What to Expect from a ROOTS Session
"So... you just give me exercises to do at home, right?"
It's a fair question as many people's only experience with physical therapy has been receiving a generic exercise handout and being told to "do three sets of 10 every day."
But that's not physical therapy. That's homework.
At ROOTS, we believe your body deserves more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Every ache, pain, and movement dysfunction tells a story, and our job is to be the detective who reads between the lines. Let me walk you through what actually happens during a ROOTS session, and why it's different like what you might expect.
The Real Assessment: More Than "Where Does It Hurt?"
We have a deep distaste for basic intake forms with a quick movement screen. We start there too, but we don't stop there. During your initial evaluation, we’re not just looking at your painful shoulder or tweaky back. We’re observing how you walk into the room, how you sit in the chair, and even how you breathe while you're talking.
Why? Because your body is smarter than you think, and it's been compensating for problems long before you felt pain. You’re actually the last one to find out what’s really going on. That shoulder issue might actually be starting from your feet. That lower back pain could be connected to how your ribcage moves when you breathe. Your body doesn't operate in isolated parts, it's an integrated system, and we treat it that way.
Our assessment includes:
Symptom story patterns listening to the detailed messages your body is sending you through the things you feel and do
Detailed movement analysis using functional screens that reveal how your body actually moves in real life
Postural evaluation that goes beyond "stand up straight"—we're looking at your body's adaptive strategies and protective patterns
Manual assessment of tissue irritation including joint mobility, flexibility, and neuromuscular control
Lifestyle factor analysis because your sleep, stress, work setup, and daily habits all impact your recovery
The ROOTS Difference: Finding the "Why" Behind Your Pain
Rather than staying laser focused on managing your symptoms (though they’re still incredibly important), we're obsessed with finding the ROOT cause. And I mean obsessed. If we don’t feel we’re helping you avoid this problem in the future, we don’t feel like we’re doing our job.
Let's say you come in with knee pain. A standard approach might involve massage, basic strengthening exercises around the knee, and hoping for the best. At ROOTS, we're asking different questions:
How does your hip move?
What's happening at your ankle?
How's your core stability?
What does your movement look like when you're tired?
Are there old injuries creating compensation patterns?
What’s your body running away from?
What’s your body running to?
We use this information to develop your "movement fingerprint". It’s a detailed understanding of how your unique body moves, where it's efficient, where it's compensating, and what it needs to heal.
Treatment That Actually Treats
Once we understand your specific pattern, we design a treatment plan that's as unique as you are. This isn't about grabbing exercises from a database but rather it's about creating interventions, and more importantly an understanding that teaches you to address your particular dysfunction.
Our treatment toolkit includes:
Anatomical education so you understand what your body is trying to tell you
Manual therapy techniques tailored to your tissue needs and to help expand tolerance to load
Neuromuscular re-education to retrain faulty movement patterns
Progressive loading strategies that challenge your body appropriately as it heals
Postural integration that helps your body maintain changes in real-world positions
Functional training that prepares you for your actual life demands
What does this look like in practice? Instead of generic "glute strengthening," you might get a specific sequence that addresses your hip extension deficit, improves your rotational control, and integrates with your walking pattern. Instead of standard "core exercises," you might work on breathing-based stability that coordinates with your shoulder movement for overhead activities.
The Three Pillars We Never Ignore
Every ROOTS treatment plan is built around what we call the three pillars of optimal function:
Mobility – Can you move where you need to move? We don't just want your joints to have range of motion; we want them to have the right range of motion for your activities.
Stability – Can you control that movement? Having mobility without stability is like having a sports car with broken brakes, you might go fast, but you won't end well.
Strength – Can you produce force efficiently through that controlled movement? Strength isn't just about how much weight you can lift; it's about having the right amount of force available at the right time.
Most injuries and chronic pain conditions involve an imbalance in these three areas. The magic happens when we get them working together seamlessly.
What Your Sessions Actually Look Like
A typical ROOTS session isn't just "do your exercises and ice afterward." Here's what you can expect:
Check-in and assessment (10-15 minutes): We discuss how you've been feeling, any changes since your last visit, and reassess key movements to track progress expanding on the story your body is telling us.
Manual treatment, optional (15-20 minutes): This might include joint mobilization, soft tissue work, or neuromuscular techniques based on what your body needs that day.
Movement retraining (15-20 minutes+): We work on correcting movement patterns, practicing new motor skills, and integrating changes into functional activities.
Strengthening and conditioning (10-15 minutes+): Progressive exercises that challenge your body's new capabilities and prepare it for increased demands.
Education and planning (5-10 minutes): We discuss what we accomplished, what you should expect, and modify your home program based on how you responded to treatment.
Why This Approach Gets Results
When patients ask me why our approach works when other treatments haven't, I tell them this: We don't just treat your symptoms, we treat the system that created your symptoms.
This means you're not just getting temporary relief; you're getting lasting change. You're not just learning exercises; you're learning how your body works and how to keep it working well. You're not just a patient; you're becoming an educated partner in your own care.
Beyond the Clinic Walls
The real goal of every ROOTS session isn't what happens in our clinic but rather it's what happens in your life. We want you to move confidently, sleep soundly, and tackle your daily activities without pain or limitation. We want you to understand your body well enough to maintain your improvements and catch problems before they become injuries.
Yes, you'll get exercises to do at home. But they won't be generic printouts from a database. They'll be carefully selected, progressively challenging, and specifically designed to address your unique needs. More importantly, you'll understand why you're doing them and how they're helping you heal.
The Bottom Line
Physical therapy isn't about exercise sheets, massage, and hoping for the best. It's about understanding your body as the complex, integrated system it is, identifying why problems developed, and giving you the tools to not just recover, but to thrive.
At ROOTS, we don't just ask "What hurts?" We ask "What story is your body telling, and how can we help it write a better ending?"
That's the difference between getting exercises and getting expert care. That's the difference between managing symptoms and creating lasting change.
