Changing the Conversation on Women’s Health

Alexandria, VA — For too long, women have been told to “live with it.” Leaking a little when you laugh or jump? “Oh, that happens.” Shoulder stiffness after menopause? “Just part of aging.” Fatigue that lingers after cancer treatment? “Something you’ll get used to.”

Athena Wellness founder Sara Acheson wants to change that narrative. “It may be common,” she says, “but that doesn’t make it normal.” During this month of breast cancer awareness, and every other month, women deserve better.

As a physical therapist in Alexandria specializing in oncology and women’s health, Acheson sees a troubling pattern: women suffering silently, assuming that discomfort, weakness, or pain is simply their lot in life. She said, “My patients think, ‘Why am I still having this issue? I don’t want this to be normal.’ And it doesn’t have to be!” She’s on a mission to prove that healing and strength are within reach.

One of Acheson’s patients, Talley Fulghum, is now a believer. Fulghum’s breast cancer diagnosis led to a double mastectomy and DIEP flap reconstruction. These complicated and invasive procedures caused persistent pain and stiffness that did not go away. Until she started seeing Acheson.

“Sara worked not only on my muscles, but also on my overall well-being,” said Fulghum, “and she really gave me the confidence that I could recover because I was feeling kind of hopeless.” Several months later, Fulghum is still progressing and hitting recovery milestones that she’d assumed were totally out of reach.

Acheson tailors the therapy regimen and timing for each patient. Not everyone needs lengthy or frequent sessions. Sometimes short, realistic bouts of movement are most effective. Delia Sullivan worked with Acheson and said, “In just a few weeks, I felt significantly stronger, and my pain had nearly disappeared.”

When people break a bone or sprain a ligament, they are usually sent to PT for a dozen visits. It should come as no surprise that PT can help women’s bodies get back to normal after disruptive cancer surgery or even pregnancy and childbirth. Yet this is not routine for women’s health care. Acheson would like to see that change.

Oncology PT is not a typical PT practice. It’s much more personalized and unique to each patient, who may visit once a week, once a month, or once every six months. The course of therapy depends on several variables, and the focus can be to relieve pain or stiffness, to increase stamina, or to facilitate handling any adverse side effects of treatment or medicine. As Nan Eitel, another Acheson patient, said, “Sara really understands the needs and abilities of those in her care, which are not necessarily consistent week-in and week-out.”

Acheson wants everyone to know it’s never too late to go to therapy. Even if you had an injury years ago, there is always an opportunity to improve and stay active, which decreases the severity of side effects, improves prognosis, and decreases risk of recurrence.  When Lisa Melville began seeing Acheson, she had one weak wrist (unrelated to the cancer treatment) that they had to accommodate. She said, “By the end of the month, that wrist was so much stronger it was no longer an issue.”

Patricia McMahon is forever grateful for the healing and growth she received from Acheson, which “boosted my strength, lifted my spirits, and gave me the confidence that I could heal, even when everything else felt uncertain. For me, PT has been about more than just exercises. It has been about reclaiming pieces of myself that cancer tried to take away.”

Acheson is eager to steer the conversation away from “settling for just ok” to demanding better care. “You are not your cancer. This is not your identity. The surgeon treats the cancer—PT treats YOU. What do you want to do? What are your lifestyle goals? Let’s work together to reach them.”

Athena Wellness and Physical Therapy is located at 2414 Londonderry Road, Alexandria, VA 22308; phone 757-532-9804; athenawellnesspt.com. In addition to physical therapy for breast cancer, Athena offers therapies for pregnancy/postpartum, peri/menopause, pelvic floor pain and dysfunction, and general women’s health. Call or visit the website to request a free consultation.