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knee

patellofemoral pain syndrome

February 3, 2026 · In: Body Region Support, Knee, Science-Backed Education

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome Explained: Why Knee Pain Lingers Without Injury

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is one of the most common causes of knee pain, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood. Many people experience persistent anterior knee pain that…

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why does my knee hurt when walking down stairs

September 9, 2025 · In: Body Region Support, Knee, Science-Backed Education

Knee Pain Walking Down Stairs? This Can Help!

Do you have knee pain walking down stairs? You’re not alone. Many people find that going down stairs feels harder on the knees than going up, and there’s a good…

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prp for knee osteoarthritis

September 2, 2025 · In: Pain Science and Healing, Science-Backed Education

The Truth About PRP for Knee Osteoarthritis: Benefits and Limitations

Knee pain is one of the most common complaints among adults, affecting 25% of people in the US. As we age, the likelihood of experiencing knee pain also increases. For…

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exercises for knee pain when walking

January 7, 2025 · In: Body Region Support, Knee, Science-Backed Education

Knee Pain When Walking? How to Walk with Pain Free Knees

Walking should be a welcome daily activity that doesn’t come with discomfort. Yet, for many, daily steps can come with either a sharp or throbbing sensation of knee pain. Knee…

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recovery after meniscus repair

December 31, 2024 · In: Injuries and Surgeries, Science-Backed Education

Recovery After Meniscus Repair: What to Expect

When dealing with injuries, recovery can take either a surgical or a conservative approach. If you are someone dealing with a surgical repair of a torn meniscus, recovery after meniscus…

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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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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

woman pausing before a new routine while her nervous system settles

Why “New Year, New You” Backfires When Your Nervous System Doesn’t Feel Safe Yet

Why New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work When You Have Chronic Pain

woman experiencing sensory overload at a holiday gathering while managing chronic pain

Sensory Overload During the Holidays With Chronic Pain: Why Gatherings Can Feel Like Too Much

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@teravaughn22

terasandona

Chronic pain coaching • Ditch the push-crash loop
Licensed DPT • Regulate first, rebuild second, then layer
👇🏻 Free nervous system workbook

For about two weeks, I got through every day looki For about two weeks, I got through every day looking fine.

I showed up, I smiled, and I did what needed to get done, and no one would have guessed anything was wrong. Then I’d get home, close the door, and fall apart. I didn’t have anything left for a walk, for dinner, or even for a conversation.

Holding it together takes energy, even when no one can see it. Your body is still carrying the stress while you’re smiling through the day and it has to go somewhere once you finally stop.

So if you’re falling apart the second you walk in the door, that’s what it looks like when you’ve been holding a lot for a long time. Home is just the first place it feels safe to let go.

If this is where you are right now, it’s okay. Know you aren’t alone in that feeling.

Send this to the friend going through a hard stretch right now.

#hardseason #nervoussystemcare #mentalload #emotionalexhaustion #womenswellness
It took me years to feel steady again. For a long It took me years to feel steady again. For a long time I ran on fumes. and it showed up in my health, so I learned to be careful with what I took on.

Now, I’m in a different place and there are things I want to go after. So I sit down at night to work on them. A couple of weeks into going all in, I’m wiped out. I don’t want to work out. I don’t want to make dinner. I just want to sit on the couch and do nothing.

That’s when I get scared because I know where that road goes if I ignore it. So I back off, and when I back off, I stay stuck.

The question I keep coming back to is whether that’s my body telling me something real or an old habit of protecting myself like I’m still where I was years ago. Some days I can tell the difference and some days I can’t.

If you’re stuck between wanting more and being afraid of what it’ll cost you, you’re not the only one.

Send this to the friend going after something big right now.

#burnoutprevention #nervoussystemhealth #womeninbusiness #busyseason #pacingyourself
For about two months now, I’ve wanted to get back For about two months now, I’ve wanted to get back to working out. And every time I thought I was close, something else came up.

I wasn’t sleeping well, caffeine was getting me through the day, and after a full day of just showing up, I had nothing left. My wearable was showing it, but I already knew. How was I supposed to recover from a workout when I wasn’t even recovering from a normal day?

So I held off. But then the voice kicks in. “You should be back on track by now, you’ve already lost weeks.”

But, adding physical stress on top of a system that’s already maxed out isn’t discipline. It usually just digs the hole deeper.

I know it was the right call, and yet, I’m still frustrated about it. I have goals I want to hit and both of those things are true at the same time.

If you’re in a stretch where you can’t do the thing you know helps, it’s okay to be doing less and still wish it were different.

Send this to the friend who’s had to put her goals on hold.

#recoveryday #nervoussystemsupport #stressandhealth #fitnessbreak #healthforwomen
I’ve been burned out before, so I know how far it I’ve been burned out before, so I know how far it can take me if I miss the early signs.

For years, I ran on fumes and it started showing up in my health. Now, I pay attention much sooner and one of the signs that shows up first for me is dinner.

I get through a full day just fine. Then I come home, open the pantry, and stand there because dinner is too much. Forgot about the cooking…even deciding what to eat feels like too much.

And it’s never just dinner. I don’t want to go for walks, I don’t want to workout, I don’t want to clean, and sometimes I don’t even want to eat the food once it’s in front of me.

One evening like that is a long day. When it happens over and over, that’s a pattern and my body telling me the load has been too much for too long. That’s when I pull back where I can, before it turns into the kind of burnout that spills into all aspects of life.

Your sign(s) might look different. Maybe it’s the laundry that stays in the basket or the texts you keep meaning to answer. Whatever yours is, it’s worth noticing before it too spills into everything.

Send this to the friend in a busy season right now.

#burnoutrecovery #nervoussystemregulation #stressrelief #chronicpainawareness #regulateandrebuild
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