I initially began working with you due to chronic tension in my shoulders and neck. I soon learned that the physical pain was a manifestation of internal conflict. Quite honestly, for the last year, I have been “going through the motions of life”. I did what I needed to do and, on the surface, I enjoyed my life. But under the surface, I was in crisis. I wasn’t as fully engaged or as present as I would have liked to have been because there was always this anxiety looming over me failing as a parent and or failing as a wife. That internal conflict and struggle was omnipresent and was becoming my “identity”. I hated it and the way it made me feel and act out.
In the past I never really dealt with the physical or emotional discomfort. I would get a massage once or twice a year and move on. I just assumed that the tightness was due to my physical structural makeup and that there wasn’t much to do about it unless I wanted to commit to intensive physical therapy. I never gave much thought to the idea that my physical wellbeing was tied so closely to my mental wellbeing. Yes, I knew the correlation between stress and anxiety and the tightness in my shoulders – but Patrick taught me that it goes much deeper than the surface.
I have never been to a physical therapist or a psychologist/therapist. I assumed I was meeting with you to work on my shoulders, neck and back but within the first 10 minutes I knew that it would be much more than that! In addition to the physical pain aspect, it became clear that I was now on a healing journey with you. You immediately identified my long struggles with self-worth and my identity roles. I walked out of that first appointment super excited to learn more about the path to healing my pain from within.
One of my biggest struggles has always been understanding my “identity” – who am I? Once you broke it down to the simplest form I soon learned that I was in crisis. Once I was able to break that down and not focus on my root issues you Identified, it really helped me to put my life and the biggest issue I was having trouble understanding, moving to California. I did not WANT to move to California; but I was slowly able to come to terms with the thought of moving, because of our work together.
The other major “a ha” moment was just a few weeks ago when my husband was in California. During his prior trips, I was extremely anxious and tense I never really caught my breath and would sigh all day long. This past trip was different however; I was no longer tense, and I was BREATHING.
As we are approaching the holiday season, I am far more engaged and excited than I have been in a long time. Six months ago, I would have been anxious and haunted by the old thoughts but now I am not worried about that. I am present and just excited to be in the moment with my family and friends. Thank you for helping me see clearly and put everything into perspective.
Soon after, I got injured in my regular kickboxing class and began seeing a local restorative therapist to work through the injury. What he taught me about healing my body ended up changing the trajectory of my life. He asked me questions about what was going on in my life; what emotions I was feeling; what stressors; do I feel safe, trust, and love? He taught me that my emotions, thoughts, and beliefs have a profound effect on how my body will heal. He taught me how to communicate with my body, and the effects of stress and the flight-or-fight system on my ability to heal. I had never felt the tremendous power of the mind-body connection before and realized then that this was the vital missing link necessary to heal all aspects of my life.
–This testimonial sums up everything that will come out of working with Patrick
Hi Patrick,
Here are the race stats from the race last month, the Red Bank Olympic Distance Triathlon. Distance was Olympic which is a standard set of 1.5 Km swim, 40 Km bike, and 10 Km run. I finished first in my age group (50-54), 14th overall (out of 189) and more exciting for me, was that I finished 2nd out of everyone 40 and over (112 in this category).
Two days ago I raced in the Syracuse Ironman 70.3 (the Half Ironman). I finished 6th in my age group of 151 50-54 participants, which just missed the top 5 place awards. Nonetheless, I qualified for a spot in the Half Ironman World Championships this September in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec.
Though happy about that, what I am really satisfied with is the huge improvement in my bike and run times in Syracuse. It is a well-known hilly course, yet my bike was 2nd within the group and nearly as fast as my bike on a flat course in a race last year (before I started any treatments or serious training). Run was much better as well, yielding a full 44 seconds per mile faster for the half marathon portion – on a hilly run course!
Patrick LeRouge changed my world. Because of Patrick I am a better wife, mother, and grammy. I am sixty-six years old and have been suffering for more than half my life with arthritis and stenosis in my back, neck and arthritis in my knees. I was constantly aware of this pain because it takes over your life and dulls everything you could and should enjoy. The thought of facing such a challenge the rest of my life created a negative emotional and mental state.
My orthopedist said that she could give me pain killers or injections, but at my age, to eliminate my pain and stiffness she recommended that I move, stretch, and massage my body. What I really needed was a specialist that would provide a more hands and personal approach – not a traditional physical therapist. It was very difficult finding someone who offered these techniques until finally, through many inquiries, I found Patrick. Even though his office is forty-five minutes from my home I pursued his help.
In less than a year, through Patrick’s superior guidance, I now have a clearer picture of how my body and mind works.
His program enabled me to take responsibility for my own body. I have reevaluated and changed my mental, emotional, and physical well-being. I now have the power and knowledge to be pain free, which has given me a more positive outlook moving forward.
Patrick truly loves what he does and is dedicated to helping his clients.
I have been trying to get back in shape after having 3 kids, the last two being a long twin pregnancy. I started back with my favorite kickboxing gym, going 3-4x/week for about 7 months. During that time, I never lost any weight and wound up with a hand and shoulder injury that put me on the sidelines for 2 months.
