Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronica Lane.
Hi Veronica, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I’m Veronica Lane, Physical Therapist and Personal Trainer, owner of Well Body PT2. I’m a wife and mom of 4: a 21-year-old son and triplets (2 boys and a girl) 18 years old. I’ve been a Physical Therapist for 31 years, primarily practicing outpatient orthopedics and specializing in Pelvic Floor PT in the last 10 years. While pregnant both times, I was blessed to have no issues or problems and received some advice from a Women’s Health PT. After having the triplets, I was around moms a lot that had issues with pelvic floor dysfunction: stress incontinence, painful intercourse, urinary frequency, and urgency, and at the same time, none of my coworkers wanted anything to do with pelvic floor PT. I felt called to do my part! I was trained through the Herman and Wallace Pelvic institute and was able to treat these patients. Fast forward to 2017-2018. I began to learn more about fitness and nutrition and was able to start changing my body composition: I had always worked out and was a runner, but I learned how to nourish my body and build muscle properly. People were asking me to help them with fitness and nutrition: I did, but since I wasn’t a personal trainer, I did not feel comfortable charging anyone. So many people, especially women, don’t know how to lose weight and keep it off. They eat very little, do tons of cardio, and try fad diets only to continue to lose and gain back the same weight. In 2019, I thought about getting my training certification and starting my own business when my triplets were in college.
2020 hit: I studied and passed my NASM personal training certification during the shutdowns. At the same time, I noticed more than ever that in the corporate Physical Therapy world, it was about making money and seeing lots of patients and not about the quality of care. People need to take care of and move their bodies correctly to avoid the injuries, strains, and pains I was treating in PT. Insurance companies, with their poor reimbursement of Physical Therapy treatments, drove this epidemic of decreased quality of care I saw everywhere around me. I had to get out.
In September 2020, I officially started seeing patients and clients in my business: Well Body PT2! I see orthopedic and pelvic floor physical therapy patients. I do personal training. And I also bridge the gap between the 2, so often, patients are discharged from Physical Therapy but not ready to return to a normal routine. They end up becoming (re)injured and don’t go back to exercise. My fitness journey through all of this has been amazing: at 54 years old, I am stronger and more fit than ever. I eat more (especially protein) and lift heavier weights. I am on a mission to help dispel the myth that we should slow down in moving our bodies as we age. I am very passionate about Pelvic Floor health! So many people, especially women, live with pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms such as urinary incontinence, urgency, frequency, painful intercourse, and constipation, believing this is normal as we age after giving birth. I’m on a mission to teach as many people as possible these things are common, not normal, and no one has to live with these as their normal! It’s all about getting well and staying well! I want people to learn how to care for their bodies through movement to attain the highest quality of life! I love what I do and want to help as many people as possible. I am changing the world 1 body (sometimes 1 pelvis) at a time!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business in mid-2020 was difficult: mid-pandemic, people still isolated and afraid of what would happen next. People still need to be 100% comfortable in a gym or clinic setting; I offer in-home and virtual appointments. I don’t take insurance. I believe that insurance is the driver of the decreased quality of care in corporate PT. People are hesitant to self-pay for healthcare, though besides the increased quality of care, sometimes self-pay is less out of pocket than insurance due to high co-payments and deductibles. In Missouri, I need a physician’s order for Physical Therapy treatment. Unfortunately, this can be difficult for patients to attain. This is so frustrating! But a “cured or well” patient is no longer in need of medications and procedures, which lead to profits. Every woman that has a baby should receive pelvic floor physical therapy! This is the standard of care in other countries! Most of my patients have had to request an order from the physicians, not the physicians sending them. And personally, as I have gone through my fitness journey, so many people have made comments like: “you are too old,” “are you training for the senior Olympics?”, “Why would you do this” and “you are crazy” has been difficult to separate from the negativity and stay my course. It’s often lonely, but I feel so much stronger mentally and physically, and this allows me to help so many others that I can continue moving forward!
We’ve been impressed with Well Body PT2, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Well Body PT2: Physical Therapy and Personal Training. I provide orthopedic physical therapy, pelvic floor physical therapy, and personal training, and I bridge the gap between the 2! I believe in the highest quality of care! I spend 1 full hour of one-on-one time providing the best treatment for each individual. I rent space from a couple of convenient locations 20-30 minutes from all parts of St Louis and surrounding areas, and I also offer in-home and virtual sessions. I am self-pay, but all Physical Therapy patients will receive a receipt with diagnosis and treatment codes which can then be turned into insurance for out-of-network coverage. I do accept FSA and HSA. I am passionate for all my patients and clients to have the tools and knowledge to move and use their bodies to keep them living at the highest quality of life possible! I want everyone to get well and stay well!
We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
I’d say I took a risk to start my own business at 51, a mom of 4, in the 2020 mid-pandemic! Being a small business owner is a risk: there are no guarantees! It’s difficult! It’s lonely and never stops: there is always work to be done. I knew in my heart that I had to do this! I have always loved being a Physical Therapist, but the quality of care around me before I went out on my own was so upsetting. All great things in life require taking a risk. But with hard work and learning from mistakes, the benefits (start to) outweigh the risks! Having a satisfied patient/client and helping them live a better quality of life makes the risk worth it every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wellbodypt2.com
- Instagram: @wellbodypt2
- Facebook: @wellbodypt2
- Other: @vmlane (IG)
