I recently completed the Wisconsin Ironman race on September 8th 2013. The journey to this event started several years ago when I made the commitment to sign up and train for my first marathon in Chicago in 2009. Halfway into that season I had an Achilles flare up that I was certain would prevent me from being able to complete this event. A friend of mine referred me to Dr. Krebs at Chicago Spine and Sport. He not only treated the tendonitis so that I could continue to train, but he also worked with me to do functional training to prevent the injury from coming back. I’m passionate about being an athlete and participate in numerous races each year so am constantly pushing my body which can lead to overuse injuries at times.\r
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At various points I have tried the other modalities such as Physical Therapy and Orthopedic Doctors but have found that Dr. Krebs’ focus on functional strength and educating me as an athlete to be the best approach for me. It provides me with the knowledge to prevent injuries from occurring, how to treat them, or more importantly, recognize the signs and take steps to interrupt them from developing. His continued research and education on advances in therapy and treatment keep me educated and help me advance my performance as an athlete. As a mostly self-trained athlete it is critical to have this external feedback and a medical practitioner to rely on. I view Dr. Krebs as a core part of a team of people I rely on that allows me to train and race at the level I do at 49.\r
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Being an athlete himself he understands the psychological aspects of injury. When I am feeling defeated or discouraged by a setback when an injury occurs his confident and honest assessment helps me to put it into context of the bigger picture. The established trust that has developed in working with him over the years to rapidly treat the symptoms, along with the exercises to address the imbalance or weakness that led to it, keep me focused and motivated while I am recovering.\r
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When making a choice about my healthcare I make decisions based on the results and effectiveness as well as the philosophy of the treatment. With Dr. Krebs it is not a one size fits all approach. It is [w]holistic. It is about getting you well as fast as possible; no lengthy drawn out treatment process or wasted time. This is critical when training at my level and holding down a full time job.\r
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I wanted to write and thank Dr. Krebs for getting me to the finish line. This was a goal that I had been working toward for the past three years and I was able to complete my first Ironman healthy, strong and injury free; there is no better way to complete a race.
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