I started to work with Patrick and realized that I had some unresolved hormonal issues related to the twin pregnancy that completely thwarted my progress. I learned that my muscles weren’t moving properly and I wasn’t taking care of my body in the correct way, all which lead to becoming injured.
Working with Patrick has opened my eyes to a new way of restoring my body to make it function optimally. The lessons I have learned from Patrick have not come easily, however. There is a huge learning curve and a great deal of time is required to learn this new process, but if you do invest the time, the pay-off is enormous. My body has never been able to move like this and I am more confident.
I have been working with Patrick on my back pain for just over a year. The physical rehabilitation was instant. Patrick was quick to find the physical source of the nagging pain and release it with trigger point. A dull pain lingered and it wasn’t until we spent time talking about what was causing the tension that I found and can now manage the “trigger” of the pain. Patrick and I found a release of the rest of my pain through talking. I have been to therapists on and off for years, but Patrick demonstrated that while I talked he could hear my voice shift and feel the muscles in my body change. Patrick’s approach has helped me physical address the pain in ways that traditional PT and therapists could not. Patrick spends the time necessary to earn trust and allow you to be ready to address the source of your pain. He understands how each person has their complexity and the sources of their pain may vary widely.
Happy client of Patrick Lerouge
I’ve been working with Patrick for more than a year now; arriving at his doorstep with a hip injury that just wouldn’t go away. And during that initial visit, I knew that his approach and philosophy and passion for not only body work, but emotional and energetic healing was something different. We looked at charts and grids and meridians, and discussed root issues of the body alerting us to pain. He “fixed” my hip during that first visit, and he barely ever touched it!
I have been living with pain for the past 18 years of my life. The pain began in my youth with spasms in my neck, and slowly crawled down my body over time. Four months ago, the state of my body was as follows: I had a restricted range of motion in my neck, constant throbbing pain in my left shoulder and under the left shoulder blade, unyielding lower back pain (which appeared after two c-sections), restricted range of motion in my left hip (which, according to my physician, was a result of an interaction between my inborn bone layout and aging), and a constant muscle pain in my right leg, which appeared following a fall and persisted for months.
Miraculously, I have just accepted and learned to live with these various aches and pains. The real problem was that, once every couple of weeks, I would make a random move and a part of my body would spasm and incapacitate me for a day or two. It was as a result of a particularly nasty one of those spasms that I have reached out to Patrick.
I was skeptical, because I have tried massages in the past and they either were not intensive enough to make any difference, or so severe that they left my body covered in bruises. Moreover, all massage therapists would tell me that my body was so tense that it was next to impossible to really massage well.
My first appointment with Patrick was about 4 months ago and, today, for the first time in almost two decades, that I have no back pain at all: my neck has a full range of motion, my shoulder is infinitely better, my lower back feels brand new, and my legs do not hurt at all. Moreover, while in the past I would have about two spasm attacks per month, since I started working with Patrick, I have had none. Last week I made a sudden movement and and felt a subtle “click” in my back; that click was usually the first sign of a muscle spasm. I froze and got myself ready for the pain… but it never came. I stood there observing my body, slowly standing up straight, and noting that the pain was not coming. I was truly happy and appreciative of everything that Patrick has done for me.
It is somewhat difficult to put into words Patrick’s method of working with people. At the beginning, I thought of him as a massage therapist with a philosophy and mission: instead of giving a standard massage upon my first visit, Patrick interviewed me in depth, worked on my body in a very purposeful way, explained his philosophy of working with people, and assigned homework based on educational videos he created.
Through these videos, I began learning that the process of getting rid of pain would involve not only massages but daily and mindful attention to how my body works, understanding messages that my body is giving me when it is not treated properly, as well as simple exercises (stretches, foam rolling) designed to realign and keep my body as healthy as possible.
Ultimately, I don’t think of Patrick as a massage therapist; rather I see him as a healer, who combines his knowledge of neuro-anatomy and muscular system with careful attention and utilization of every body’s energy and emotional patterns to help his clients heal their own bodies. At this point, I am not only more comfortable but also more knowledgeable and more confident in my body’s ability to heal itself. Of course it doesn’t hurt, that, in course of this healing process, I get to work with a smart, markedly curious, responsive, kind and compassionate professional. I honestly could not recommend him highly enough.
My name is Deirdre and I’m a massage therapist. So far I had only a couple of treatments and a little over a weeks’ worth of education, and my mobility and thinking process has changed. I have far less back pain and gained more confidence in doing physical tasks that I was skeptical of doing.
I suffered from back pain due to a herniated disk. Stiffness in my hip and legs also added to my complications. Learning what my stressors are that may cause pain and stiffness and the different techniques to use to prevent or reduce a flare-up has been a great benefit.
I’m in the “tool” part of the program. Foam rolling, trigger point, and stretching. Learning to feel what is actually going on in my body is still kind of challenging. It’s the subtle changes I’m still trying not to miss. The differences in the lessons are very broad. It goes from emotional, physical, to mental. A very wide range of info is being taught in each lesson.
