Evolution Healthcare & Fitness

By the time I started seeing Dr. Sanatan Golden in March of 2021 I was ready: ready to be uncomfortable and humble; ready to be vulnerable; and most importantly, I was ready to be curious. Injury and pain had come to define me (for decades) and I was so ready to shake that stigma. I led an active life prior to my initial herniated disc diagnosis. I ran; I managed a local running store; I loved to hike, garden, and be outdoors. At the onset of my lbp diagnosis, pain limited me to such a degree that my life as I knew it, shrank. I slid into deep depression because of my inability to move and was basing my decisions to do any kind of physical task thru the lens of fear. I wouldn’t consider car rides over an hour, I stopped running, I stopped working, and was finding little joy in my life. Over the next decade I would find varying degrees of healing, enough so that I could train for and run Hood to Coast in 2018, and climb Mount St. Helens 2020, but those accomplishments were always skewed by pain. When I finally found Dr. Golden I was feeling desperate. I had a long history of lbp (herniated disc l5/s1), shoulder pain, newly acquired hip pain and had been to neurosurgeons, orthopedic docs, and physical therapists. I had been referred to get injections and possible surgery by multiple doctors, but those directions felt wrong to me (and it wasn’t the first time those options had been presented.) I just knew somewhere deep in my body that I could heal without such invasive measures and that my body would be better for it. At the onset of our meetings I remember Dr. Golden saying, you’re not going to be able to wiggle your way out of this. (I would literally wiggle my way up and out of many pt exercises in lieu of real core strength.) That was important to hear. I needed to change my physical patterning and gain body awareness so that I could build a strong foundation. I have always been athletic, but I’ve never felt strong. One of my personal goals is to be stronger at 50 (I’m 49 now) than I’ve ever been. Guess what?! I’m actualizing that goal!
Dr. Golden asserted time and again that I needed to go thru the thick. To actually seek it out and find power in that thickness. (The Turkish getup has been great for this!) I have a long way to go, but I am seeing results. Currently, I spend a great deal of my time pain-free. My world is expanding and I am approaching it in open and authentic ways because I’m not guided by pain. I am realizing, too, that I have the ability to moderate and handle acute pain, pain flare, and injury. I am starting to think beyond survival mode and am shifting more towards opportunity, possibility, and purpose. The knee-jerk reaction of fear is losing its hold as I create new opportunities for my mind and body to develop, heal, and grow. Recently, I was able to participate in a Ragnar trail relay with friends and family. I was able to fly to Texas, carry my luggage, sleep in hotels, travel by car, sleep on a cot, not sleep for over 40 hours, run three legs (2 in the dark), and NOT NEED TO TAKE ANY KIND OF PAIN MEDICATION. I even volunteered to run (or walk if need be) one of my team member’s legs: they broke their hand on their 2nd leg and had to go to the ER. I did not end up picking up that extra leg, but the fact that I felt capable of doing it and was able to offer was so telling of my physical recovery. Huge accomplishment for me. I’ve worked my butt off to get here and I was able to enjoy the race because of it. I am very grateful. I am currently training for longer running distances and have signed up for another Ragnar trail relay next autumn. I will get to go to New England for that! I’m beyond thrilled that I get to go see a part of country I’ve never been; especially in the context of being outdoors, running on trails and with people I love. I now consider and dream of other physical endeavors I’d like to pursue: Whether or not I could actually do them, the blessing is that I am now considering physical opportunities based more on desire to do them and less on fear that I can’t.

I've had great experiences at Evolution! Sanatan, Camden, and Michelle helped prepare me for a worlds-level tournament, overcoming some longstanding muscular deficiencies that had built over Covid and led to pain and lower performance. With their help I turned things around in just a couple of months and ended up feeling better than I had in years. They gave me clear guidance, explained the why of everything, and made my plans short enough that they were easy to execute - I could actually stick with them. I can't recommend these practitioners enough, and the facilities are first class, too.

I cannot say enough good things about Evolution Healthcare & Fitness.
First of all, Dr. Alicia MacDonald, PT is the best medical provider of any kind I have ever had- she is patient, understanding, personable, smart, explanatory, and just great to work with. Second, I had pre-paid for services with a great discount package they started offering, but because of other medical expenses, reached my insurance deductible and out of pocket maximums before using up my package at Evolution. Instead of needing to hunt down their billing department and ask how I was going to get refunded, as I was expecting to do, they called me today and already had a plan in place for how to deal with the situation. I couldn't believe how proactive they were in refunding my money! Such an amazing experience all around. Thank you for being a standout example of medical care (including billing).

Went in for an athletic massage with Kristen. It was by far the best massage I’ve ever gotten. With many other masseuses I’ve always had to guide them with pressure or where I’m most tense— that was not the case here. I would recommend Kristen if you’re wanting someone that is strong and has knowledge around muscles and pressure points. 10/10

I have been going to Evolution for three months now, following an ACL reconstruction. I've been working with Dr. Sanatan Golden and Camden Allison-Hall. They are both amazing at what they do, and have completely changed my body mechanics for the better. This injury is devastating, as anyone who has gone through it knows, and the mental support they have given me through recovery has been invaluable. Highly recommend!