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Dr. Aaron Stares is breaking the mold. After specializing in sports medicine and learning the ropes at a traditional physical therapy clinic, he broke out on his own as an entrepreneur. Aaron shares what made him open up his clinic, the Performance Republic, what CrossFitters should know before going to a physical therapist, and how he lost his british accent.
Virtual Paths Cross
There’s a story behind how Coach Mike met physical therapist Dr. Aaron Stares. Coach Mike followed him on social media, saw his ads for the Performance Republic, and have mutual friends from Bedlam CrossFit. Coach Mike wrote down Aaron’s contact info, knowing he needed to see a physical therapist to work on his poor shoulder mobility. A few days later, Dr. Aaron Stares messaged him to talk about joining him on the Optimistic Podcast.
3 Things every CrossFitter should know before visiting a Physical Therapist
First, in the past before you could see a physical therapist, you needed to first get a referral from your primary care. Now you can skip the referral and go straight to a physical therapist!
Second, usually the letters signifying credentials are not super important- as long as your physical therapist knows how to treat you, that’s all that matters. But with athletes such as CrossFitters, it becomes important because you need a physical therapist who works in the sports realm. Your PT should have the credentials FAAOMPT in their title, which means they received their fellowship and work in sports medicine. This extra education and hands on training means they are better equipped to treat athletes.
Lastly, ask your physical therapist if they know what CrossFit is or if they do CrossFit! If they know CrossFit, they can speak your language and better understand what you need in treatment and recovery exercises. That way you can get the results you need to get back to the box!
Breaking the PT clinic Model with the Performance Republic
After playing collegiate soccer at St. Mary’s and graduating, Aaron needed a new fitness avenue. Through CrossFit, he found the competition he missed. Then as a physical therapist “I took the deep dive to CrossFit specific movements and realized the traditional PT model doesn’t work for this athlete.”
“After 2 years of being in a client clinical practice, in a typical clinic, I realize I need to change this, step out on my own and treat people the way they deserve to be treated especially in the [CrossFit] population that requires attention to detail and programming.”
At the Performance Republic, for part of his treatment he programs CrossFit style workouts for his patients to make sure that they can handle the demand of their workouts once they are back at the gym.
More From the Episode
To hear how Aaron found his passion for physical therapy, found mentors to help guide his way, and how this Englishman lost his british accent, tune into the episode using the links above.