Healing through movement
Charlotte Stark wants to empower women and combat back pain
By Justine Williams Roper / Photo by Kate Treick Photography
Charlotte Stark’s journey into physical therapy is as inspiring as it is personal. A talented high school soccer player, her dreams of collegiate athletics were nearly dashed by a severe orthopedic injury. After having surgery, she was introduced to her female physical therapist and was inspired to become one herself.
“She got me back to doing something I loved,” Stark said.
Despite the odds, she went on to play tennis in college. After completing her undergraduate degree, she went on to physical therapy school, where she earned her doctorate and met her husband, who is also a physical therapist. She began her career in Jackson, Mississippi, at Methodist Rehabilitation.
Treating patients with chronic pain was her specialty as a new grad, which introduced her to various treatment methods.
“This was really hard to do coming directly out of school,” Stark said. “This is where I learned all of my manual therapy skills to help chronic neck and back pain.”
She also gained experience in acute care treating postoperative patients over the years. After traveling between California and Florida, Stark and her husband, Hunter, settled in Pensacola as they founded Stark Performance.
One of Stark’s favorite things to treat is back pain. Throughout her career, she has found that more women suffer from back pain. This is largely due to genetics and hormonal makeup, she explained. From hypermobility to lifestyle, she finds that it is easy to relate to other female patients.
THE POWER OF PREVENTION
Stark advocates for prevention when it comes to pain and notes that there are so many myths surrounding both preventing and addressing pain. The phrase “no pain, no gain” is a myth that is at the top of her list.
“If you are hurting, please don’t do it,” she said.
Pushing through pain can actually exacerbate symptoms rather than resolve them. There is often a jump to strengthening the back muscles, often neglecting the need to strengthen the deep core muscles as well. Another myth surrounding back pain is that getting a back support for your car or chair will solve the pain.
“I find that these supports often do not provide a solution. Making simple ergonomic changes, like changing the height of their seat or desk can make a large impact.”
Misinformation is rampant. Many ask how to navigate through good versus bad information.
“If someone says that something is good for solving pain on TV or the internet, it probably is not,” Stark said.
She believes that many things online are valuable; however, patients should utilize resources like local medical professionals. There are so many benefits to seeing a provider in person, such as individualized direction.
Having comfort and trust with a provider is of utmost importance. Stark has seen firsthand the value in being a female provider within the physical therapy profession. Female patients may arrive with back pain, yet may not share other signs and symptoms (that could be tell-tale signs of another underlying condition) with a male provider. Things such as cervical cancer can be associated with symptoms like back pain. Not only is it important to pay attention to our bodies in order to share various details with our preferred providers, but to understand that back pain should never be allowed to linger.
Stark lists some common causes of back pain: sedentary lifestyle, poor ergonomic set-ups, decreased trunk strength, improper shoe wear, previous knee issues or surgeries and previous abdominal surgeries, to name a few. Many of these contributing factors are simple to address by using local resources.
“The ultimate key to solving back pain is to find out the root cause of where it is coming from. If you can find the root cause of the pain, then you can not only stop it, but prevent it from coming back,” she said.
A mantra that we should all live by is to treat pain when it first starts in order to stop it from progressing. Because we begin to substitute unhealthy movement patterns that can provoke other pain, it is crucial to address it sooner rather than later.
Body weight may or may not make a difference in back pain, Stark said.
“For the most part, if you are strong enough to carry your body weight, then weight does not matter, but if you are not strong and are overweight, it will impact your joints.”
The Stark way to prevent back pain is to lie down and then transition on and off the floor daily. Stark encourages everyone to do this to keep mobility and strength at the forefront. In addition, doing weekly hamstring stretching and basic core activation exercises that are not crunches (i.e., pelvic tilts, dead bugs, deep breathing, etc.) are beneficial as well.
MENTAL HEALTH AND MOVEMENT
In today’s world, stress is at an all-time high. Tension is often carried in the shoulders and neck, placing strain on the lower back. Stark said there are many studies correlating mental health conditions like depression with low back pain. When mental health is at an all-time low, we tend to stop moving which often exacerbates pain. Her main recommendation is to try to move, which directly impacts your mood. From walking to gentle stretching, low-impact options can be beneficial.
A FINAL WORD OF ADVICE
Stark wants everyone to pay attention to their bodies and to take pain seriously.
“If you are going through physical changes, especially pain, see a physical therapist to get the correct movement patterns to correct the problem that you are having,” she said.
Stark is more than a physical therapist — she’s a champion for women’s health and wellness in Pensacola. Through her work at Stark Performance, she’s helping patients reclaim their mobility, strength and confidence, one step at a time.
