Listening Time — 24:26

Andrea Parada ran her first marathon in her 40s, pain free. Months later, she could hardly get out of bed, get dressed, or brush her teeth without debilitating pain.

Andrea had suffered a herniated disc in her lower back. Initially, she had hoped it would get better on its own, but a few months later, after trying multiple treatment options, she worried that surgery may be her only option. Not only did she want to return to a pain-free life, she wanted to run marathons again.

In this episode, Andrea talks about her love for running, and how her painful injury almost jeopardized that and other aspects of her life. Joining her is her physical therapist Bruce Wilk, PT, OCS, MTC, who specializes in running injury management. Not only did he help return her to a pain-free life, but Andrea is running marathons again.

Download the podcast on iTunes or listen below:

Learn more about how physical therapy can help runners.

Andrea Parada is a mother of two in southern Florida. She grew up running competitively in middle and high school, and picked it back up in her 40s. Her first marathon was the Disney World Marathon, and since she has completed physical therapy for her herniated disc, she has run in the New York City Marathon, with plans to run more.

Physical therapist Bruce Wilk, PT, OCS, MTC, has been writing and lecturing on the subject of running injury management for more than thirty years, teaching specialized classes for professional associations, medical schools, and the military. He is the director of Orthopedic Rehabilitation Specialists in Miami, Florida. He has published The Running Injury Recovery Program and The Running Injury Recovery Program WORKBOOK, containing the first science-based injury-management guidelines developed specifically for runners. Wilk is also an avid triathlete, Ironman, and an RRCA certified running coach.