Centre College lacrosse player Ethan Willis with Danville Orthopedic and Sports Medicine physical therapist Deidra Breitenbach. (DOSM Photo)
October is national physical therapy month which is fitting since twice in the last six months I have needed physical therapy from Danville Orthopedic and Sports Medicine (DOSM) which has a terrific staff of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants to help with rehab as well as skilled doctors if surgery is needed.
Ethan Wills was a freshman at Centre College in November of 2023 when he came to DOSM after surgery to repair a torn ACL and meniscus in his knee. He’s from a much larger town in Pennsylvania and was “unsure” what type of facilities he might find at DOSM.
“All of my (Centre College) teammates with similar injuries to mine did their surgeries and rehab in Louisville, but staying local was, at the time, my only option,” Willis said. “But after working with Dr. (Zackary) Unger at DOSM for a few days to get my injury diagnosed and my surgery underway, I felt good in expecting the same quality of care and assurance that he and his staff had given me in the time between my injury and my first day of physical therapy at DOSM.”
Wills admits his rehab “started out horribly” but also knows that is what most people going to rehab right after surgery experience because of the initial pain associated with the injury/surgery/rehab.
“I had serious doubts about my ability to return to my former physical abilities. During this time, I got to meet and work with almost every PT (physical therapist) at DOSM. I was never greeted with anything less than a smile or a hug, and that positivity was probably the most impressive aspect of my recovery,” the Centre College sophomore said.
“Obviously you want your PT (physical therapist) to be invested in your recovery, but DOSM took caring about my progress to an entirely different level. Weeks with DOSM turned into months and the positivity in that office never changed a bit, and I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have recovered like I have without that attitude in the office every time I went in.”
When he passed his final physical tests with DOSM before he left Danville to return home to Pennsylvania in May was the “most emotional” he had been since he got hurt.
“I felt like I was leaving a part of my family home in Danville, and I don’t know how I could thank them for all they had done for me,” Willis said. “Without DOSM I wouldn’t be able to dream of returning to lacrosse.”
That will happen in February when Centre opens lacrosse season and he says he has never been more excited to get going thanks to DOSM.
“As a college athlete here in Danville, DOSM brought a personal touch to my recovery that I’ve never experienced with a PT in over 10 years of playing lacrosse. They make a personal investment in your treatment and give it all the caution it needs, and all the encouragement it deserves,” Willis, who is studying in Mexico this semester, said.
“DOSM doesn’t just treat you like another client; they make you feel welcomed and excited every day to take another step in your journey. I had plenty of bad days during my recovery, six months of which I spent working with DOSM.
‘But every time I went to PT, I knew it wasn’t going to be a bad day. It couldn’t be, because I had them looking out for me. And though I hope that I never have to go through rehab for an injury again, DOSM will be the only call I make to get back on my feet.”
