Testimonials for Dr. Van Nederynen - Performance Health Center

Training for Lake Placid IronMan 2009 started just shortly after returning home from Lake Placid IronMan in July of 2008. ONE WHOLE year of training…can you believe it? Looking back on the entire event and what it entailed, I am proud to say it is one of my greatest accomplishments!

The road to Iron Man Lake Placid 2009 was not easy, and I would have never made it without my support crew. First and foremost I want to thank my family and friends for their support – though I am pretty sure they all thought I was crazy. A special thanks go out to my closest friend, Dr. Ellen McNally, as well as Mike Bingham, and John MacNamara. This is the least I can say to these three. Mike and John are patients of mine, and have become very dear friends along the way.

Mike also played the role as my trusty bike coach and mechanic. He took me from never riding more than 30 miles casually before March 2009, to riding 100’s of miles through the spring and summer. Rain or shine, wind or cold, hills or flat, he was always right there beside me, pushing me along. I could not have completed that course (and all the hills) without him.

John, being a Lake Placid IronMan veteran, was kind enough to take me under his wing. His early morning swims at Farm Pond, and encouragement gave me confidence that I would be able to complete the swim portion of the race

. As one can imagine, with countless hours of training the past year, it takes a toll on the body. There is no way I would have remained injury free for the most part without Dr. Brad Weiss, Bernadette Lehmann, and Kim Propert-Griffin. Weekly adjustments, ART and kinesio-taping from Dr. Weiss, massage therapy from Bernadette, and acupuncture by Kim helped to keep me mobile, healthy and pretty much pain free. Don’t get me wrong, there were a few aches and pains a long the way.

Special thanks go out to Rick Savoia, Noelle Sneider, and Marjie Bruchez for all the Tuesday night track workouts and laughs. Marjie, thanks for the swim lessons as well. Thanks to Sue and Mike Ericson, Wendy Casen-Akeson (from the Greater Framingham Running Club), and Victor Chapel for the long grueling road and trail runs to help me prepare – could not have done the miles without you! Thanks to Jason Shea at APECS in Medway, and Clark Evans of Natick, for strength training me through the winter. Thanks to Mario Fraioli at PR Running for keeping me in shoes. Thanks to Marc, Andy, and Jeremy at Landrys’s for the purchase of my bike that I love and hate so much at the same time, and for the bike fit and tune ups.

Encouraging words from triathletes (professional or not), Karen Smyers and Julie Jones Davenport, my boyfriend Steve Walters, and all of my patients helped to give me ALL the strength that I could do this. Again, a tremendous thank you to ALL of my family, friends, and patients that supported me along this amazing and life changing journey. I would not be a proud finisher of the 2009 Ford Lake Placid IronMan without you!

Dr. Victoria VanNederynen

As a 60 year old active male you will no doubt understand that I hurt myself frequently. The older body, the stress of work outs but the desire to keep fit. Well, that desire almost lost its flame over the past 8 months as one injury after another piled on. But Dr. VanNederynem kept working on me, refused to let me give in to despair and used all of her techniques – ART, Graston, and general chiropractic techniques to get me healthy and keep me going. When I couldn’t do one type of exercise she suggested two others. She gave me things to do at home between visits to help me heal more quickly. Her determination to have me healed was unparalleled in my experience with healers.

Many of us older folk think young healers do not have enough experience to treat us. WRONG. Dr. V may be youthful but she has a world of experience and keeps searching out new ways to learn more. Conferences, books, journals all add to her store of suggestions and therapies to help people stay healthy. All this would be wonderful enough, but she is also warm, witty and intelligent.

Chuck Schwager

I have been in the carpentry trade for over 30 years. My work has always been physically demanding, and I just figured my upper body pain and loss of flexibility were just part of the job.

Recently though, what started as a small ache in my back, turned into a stabbing pain that was affecting both my work and home life. My PCP suggested a week of ice and Aspirin, which did not help.

Luckily my wife overheard people at our health club discussing how grateful they were to Performance Health Center (PHC) for “curing” their back problems. I gave them a try as the pain was unbearable.

At my appointment I met Dr. VanNederynen, who did an examination and suggested a treatment plan. Subsequently, Dr. VanNederynen found and treated a rib that was out of position causing my pain.

Since then I have been on a maintenance program which has dramatically lessened my aches and pains and increased my flexibility. I feel so much better on a daily basis thanks to Dr. VanNederynen’s knowledge and treatment. I highly recommend Dr. VanNederynen and all the staff at PHC.

Jim Martinelli

Every time I see Dr. VanNederynen (Dr. V) for a treatment, I remind myself how lucky I am to have her as part of my wellness team. Most healthcare professionals are good at technically treating patients.Not only is Dr. V a technical master of her craft, she is also a superior clinical practitioner and a true healer.There is a subtle magic, special understanding, and absolute honesty in her approach.

