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weak hip flexors

May 28, 2024 · In: Movement, Strength for Resilience

Unlocking the Secrets to Strong Hip Flexors

The hip flexors are vital muscles that often play a larger role and often goes unnoticed until they become weak or tight, leading to an array of issues like lower…

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sitting posture

May 21, 2024 · In: Pain Science and Healing, Science-Backed Education

What is the Correct Sitting Posture?

If you’re a desk worker, your sitting posture is very important. Why? Because proper alignment of your trunk and limbs places the least amount of strain on your joints, muscles,…

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tension headaches

May 14, 2024 · In: Mobility and Restoration, Movement

5 Great Stretches and Exercises to Alleviate Tension Headaches

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, tension headaches have emerged as a frequent unwelcome companion for many. Affecting a significant portion of the population, these headaches manifest as…

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osteoarthritis treatment

April 30, 2024 · In: Pain Science and Healing, Science-Backed Education

Osteoarthritis Treatment for the Knee: What You Need to Know

Osteoarthritis is a chronic joint condition that involves the wearing down of cartilage in the joints. Think of it as normal “wear and tear” on the body. However, it can…

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calf strains

April 23, 2024 · In: Injuries and Surgeries, Science-Backed Education

What to Know About Calf Strains: Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery

One common but often overlooked injury that sneaks up on us is the calf strain. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or someone who enjoys a casual run in the park,…

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balance exercises for seniors

April 16, 2024 · In: Movement, Strength for Resilience

A Complete Guide to Mastering Balance Exercises

As we age, maintaining independence becomes a priority and balance exercises are at the forefront of fall prevention. Imagine stepping forward confidently, each movement steady and secure. This vision can…

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tennis elbow

April 9, 2024 · In: Injuries and Surgeries, Science-Backed Education

Prevention and Care of Tennis Elbow: What You Need to Know

Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, might sound like a sports-specific injury, but its reach extends far beyond the tennis courts. This overuse injury affects the forearm muscles, leading to tendon…

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pain in the back of the ankle

April 2, 2024 · In: Body Region Support, Foot/Ankle, Science-Backed Education

Managing Pain in the Back of the Ankle

Countless individuals navigate through their days with grappling pain in the back of the ankle, making everyday activities that much more challenging. Whether it’s a sharp pain as you take…

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hamstring flexibility

March 19, 2024 · In: Mobility and Restoration, Movement

Unlocking the Secrets to Improved Hamstring Flexibility

The hamstrings play a pivotal role in postural alignment, impacting everything from pelvic tilt to the curvature of your lumbar spine. Hamstring flexibility is a requirement for postural alignment, well-being,…

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what not to do after knee replacement

March 12, 2024 · In: Injuries and Surgeries, Science-Backed Education

4 Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make After Knee Replacement Surgery

Embarking on the journey to recovery after knee replacement surgery requires more than just physical healing; it involves a keen awareness of the potential pitfalls that could derail your progress….

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Meet Tera

Meet Tera
hi, i'm tera!

I'm a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy and the founder of PT Complete. I built the Regulate and Rebuild Method because most people trying to get back into their body after chronic pain are told to either push through it or rest completely, and neither one actually works. I write from the clinic and from my own body, since I'm working through my own chronic pain story right now, too. When I'm not working, you'll probably find me managing the regular chaos of life or curled up with coffee and a dessert I can't seem to quit.

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Featured Posts

how to start exercising again after a chronic pain flare

How to Start Exercising Again After a Pain Flare or Long Layoff (Without Setting Yourself Back)

woman experiencing pain that moves around the body, chronic pain explained

Pain That Moves Around Your Body: What Your Nervous System Is Trying to Tell You

woman practicing real rest for chronic pain, calming her nervous system

What Real Rest Actually Looks Like for Chronic Pain (And Why Sleeping More Isn’t the Whole Answer)

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@teravaughn22

terasandona

Chronic pain coaching for high-achieving women
Licensed DPT • Regulate first, rebuild second, then layer
👇🏻 Free nervous system workbook

You don’t actually want to be pain free. You want You don’t actually want to be pain free.

You want to walk further without thinking about it. Get down on the ground with your kid and back up again. Sit through a full dinner without shifting in your seat. Sleep through the night. Say yes to the spontaneous thing.

Maybe the goal was never zero pain. Maybe it was a body you don’t have to negotiate with.

That’s the shift I want you to make, from tracking pain scores to tracking your actual life, whether you can do the things you want to do, not just how much it hurts while you do them.

The order still matters to get there. Regulate first, rebuild the strength, then the habits hold.

Send this to the friend who needs to hear it’s not just about the pain.
Honeymoon photo dump incoming!! 🏝️☀️🌊👙⛱️🍾💍❤️ Honeymoon photo dump incoming!! 🏝️☀️🌊👙⛱️🍾💍❤️
I stood in front of my fridge for an hour. Couldn’ I stood in front of my fridge for an hour. Couldn’t decide, not even sure I was hungry. Just stuck. And one decision felt like the hardest thing I’d been asked to do all day, even though I’d made decisions all day long without a second thought.

I kept wondering what was wrong with me. Turns out, nothing was.

Fight, flight, and freeze are all protective responses your nervous system reaches for under threat. Fight and flight speed you up. They give you the energy to push back or get away. Freeze does the opposite. It shuts things down because there’s nothing left to fight with or run from.

That fridge moment wasn’t a discipline problem. It was my nervous system running out before dinner could be decided and made.

Freeze doesn’t get talked about as much as fight or flight, but it’s just as real and it shows up in the most ordinary places…a kitchen, a closed laptop, a decision that shouldn’t be hard and somehow is.

If you’ve had a night like this, you already know exactly what I’m talking about.

If this sounds familiar, tell me in the comments, or text someone who’d know exactly what I mean.
I reached for the weights I used to lift before my I reached for the weights I used to lift before my brain caught up.

It took half a second in my garage. The half second was the moment I realized I couldn’t even lift the dumbbell. I registered the gap between the body I used to train and the body I have now.

I dialed back down. Instead of the 30s, I picked up the 10s, and I did the work that fits what my system can absorb right now.

Nobody warns you that the rebuilding work has these moments built into it. The half-seconds when your old identity reaches for a load your current capacity can’t carry, and you mistake the disappointment for evidence that you are failing.

Your current body is not a smaller version of the one you used to have. It is a different body, doing real work, on a different scale.

You can train this one.

Tag the woman who’s still reaching for the weight she used to lift. Remind her she’s not alone.
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