SMARTfit and Wellness

I’ve had knee problems for quite a few years, but due to other health issues, I had to live with them for a long time. In December last year, I had partial knee surgery on my left knee and needed physical therapy as part of my recovery program. I shopped online for a physical therapist, looking for somebody close to where I leave and came up with Nora’s name and the great reviews she’s had from so many of her patients.
Nora has made all the difference in my recovery. She is a top notch physical therapist – very knowledgeable and really listens to her clients’s feedback. This results on a focused plan and a personalized approach to her treatment, which yields the best results. I would not go to anybody else for my physical therapy needs. She’s the best!

I had sustained a knee injury almost a year ago. As usual I hoped it would get better by itself, but no. A friend with a suicidal streak who was constantly hurting himself snowboarding and climbing had been raving about how much good Nora had done for him, and so I gave it a try.
Nora is amazing. She helped my understand what was going on, knees are so complex. In doing so she taught me to control which muscles I was exercising and at first gently brought the muscle that had shut down back into action. That in turn brought my knee cap back to center. She was the perfect mix of nurturing and pushy. :-)
I can’t recommend her enough. I’m hiking again, and without her I’d still be pouting about my inability to.

Where do I start? I started seeing Nora about 4 years ago at her previous clinic for a back injury. At that clinic, she would work on me for 30 minutes and then I would be seen by an assistant who would then complete the session with exercises and ice. At the same clinic, Nora also treated my neck and shoulder (no I’m not clumsy, I just have a strenuous job). Again Nora would always find the source of my pain and discomfort and somewhat magically get me functioning again… fast forward to last year when I sustained a painful knee injury (ok. maybe I’m a bit clumsy) that required surgery. When my orthopedic surgeon asked if I had a preference for a physical therapist, I asked if I could go see Nora Cacanindin, he lit up and told me how great she was… I told him he was preaching to the choir.
I found Nora who was now working as an independent at a clinic in West Portal. The big difference between the two clinics was that Nora does the whole rehab session herself.
After hands on work, Nora then proceeded to the exercise part of rehab were she played very close attention to how my knee was responding as she progressively increased my range of motion. Having her perform all the components of a rehab session allowed her to give my doctor complete picture of my progression.
I hope not to have anymore injuries, but if I do, I will only let Nora rehab me.

I’ve seen Nora twice for a back injury. She was my third PT the first time around and was the only one who really listened to what had happened and to my experience. She was willing to slow down the treatment so that I could do it without flaring up. While she respected my pace, she also encouraged me to get back to what I loved doing. Everyone else was full of fear, telling me not to do this or that. Nora supports living your life.
She gave me exercises in addition to her hands on work that kept me out of trouble for 2 years. A recent problem with a mattress set off a flare. She was the one I went to. Her hands are extraordinary. She knows how and where to move in as well as how to understand the pattern that’s causing the pain. I’ve tried other decent PT“s that are covered by my insurance, but there is just no comparison.
If you’re in trouble, go to Nora.

I saw Nora earlier in the year for my poor posture related shoulder and neck issues before she opened her own practice and headed to West Portal. But when my neck locked up on me, she was the first and only person I called. I sent her an email and she sent me one right back. I couldn’t see her day due to work but she got me in the next day. She added me on to the end of her schedule. I was running really behind and she waited for me! I would have left myself, but she cared enough to wait.
After just one visit, my neck felt much better. I was able to move it! I wouldn’t trust anyone else. She doesn’t have a receptionist but if you leave her a message or shoot her an email, she gets back to you personally. Even though her new location is not convenient for me, I don’t care. I’ll make the trip to West Portal. She’s worth it.
She has a really good bedside manner and is great to talk to. When I mean one on one time, I mean ONE ON ONE. She spends time with you and not try to pawn you off to an assistant.

Twice in the last few years middle age sports injuries made me need physical therapy. Fortunately, I was able to find Nora.
The first time was after a knee surgery that went bad. My doctor couldn’t figure out why my leg was atrophying and the knee wasn’t getting better, and the therapists at the hospital he sent me to were too busy or didn’t care. Only Nora took the time to figure out the real problem (one particular muscle had shut down) and had the patience and determination to design a program that slowly got that muscle, and eventually my whole leg, back into action. It took almost a whole year, but she did it. I literally have this woman to thank that I can now walk normally again.
I know something about physical therapy, because my mother is a retired physical therapist and I have had a number of orthopedic injuries that required me to have therapy over the course of my life. I wish I could say all physical therapists were like Nora. Unfortunately, most of them don’t spend enough time (whether because of insurance requirements or whatever) to really work with a patient. I have had some bad experiences with physical therapists, and some mediocre. But Nora stands alone at the top!