Dr. V has successfully brought me relief for both acute & chronic conditions, as well as worked on health maintenance. She has collaborated closely with other physicians & therapists on my case, ensuring a well balanced treatment plan. As an active person with 2 physically demanding jobs... I'd truly be lost without her & I can't thank her enough!
Sarah Holmes, Firefighter/RN

Stop Sucking it Up

As an active mother continuously on the go, it took me until I couldn't lift my arm over my head for me to see someone about it. After exploring many alternatives to deal with my ailment, it was my personal trainer's high recommendation of Dr. VanNederynen, that led me to her. Her highly educated background, enthusiasm, youthful charm and compassion all proved to be the success that lead to my quick recovery. I was amazed to see that in just a few months I had a significant reduction of pain and a greatly improved range of motion. I wish I had take care of myself earlier, don't make the same mistake I did.

Michelle Ciampa

In the past, I was not all that convinced that a chiropractor could really offer much benefit to my health program...that was before I met Dr. Van Nederynen.

Chronic migraines and a nagging low back pain brought me to her office about 7 months ago. I was immediately impressed with how acutely she listened to all my symptoms and subsequently created an effective treatment plan. Almost immediately I seemed to be walking taller, my headaches were gone, and back pain was a thing of the past! I am thrilled not only with the results, but also with the attentive, genuine, and highly effective nature of Dr. V. She encompasses all that a healthcare provider should and could be...I'm sending all my friends to see her!"

Carmen Schmidt, Boston

I have been wanting to write you and tell you how grateful I am, for giving me back my ablility to dance.

As you know last September I came to you in such pain, pain I had never experienced before.

I want to share with your patients and others how you helped me after my fall during a dance I was doing. The partner I had, let go of me and I went down on my back. With your gentle treatments and much encouragement I am pain free to continue my dancing. I am ever so grateful for your expertise in treatment and definitely superior to other chiropractors I have been to.

Barbara Levia

Five weeks before last year’s Boston Marathon, I found myself in a position no runner ever wishes to find himself – in pain and unable to run. The dull ache on the interior of my shin suddenly turned sharp, and I couldn’t run 26 feet down my street without having to stop and hobble back home. Fearing a stress fracture, the prospect of covering 26 miles in a little over a month’s time seemed difficult, if not impossible. Enter Dr. Victoria VanNederynen. After a thorough examination of my symptoms, Dr. V diagnosed me with a nasty case of posterior tibial tendinitis and began aggressive treatment with Active Release Technique. After two rounds of treatment the swelling on my shin had subsided and my pain was greatly reduced. Within a few days I resumed with some light running, and after two more treatments the pain was gone completely and I was back to training full steam ahead. I finished Boston without any injury issues, but I never would have made it to the starting without Dr.V’s help!

Mario Fraioli

Worcester, MA

Dear Dr. Van Nederynen,

Thank you does not sum up my gratitude for what you did for me. The first time I signed up to compete in the “Goofy’s Race and Half Challenge” at Walt Disney World in Orlando FL, a few years ago, I had to withdraw months in advance. When I came to see you with a nagging knee problem in December 2008 with only a month before race day I was nervous about not participating…again. My knee problem had already made me cut my long mileage days down. You were confident you could treat me, get me running my long runs again and race ready in that short window of time and did you ever!!!

“Goofy’s Race and Half Challenge” 2009 was my second chance and if it were not for you I would not have been able to compete never mind PR. My time was 1:28 faster than my last marathon, when I did not run a 1⁄2 marathon the day before!! I am forever grateful for your expertise and your delightful manner. I have and will recommend you to everyone I know. 4 medals, three days, all thanks to Dr. V!!!

Deb Wilson

As a 31 year old Mixed Martial Arts Practitioner, injuries come often and that’s an unfortunate consequence of the sport. However, injuries are also supposed to heal.

Since 2005, I’ve had some type of shoulder or upper back pain nearly every day. Sometimes it was just a reminder something was wrong, sometimes the pain was enough to keep me up and night, and off the mats for extended periods of time. A torn Labrum, Bilateral Shoulder Impingement Syndrome, Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit, Arthritic Cervical Vertebrae, these were all diagnoses that I’ve heard in the last 3+ years. I’ve seen Orthopedic Surgeons, Physiatrists, Physical and Message Therapists. All of them helped, but ultimately I was left with the same prognosis – if I choose to continue participating in my sport, I’m going to have to deal with moderate to severe pain.

I chose to see Dr. VanNederynen to give ART a try, as it was one of the few treatments I had yet to experience. What I need to share is that with in 6 weeks, I was nearly 90% improved. My range of motion in my shoulders was nearly double what it had been, and the pain had let up significantly. Eight weeks after my original evaluation, I’m nearly 100% pain free, for the first time in almost 4 years. I literally cannot remember a time when I felt this good.

I recommend Dr. V. to all the athletes I train with, and I’m forever in her debt as a patient.

