Finding Strength Through Physical Therapy
September 14, 2026
On a recent trip out west with her husband, Beverly Miller did something she hadn’t expected: she completed two hikes she had never done before. One included a particularly challenging stretch of trail.
The next morning, Beverly got up feeling good, did the stretches and resistance-band exercises she had learned in physical therapy, and was ready for another day. For Beverly, it was a meaningful change after years of stiffness and pain that had increasingly affected her daily life.
“Before therapy I traveled, but I was often miserable,” Beverly says. “Sometimes I was so stiff, I would just cry, lie on a heating pad, and go to bed.”
Her symptoms became more difficult after a car accident in 2022 left her with significant neck and nerve pain. Although physical therapy had been recommended, Beverly was hesitant. Eventually, encouragement from her LRH primary care physician, Dr. Thomas Clem, convinced her to give it another try. She chose Lakeland Regional Health Physical Therapy at the YMCA, close to her North Lakeland home.
Beverly primarily worked with physical therapists Gwyn Arnold, DPT, and Alex Barlow, PTA. During her visits, she was struck by how closely they listened, observed her movement, and adjusted each session based on what she was experiencing.
“If I came in and said, ‘I’m hurting here today,’ they would say, ‘That’s what we’re going to work on today,’” Beverly says. “They made me feel for the first time that I can change. I can control my body and make it better.”
“Beverly came in ready to work and really committed herself to the process,” Gwyn says. “As she progressed, we continued building on what she could do and helping her develop the strength and confidence to stay active and help her reach her personal goal to travel. For Beverly, the education piece was crucial in helping her get into the right mindset for therapy.”
“We did our best to be responsive with her treatments. We scaled it back when she was in pain, we progressed when she felt strong, and our team kept in close communication,” says Alex.
That individualized approach is central to physical therapy at Lakeland Regional Health.
“During the initial evaluation, we spend time learning what is important to the patient, where they are having difficulty and what they want to be able to do,” Aaryn Mariacher, Regional Manager, LRH Outpatient Rehab Services, says. “For Beverly, being able to travel comfortably with her husband was important. We build the plan around what matters to each patient.”
North Lakeland YMCA Team Supervisor Manuel Pizarro explains why movement can be difficult when patients are experiencing nerve irritation.
“When patients are dealing with nerve irritation, the body can signal an alarm and begin guarding movement,” Manuel says. “We start by helping them gradually restore comfortable movement with less irritation and pain. From there, we can begin adding resistance and building strength to target specific activities that are meaningful to the patient and their goals.”
Over time, Beverly began noticing a significant difference. The nerve pain in her neck that had once been a regular part of her life became increasingly rare. Beverly also changed the way she responded when she felt stiff or uncomfortable. Before physical therapy, pain made her want to move less. Through therapy, she learned how regular movement, stretching, and strengthening could help her manage her symptoms.
Beverly and her husband now bring resistance bands along on their trips and exercise together. She continues the stretches and strengthening exercises she learned in therapy and has even added weights to her routine.
“We now exercise more than we ever did,” she says. “If I do what they tell me to do, and walk and move, the pain is gone.”
But Beverly says her experience was about more than the physical progress she made. She remembers the kindness of the entire team and how they encouraged patients throughout the clinic.
“I was amazed at their kindness,” Beverly says. “Even if someone could only do five steps, they praised them. I felt like I knew them my whole life. I trusted them.”
Today, Beverly is traveling, hiking, and approaching movement with a new sense of confidence.
“They changed my whole view on physical therapy,” she says.
