For the past year, I have been getting some bad pains in the area where my leg bends. At first my mom thought I was just growing, but then it started happening more and more often, so we went to my doctor who suggested I start physical therapy. A physical therapist is someone who helps you stretch your muscles.

At first I was a little worried because I didn’t know what it would be like, but it turned out to be really fun. I really like the days where we go and stretch my legs in what we call “the small gym.” The small gym has equipment like a treadmill, etc. We learn lots of new stretches every one or two weeks, and after the appointment I can really feel a change. When my physical therapist first saw that I have long legs, she thought that the reason I am having pain could be because the bottom half of my body is growing faster than the top half (the top half would be from my hips and up), which makes my legs not be able to bend all the way straight that easily.

My mom is happy that I go to physical therapy, not only because my legs are becoming more flexible but also because my physical therapists family comes from another country that is in Europe close to where my mom was born. I learn a lot of German words from my therapist and my mom during the appointments, which makes everyone really happy.

For anyone who is going to or has experienced physical therapy, it is really fun and you learn many exercises just in case you ever have a problem again, which I don’t think would happen because the exercises help a lot and after every appointment I go home feeling great. I really don’t think people need to worry about physical therapy because I know you will feel so much better afterwards.

The stretches I have learned so far are: the hound, the one leg stretch and the bending stretch. It is very interesting when the physical therapist talks with us because sometimes you learn about different parts of your body like the hamstring and other muscles. My therapist’s office is cool because on her desk she has some replicas of bones and a poster of the human body.

To me, physical therapy is the most fun way to improve your muscular system. It also helps you learn different ways to stretch your body. I am very grateful to have this opportunity to work with a therapist to help my body become stronger, because if I had not started going to these appointments I am pretty sure I would still be in pain a lot more often than I am now. I do not want that to happen because being in pain is not a fun experience and I am sure everybody knows that. If you ever need physical therapy, I would recommend Brenda Salsibury from UP Health System-Marquette. She is a great therapist and makes all your appointments fun.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Anja McBride, 12, enjoys reading books, playing with her friends, writing for 8-18 Media and volunteering her time at the Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum as a Guardian of Wow.