When you find a great physical therapist, he can seem like a magician. The magician observes you, listens to you describe some mysterious injury or strain that has been bothering you for weeks/months/years and diagnoses a solution that had eluded you the whole time.
I went into Achieve Physical Therapy with a reoccurring running injury--shin splints on long runs. I'd tried stretching and most of the well-worn solutions from running magazines and books. But I couldn't shake the tight muscles and aching shins.
On a doctor's recommendation, I went in to see Chris at Achieve Physical Therapy. After watching me run, he broke down the mechanics of running for me. After teaching me about how different parts of the body work and strain while you're running, he designed a simple, but effective method of strengthening the minor muscles that were causing the aches and pains. Seems like common sense, but I hadn't seen the exercises he prescribed in any running publication.
Now, weeks after starting physical therapy, my minor muscles are stronger, my running style more fluid (on advice from Chris) and aches are muted and/or non-existent. Like I said: magic.
I recommend Achieve Physical Therapy and Chris for any of you endurance runners out there who have been in pain while pounding through the miles. He can really help.