointment for me.
I was a bit nervous to start physical therapy because I felt that it would be a waste of my time. In the first session with Lynn, we sat and he asked me a ton of questions to get a full download of what was ailing me. After evaluating me further, he came up with a plan for my treatment — recommended I see him twice per week for therapy and that I would need to be diligent about the home care exercises he prescribed.
Lynn is a very hands-on physical therapist and he employs different modalities to help his patients. For my knees, that meant a lot of weird knee/ leg massages and some kind of ultrasound machine; both felt like nothing was happening… magic! Each session finished with 15-minutes of cold therapy (ice packs). I was told to be very careful about my movements; Lynn taught me how to properly perform daily activities, such as walking up/ down stairs in a way that wouldn’t aggravate my knees. We also worked through several exercises along the way. I was desperate to continue my workout routine, and Lynn worked with me on modifications so that I could exercise without hurting myself. I did my home care exercises every night. Lynn told me it would be important for me to build strength in my weak areas to support proper knee function.
All that being said, it is now 3-months later and I am back to Crossfit! More than anything, what I took away from my physical therapy sessions with Lynn was that I needed to be more aware of what I was doing to prevent future injury. Lynn was clear about his expectations from me as a patient as well. While I am back to my routine, there are a lot of things I still don’t yet do (or at least I do them with less weight).
What I liked most about Lynn is that he is caring and not judgmental. I was adamant with him about my desire to continue with my workout albeit high-impact, and he was keen on helping me get there. Lynn is also a riot and made each session super fun.
Spring Forward Physical Therapy is a professional, well-run establishment filled with knowledgable and caring professionals. The new office on 60th Street is absolutely gorgeous. Tanesha, the receptionist, is a doll. I would recommend Dr. Berman or any therapist in this facility without reservation.