You know we love each and every one of you that walks through our doors, works out in our gym, shares our Instagram tips, or recommends us to a friend. You’re our bread and butter, the whole reason we do this. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU is special to us— and you know if there were more than 12 months in a year, we’d make you all the Athlete of the Month.

But every once in a while, we meet someone that makes us feel like we ought to shout their story from the rooftops. 

This month, that’s Wichita native Sarah Emmons, who, in Dr. Clayton’s words, “embodies the perfect client.”

There’s a lot that’s great about Sarah: 

• Her eye for gorgeous, scenic shots. “Reading and photography are big passions,” she says, “and I love the creativity of capturing our travels through photography.” 

(She’s walked the Great Wall in China and recently road-tripped through England, to name just a few.)

• Her lifelong affinity for the written word, as an avid reader since a young age— she even hopes to write a book of her own one day. 

“I would love to take an idea of mine and turn it into something that creates joy for others,” she said.

• Her amazing ability to balance full-time corporate work with full-time momming, wifing and dog-momming… and make it all look easy. (All you working parents know how dang hard it actually is!)

• Her role with The Thread Women's Leadership Collective— an “amazing community of women”, she said, that  “has played, and continues to play, an amazing role in my life, focusing on growth and connection both personally and professionally.”

But the thing we love most about Sarah is how much she CARES. 

We prescribe treatments to a lot of folks. Most of them listen to us and implement the exercises that help. 

Not many ask quite as many questions as Sarah, though. 

“Truthfully, she cared to listen as much as I cared to teach,” Dr. Clayton said. 

Sarah’s knees, hips, and back had been bothering her for a while when she came to see us last year. 

“When a friend and trainer recommended NWP, I was hesitant, because I had not found physical therapy very helpful previously,” she told us. 

But she gave us a shot anyway, and for that, we’re BOTH grateful. 

“I quickly learned NWP was a little different,” she said, “and through working with Dr. Clayton Dir, with the combination of dry needling, and targeted exercises to strengthen, I was able to remove pain that I had once thought I would deal with forever.”

The reason she was so successful? She has her “Why” all figured out. 

“A year from now, I want to look back and admire my commitment to exercise and building strength and flexibility,” Sarah told us. “The habits I’ve put into place help me get there.”

“To me, the goal can be out there in the future, but it’s more about the daily conscious choice to prioritize myself, and what I want, that get[s] me to that goal.”

Isn’t that an AMAZING mindset? 

A lot of our job, besides sticking you with needles and torturing you with single-leg squats, is teaching you why these treatments are important. 

It’s not just about getting your joints and muscles back in working order— it’s about ensuring you’ll be active and mobile for years to come, so you can live the life you want to live and accomplish all your goals. (Even the ones that don’t have anything to do with us.)

Sarah made our job easier. She already gets it. 

When she strength trains, it’s not just a workout, but an act of self-care. 

“It shows me what I’m capable of, and I feel so much better physically and mentally when I make it a priority.”

When she pulls on her sneakers and hits the road (despite her “love/hate relationship” with running), it’s an outlet that actually enriches her life. 

“Prioritizing my own health and wellness is so important to me,” she said, “and I want to be as healthy as I can for the long run.”

Now, she’s glad to have even more knowledge in her arsenal— especially in regards to her squat form, which was a little less than perfect last year, at her own admission.

“It’s been a journey to ‘unlearn’ some old habits and I’m really proud of doing what it takes to learn what works for me and growing in strength,” she said.

“I’ve learned so much about how to be more conscious of how certain muscles feel when moving to increase strength and address pain.”

Does that mean she’ll never need healthcare again? Nope— we’re all bound to end up hurt at some point or another. 

But she knows what to do when it happens, and hopes you do, too. “Don’t wait and definitely trust your intuition,” she said. “This goes for many things in life... If something in your body is causing you pain or feels wrong, address it!”

Spoken like a champ! Thanks for making our lives better, Sarah. We’re so glad you’ve shared your genius with us.