I can pick up my nephew without a second thought

The first time I experienced severe back pain was in August 2025. I don’t remember doing anything specific to cause it, but the pain was so intense that I could barely walk. It was honestly a 10, or even a 12, out of 10. At first, I thought I might be having a kidney issue or a kidney stone because the pain was so severe.

I went to the doctor, had X-rays and blood work, and after ruling out anything kidney-related, they determined that the pain was muscular and related to my back. I was given pain medication because I needed immediate relief, and after that I worked with a physical therapist for several months. Eventually, the pain subsided.

Then, about a year later, I bent down to pick up a pumpkin and threw my back out again.

For me, the impact of the pain was huge because movement is such an important part of my life. I’m a very active person. I work out, run, bike, hike, play tennis and walk regularly. When I was in pain, all of that stopped. It restricted almost every part of my physical life, and that was incredibly difficult for me.

Over the years, between appointments, treatments and everything I tried to address the pain, I would estimate that I spent around thousands of dollars.

I knew Karen through a business mentorship program we had both been part of, and because I had spent time with her and heard her talk about her work, I trusted that she could help me.

When I started working with her, I was very open to the process and to her suggestions. What surprised me most was how gentle and simple her approach was. She gave me a specific prescription of exercises to do at home, in my own time, and then we met weekly to assess what was changing.

One of the most interesting things I noticed was that as certain muscles began to release, other areas would start to tighten or reveal themselves. It felt as though we were unwinding something layer by layer. We would address one thing, then the next thing would emerge, and we would work with that. Over time, my whole body began to feel freer and more relaxed.

What made the experience even more remarkable was that I had also been living with a dull, nagging pain in my hip for probably five years. It was never severe—maybe a two or three out of ten—but it was always there. I had almost learned to ignore it. During the process of working with Karen on my back, that hip pain completely disappeared as well. I hadn’t even gone to her expecting help with that, so it felt like an unexpected bonus.

I’ll admit that I did have some doubt in the beginning. So many people promise to fix pain or make things better, and sometimes the pain eventually comes back. But so far, that hasn’t been my experience with Karen. I’m back to doing the things I love, without pain, and I feel much more connected to and aware of my body.

I also love that Karen didn’t just help me feel better in the moment—she gave me tools I can continue to use. I still return to the exercises she prescribed, and I’ve incorporated many of them into my regular ten-minute stretching routine.

If you are considering working with Karen, I would say “do it”.

She knows what she’s doing. She is compassionate, kind and funny, and her approach feels very supportive. Most importantly, trust the process. There may be a period when you have to step back from working out or doing some of the things you love, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get back to them. In my experience, giving my body that time and trusting the process allowed me to return feeling stronger, freer and better than before.
How would I describe working with Karen? gentle, empowering and transformative.

Weeks later I am still pain-free and I can pick up my nephew without even thinking about it.

Teresa Bulit-Gordon