Jackie Bauer, a mom to four athletic sons from Walnutport, is not used to sitting still.
A runner since age 20, she carved out time daily to log 5 to 6 miles, either on her treadmill or along the scenic D&L Slatington Trail near her home.
But in October 2024, persistent hip pain began to slow her stride. She sought care and received a cortisone injection, but the treatment offered only brief relief. “After that, I could run maybe a mile, and that was it,” she recalls. For someone used to long daily runs, the limitation was deeply frustrating.
As her pain worsened, imaging revealed a hip labral tear. Walking became a struggle. She needed her hands to lift her leg and found stairs nearly impossible. “I felt like a 90-year-old woman,” Jackie says. “My pain was a nine out of ten every day.”
Eventually, Jackie turned to St. Luke’s Orthopedic Care, where she received an arthroscopic labral repair and femoral osteoplasty, a minimally invasive procedure to relieve pain, restore movement and prevent further joint damage. Before the surgery, Jackie had two physical therapy visits to prepare for the operation.
Six days after her surgery, Jackie, on crutches and in a hip brace, began recovery care at our Lehighton clinic, where she worked with Tiven Teno, PT. While initially limited in movement, due to weight bearing and range of motion restrictions, Jackie was immediately able to make pain-free progress.
“Jackie started with exercises to activate and engage her hip and knee muscle groups,” Tiven says, explaining how she was able to progress basic movements to more advanced strengthening, balance, and proprioception exercises throughout Jackie’s treatment. Tiven ensured that Jackie’s physical therapy aligned with her surgeon’s recommendations.
“Jackie was a model patient, highly motivated and consistently compliant with both her rehab treatments and home exercise program,” Tiven shares.
Jackie’s recovery was swift. “She progressed rapidly through a regimen designed to restore full range of motion and hip strength,” Tiven says. “Throughout her treatment, she experienced no pain and advanced quickly, allowing her to return to her active lifestyle with confidence.”
Today, Jackie is back to walking and cycling the trail she loves and recently resumed running. “I am also glad to be active again and to do everyday things without pain,” she said.
Read the full story here!
NO REFERRAL NEEDED
With Direct Access, a law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, you can see a physical therapist without a referral. Learn more about our Sports Rehabilitation services here.