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Medical Fitness & Wellness

Medical Fitness & Wellness

Seneca Physical Therapy offers medical fitness to help people of any age discover the joys of moving freely and living a healthier lifestyle in Rockville, Maryland.

The goal is to help you maintain your health through safe and effective exercise. We teach you corrective techniques to improve muscle imbalances, eliminate pain, and decrease your risk of injury.

We provide comprehensive exercise programming if you are deconditioned, have a chronic condition, or are experiencing a life-changing event, such as joint replacement or cancer treatment. 

And when you are ready, Bill can help you transition into the independent wellness program offered by FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers of Rockville. Since 1998, this wellness program has helped hundreds of people stay active, become better conditioned, avoid surgeries, and prevent falls.

Read this article describing one patient’s experience with Wellness at Seneca…

You Saved My Life

For many months, Seneca Wellness was her life. Month after month. Three times a week. She worked to gain movement and balance. Natalie Santullo doesn’t overstate the influence that Seneca Wellness had, and still has, on her life.

“I came to Seneca Wellness after I’d had a terrible accident. I fell off a ladder and when I hit ground, I compressed everything in my leg. When you’re older and something like this happens, you think – that’s it. My life as I know it is over. I didn’t think I’d walk again. And I wondered if I would ever look normal again. This was not only a severe physical injury, but my psyche took a hit too. I was a mess. I was mad, and furious and depressed. Seneca Wellness saved my life.”

Life’s transformation. To know Natalie now, it’s hard to imagine someone so broken. Now you see a passionate, fun-loving energetic person. You can’t see any weakness in Natalie. One would even forgive you for thinking, “Wow, I bet she’s had a fairy-tale life!” What happened? How did Seneca Wellness work with Natalie to transform her from injury to vigor?

Making it happen. After the accident, Natalie was prescribed the normal 6 week physical therapy program. Bill Rolle, the President and Clinical Director at Seneca Physical Therapy, worked with Natalie to regain movement and balance. He listened to Natalie’s complaints. He listened when she told him what was hurting her the most. He listened as she described the problems she was having with everyday chores. And each time he listened, he adjusted the therapy to help her get over the hurdle that she faced that particular week. This was therapy all right, therapy for her battered body and her fragile mind. Her days were fixed on accomplishing one small task.

Now it’s up to her. Typical of HMOs at the time, her prescription for physical therapy was running out. OK, things were slightly more manageable now, but she was nowhere near her former self. The thought of venturing out on her own, trying out a gym that she’d never been to before, was enough to make her anxious and short of breath. How in the heck was she ever going to get better?

Enter Eden Smith. Eden is the Wellness Director at Seneca. Seneca’s approach is to expand the workouts from Dr. Rolle and move Natalie forward. So now Natalie could continue – trusting a familiar place and putting her physical recovery in the hands of someone who would help her transition. At that time, Natalie thought, “OK, get me to the point where I am strong enough to have a knee replacement.” This, she was told, would be something she would need within 5 years.

Strategic Planning. After such a horrific accident, Natalie needed time. This was not going to be an overnight recovery. She would need years of targeted, specific exercise. She would need guidance – someone who could give her a road map and push her toward her destination. Seneca Wellness offered supervision and personal attention. Natalie was put on an 8-week program. That meant she would come to Seneca, work with someone who would set up her program, and then oversee her progress. Frequent checks made sure her posture was correct. A touch here and there refined her technique. Each little adjustment creating the opportunity to recover faster and better. THIS was what Natalie needed. Oversight. Help. Supervision.

“My attitude progressed along with my physical strength. Here I found people who were as determined as I to make my life more meaningful. The closeness of the group, the intimacy with the people here, well, it made me feel more confident!”

Aerobics – Really? Determined to get better, and encouraged by Eden, Natalie signed up for an Aerobics class. While she enjoyed the class, she noticed that she didn’t have the flexibility she needed. So Eden went to work – helping Natalie twist and bend. Still later, while on a beach vacation, Natalie noticed that her legs and feet hurt from walking on the sand. So again, the crew at Seneca worked on building up the muscles in her legs, ankle and feet and helping her regain stability and flexibility.

Still at it. Years later, 20 to be exact, Natalie still has the same knee! And she’s still a regular member of Seneca Wellness.

“This place is incredibly supportive. For everyone here, the program starts out working around issues. You move forward, but you don’t overdo it. And then suddenly, the challenge takes over. You develop muscle – muscle that you can SEE. Had I gone to any other gym, I wouldn’t have known what to do. I wouldn’t have known how much I could push myself. And now, I’m hooked.”

Seneca Wellness provided the physical lift, and the emotional lift, Natalie needed. Decades later, she’s still here. She used to drag bags of mulch around her yard in the spring – now, she lifts them! The strength she’s gained working at Seneca Wellness keeps her independent. As she says, “having the help I’ve had from Bill and Eden and the rest of the staff here at Seneca Wellness – you just can’t put a price on that.”