Leo Mortin,

YOGA IS GOOD.....BUT IT CAN'T REPAIR EVERYTHING

A devotee of yoga for more than twenty years, I was in my late thirties when I fell in love with what I considered a near-perfect repair for most aches & pains. I realized yoga was also a fabulous stress reducer. And mostly, yoga practice kept an occasionally sore, left hip in check. Flare-ups only seemed inevitable after sitting in a two-hour movie or taking a car ride of more than 100 miles.

Dr. VanNederynen (Dr. V) was recommended to me by a dear friend who claimed that she was a "different" sort of chiropractor and might be able to help with the hip pain which had become more frequent in recent years. Not only was the initial evaluation very thorough, but Dr. V.'s explanation about the physiology of my piriformis problem was both very interesting and reassuring. After several ART sessions, relief was very noticeable; regular visits have kept my whole body feeling strong and healthy.

Dr. V. is a nurturing and holistic practitioner, both knowledgeable and skillful -- I am so grateful for her ongoing care.

Jo Lewis

Last fall while running the Marine Corps Marathon I encountered some very painful IT band issues. This was unlike anything I'd experienced during my training so after the race I consulted some friends from my running club, anxious for some insight into what had gone wrong and what I could do to prevent it from happening again. Several people suggested ART treatment so I made an appointment with Dr. VanNederynen (Dr.V).

At the first visit Dr. V was able to diagnose what had happened and explained IT band syndrome to me. The ART treatments themselves were incredibly effective, and she also took the time to show me numerous stretches that could help prevent this issue from returning. The combination of the ART, the e-stim machine, and the new stretches allowed me to get back on the road and run pain-free again in a surprisingly short amount of time.

As the Boston Marathon approached this spring Dr. V suggested that I try Kinesio Tape on my long training runs as an additional way of avoiding any further IT band issues. It worked great and I ended up wearing it during the marathon, too. Thanks to Dr. V I was able to run Boston with zero pain this year and I got an eight minute marathon PR in the process!

I can't say enough great things about how helpful Dr. V has been. Her knowledge combined with her friendly, easy going approach make her an incredibly effective doctor and I can't thank her enough for all her help!

Patrick Tibbetts, Westborough

“I hate going to the Doctors! ” (but who likes it right?)Usually, when I get an injury, I “suck it up” and wait it out. Most of the time it eventually gets better. So, when I found myself developing severe elbow pain, I again decided to just “suck it up”. This time was different though, the pain was not going away and it was drastically getting worse.

Jason Shea, the owner of APECS (the gym I attend) noticed the pain I was in while trying to lift. He HIGHLY recommended that I go see Dr. Van Nederynen for help.Again, I tried to just “wait it out”. A few months later I spoke with another employee of APECS and she told me she experienced the same elbow pain that I had and she said that “Dr.V” fixed it.

The pain was so bad that I was convinced that the doctors were going to say that I would need an operation. I could not afford to miss that much work, but the pain finally got to the point where it was affecting my job’s safety. I also had the biggest MMA fight of my career coming up. I was coming to terms with the fact that because of my elbow, I was going to have to bow out of the fight.

I had nothing to lose by going to see DR. V. - It ended up being the best advice I followed and the best decision I ever made.Dr.V. saved me from facing an operation and she made my elbow 100% pain free. I can train and lift as hard as I want, and not only did I make it to my MMA fight, I won.

Dr. V has totally changed my outlook on doctors. Now if I have any little “owie’s” from training, I don’t hesitate to go see her. I have since gone to the emergency room after one of my fights because it felt like one of my ribs was cracked and sticking into my lung. The emergency room doctor assured me that it was only bruised and would go away. Weeks later, I went to Doctor V. because the pain in my rib was just as intense. I explained my injury to her and in 2 seconds she found the subluxated rib (that the ER Dr. missed) and put it back into place. The pain instantly went away.

Dr. V’s enthusiasm and knowledge for her profession are immediately obvious, but what also is impressive is that she is an active Tri-Athlete who just completed the “Ironman” in Lake Placid. As an athlete myself I find it an asset in having a Doctor that is also.

If you have any pain at all, I will quote my friend Jason Shea……”go see Dr. V”
Sincerely,
Eric J. Cusson
Metro Star -S.W.A.T
Hybrid Fighting – “Heavy Weight Champion”

Dear Dr. V.
   I just wanted to let you know that the Philly marathon was AWESOME. I felt so good, I couldn't believe it. I kept waiting for my hamstring/back to start hurting... but it never did.... I even negative split the race because I sped up when I realized the pain wasn't going to show up!
   THANK YOU!! This race was unlike any other long distance event I've ever done. Every other time the run would (at some point) become just about managing the pain and finishing. This time I was actually able to RUN. The whole time. I dropped 22 minutes off my time, felt GREAT the whole time, qualified for Boston (with 10 minutes to spare), and wasn't writhing in pain as soon as I crossed the finish line.
   Did I say THANK YOU??? You rock.
                                                 Meredith Harjes President of Boston Tri Team