The videos are important for reference. You can always refer back to the video in case you miss something. The stretches, foam rolling and trigger point work is a way to stay and keep on point on your own. The treatments differ from other therapies due to it’s not just showing and telling, it’s the explaining. The how’s and the why’s.
My body has less pain, my mind is clearer, I can focus better. My activity level is slowly but surely improving. I’m starting to do more, but more importantly I’m starting to believe that I can do more and not worry about being in pain.
AFTER 3 MONTHS IN PROGRAM
I began working with Patrick 3 months ago after suffering a back injury. I was recommended to Patrick by a friend and to be honest, I didn’t set any expectations. Boy, was I wrong. Patrick far exceeded any expectations I could have ever set. Not only did my injury rapidly improve, but my mental and spiritual state also received mass benefits.
The online program was the crust of my success. Patrick’s videos were detailed and very easy to understand and follow. Following the online program kept me responsible and accountable week to week.
I found it absolutely imperative to follow the weekly videos in the precise order they were given. I believe this was a very critical piece in my success with this program.
The work Patrick does is unlike any other therapist I have ever been to. His knowledge of his craft and its uniqueness is beyond measure. Patrick not only treats the body, but feeds the mind and the soul. I didn’t even think anyone like Patrick existed and I couldn’t be happier to have found and worked with him.
There is nothing like living pain free with setting a goal to stay that way. Yes, there is work to be done on your part such as trigger point work and foam rolling which I absolutely LOVE! You must hold yourself accountable as this is part of the program and WORKS if you do it consistently.
My experience with Patrick has been the best thing I have invested in to date. My mind is clear, I’m more focused and my body is singing praises.
Thank you Patrick for what you do as there is no one like you – you are a gift to us all!!
So far I had only a couple of treatments and a little over a weeks’ worth of education, and my mobility and thinking process has changed a lot. I have far less back pain and gained more confidence in doing physical tasks that I was skeptical of doing.
For example. I had a fallen tree in my back yard that has been there since last year. I was fearful of the ramifications of cutting it up and getting it out of the yard. Would I be laid out in bed the next few days. But in just this few treatment I had the confidence and got the tree cut up and out of the yard with no back pain.
I suffered from back pain due to a herniated disk. Stiffness in my hip and legs also added to my complications. Learning what my stressors are that may cause pain and stiffness and the different techniques to use to prevent or reduce a flare-up has been a great benefit.
I‘m in the Become pain free part of the program, which is teaching me how to use the tools of the program properly. Foam rolling, trigger point, and stretching. Learning to feel, what is actually going on in my body is still kind of challenging but still is new to me. It’s the subtle changes I’m still trying not to miss. The differences in the lessons go through a range of explain and discussing why I am suffering pain. It goes from physical, mental and emotional. A wide range of info is being taught in each lesson. It’s not just showing and telling, it’s the explaining. The how’s and the why’s through the online program and in person.The videos are important for reference. You can always refer back to the video in case you miss something. The stretches, foam rolling and trigger point work is a way to stay and keep on point on your own.
My body has less pain, my mind is clearer, I can focus better. My activity level is slowly but surely improving. I’m starting to do more, but more importantly I’m starting to believe that I can do more and not worry about being in pain.
I started going to Patrick after having countless running injuries. I would get better and start running again, only to find myself injured again and taking huge amounts of time off every few months. My major injuries involved my shins, ankles, and hips. I had gone to lots of orthopedists, physical therapists, and chiropractors, but I still kept getting injured. A friend recommended that I try seeing Patrick.
I knew the first day that he was different from other types of therapy. Just from looking at my body and talking to me, he noticed things that other therapists didn’t notice during all of my time with them. He also stressed that we needed to treat the system not the symptoms. It made a lot of sense because I felt like other therapists would stretch and strengthen the site of my injury, but then I would get another injury somewhere else as a result.
After my first treatment, I could already feel the difference. I stood up straighter, and I could walk effortlessly; I felt like my body was pushing me forward without me even trying. Patrick said to me, “Now imagine what it would be like when you’re running if your body is pushing you forward like that. How much faster could you run?”
Right now I am about to start my third month of the program. I have completed the first month, which is learning how to feel, and the second month, which is learning how to see. I am now more aware of what my body is doing all the time and have more knowledge of when things are a little “off” than I did before.
At home, the main things Patrick told me to do are foam rolling, trigger point work, and stretching. Before going to Patrick, I had done all three but not in the right order, and not the same way that he showed me. After doing these three things I could instantly feel the difference when I walked and moved, and I felt like I was giving back to my body and encouraging it to move effectively. The videos he has on his website do great jobs of explaining the foam rolling, trigger point, and stretching, as well as other videos that are important in the whole process. They are really useful because I can go back to them whenever I need to get a refresher on how to do something or a lesson that Patrick taught.
So far in the program, the three most significant changes in my body have been that I walk around everyday with better posture, I am more aware of when I can push my body and when I need to back off, and I have the tools to help my body move better and more pain free. I am not 100% better yet, but I have run 2 miles and even though that isn’t a lot compared to what I used to do, it is a lot compared to what I could have done a month ago.
Overall, I’m glad I decided to go to Patrick and hopefully at the end of this program I will be able to live pain free and be able to run for the rest of my life.