Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Laura Glazebrook.
Dr. Glazebrook, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story starts with scoliosis. I was just a kid. I don’t have a great recollection of the full timeline, but I do have vivid, visceral memories of being an eleven years old girl in a doctor’s office, hearing the doctor say the curve got really big and they need to operate. Full spinal fusion. I think, for my age, I handled it relatively well. I sat in my mother’s lap and silently wept tears of fear, disbelief and grief. In my short journey with this condition, I felt like it was already robbing me of a normal childhood and adolescence.
So my parents scheduled the surgery. I went in very early on December 4th. They wheeled me in the operating room, put the mask over my face and I panicked until the anesthetic kicked in and I fell asleep. After the surgery, I did some inpatient physical therapy and they sent me home to recover. All told, I missed six weeks of school and had to be out of PE for six months. Then, nothing. I went back to dancing and figuring out how to move forward. I’ve done all right since then and managed to stay relatively active and fit. Running, triathlons, resistance training and yoga took the place of dancing but otherwise I had no issues with my back. Physically, at least.
The field of physical therapy stuck with me. In college, I decided to pursue it as my career. One undergraduate degree and a Doctorate later, I left the safety of the classroom as a baby PT full of ideas. Since then I’ve spent time working in a number of different environments, with kids and adults, neurological injuries and orthopedic ones. I’ve gotten specialized training in pelvic floor muscles and now scoliosis-specific exercise. Along the way, I fell in love with how amazing our bodies are and how interconnected our muscles are. Ten years after getting my Doctorate and starting out, I’m still in love with PT. Helping people learn about their bodies and empowering someone else’s health journey is my absolute favorite thing.
Outside of my family and my faith, I feel my purpose is to educate and empower our community on the brilliant uniqueness of the body, how to find beauty in the body they’re in, and how to love & strengthen it optimally. I’m working on no fewer than 3 projects toward that goal, including on pregnancy and postpartum with scoliosis and spinal fusion. Essentially, creating the guide I wish I had years ago. Even now, twenty years later, December 4th is still a very introspective day for me. It marks the first day my life changed. It’s a nice reminder to reflect on the experience, and appreciate what it has brought me and how far I’ve come.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My struggle with my body image has been lifelong. Clothes never fit quite right, people said cruel things about my back, intentionally and not. My whole life I’ve searched for approval from others, confirmation that I’m beautiful despite my scoliosis/ scars/post-baby softness.
I’ve also learned scoliosis can continue to worsen over time, particularly with a bigger curve such as mine. And even with all my knowledge, I can’t predict what will happen in the future. The best I can do is protect and strengthen my body to the best of my ability and walk into the future with my arms open. Ultimately, we all fight our own demons and carry our own scars. Some of us just wear them on the outside of our bodies for the whole world to see.
Almost 30 years after my diagnosis and surgery, I’m just now starting to love and appreciate my body, finding beauty in its asymmetry. I hope to inspire others to do the same.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Scoliosis is a 3-dimensional, rotational problem. Traditional physical therapy has not been proven to provide long-term relief for scoliosis-related concerns, but worldwide research from scoliosis experts has shown physiotherapy scoliosis-specific exercise (PSSE) is effective in reducing pain, reducing risk of curve progression, improving lung capacity and more. PTs must be certified in this method to be able to provide treatment for patients. Only a few physical therapists in the Atlanta area are trained in PSSE. Every therapist at Align PT has advanced training to evaluate those with scoliosis and provide scoliosis-specific exercise.
Along with scoliosis treatment, I also have years of experience in treating people of all genders with pelvic health concerns including pelvic pain, pregnancy and postpartum issues, digestive concerns, urinary issues such as leaking or urgency, and optimizing sports performance.
To schedule an appointment, visit the Align PT website to access the online booking portal.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?Don’t be afraid to ask the big, bold question… you might get a “YES”! Don’t underestimate your worth or the value you can bring to a situation or opportunity. Find your support system and invest in them. Remember you are beautiful, valued, and important.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.drlauraglazebrook.com/
- Instagram: @laura.g.dpt
- Other: https://align-pt.com/
Image Credits
Elizabeth Roses Photography (headshots) Sarah Louise Day – SarahLouiseArtStudio (custom spinal fusion art)
