What is your name?
Christy Boeckman… hint – the ‘o’ is silent ☺
What is/will be your role at ARC Physical Therapy+?
Lead Physical Therapist at the Liberty clinic
Where are you from?
I was born in Kinsley, Kansas but then my family eventually landed in Seneca, Kansas where I was raised for most of my years.
Where did you go to school?
I completed my M.S. in Kinesiology at Kansas State University, B.S. in Physical Therapy at the University of Kansas Medical Center, and completed my Doctorate degree at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.
Who or what inspired you to get into the physical therapy space?
I underwent physical therapy when I was a senior in high school after rupturing my ACL in basketball. Deflating experience as a senior, but my Physical Therapist Jeff Crist helped keep my spirits up while working diligently toward my goal of returning to sports.
When I was finished as a patient, he hired me to be a physical therapy tech in his clinic over the summer and handed me a customer service book to read during the first week of my employment.
That experience set the stage for me as a Physical Therapist… be a skillful therapist, maintain a positive attitude, and treat your patients with respect at all times. I credit Jeff for starting my path in the physical therapy space I find myself in today.
What do you like most about your work in the physical therapy space?
I love working with patients on their individual needs. Most often, they already possess all the tools needed for optimal recovery. It is my job to help patients find and use their personal bag of tools while rehabbing their injury, but also teach them how to utilize those in the future when no longer coming to see me.
If, in the process, I can add my expertise to improve their rehab journey along the way – even bigger perk as a Physical Therapist!
When patients drop in to say hi later down the road, it is the icing on the cake for me. I know I made a difference in their lives, but what they didn’t realize is they also helped me evolve as a physical therapy clinician as well.
I truly love the entire physical therapy space I work/live in!
What is one thing you wish everyone knew about the body or physical therapy?
Our bodies are designed for motion. Even though each joint is shaped differently, has a different function, etc… they are designed to move.
Repeat after me: “motion is lotion”. One of my favorite physical therapy sayings!
Are you involved with any outside organizations?
I love service-based projects! I have regularly coordinated Adopt-a-Family efforts for the past 10+ years with increasing workforce participation each year where we typically take on the largest family the Salvation Army has in need. I look forward to continuing this in the years to come.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love to play recreation league volleyball (indoor and sand) whenever possible, but my free time availability is limited to when my kid’s activities allow me to have “me” time. I always say “it’s their world, I just live in it”. Wouldn’t want it any other way!
How do you like to celebrate a win or a good day?
If you ask anybody in my family, it would be an unanimous answer: ice cream!
What is your favorite quote or saying?
“There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience.” – French Proverb
Favorite Sports Team?
Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals
Sweet or Salty?
The saltier the better!
Coffee or tea?
Coffee… and never a bad time of day to have it!
Beach or mountains?
I have never been able to answer this. I love them both equally.
Go out or stay in?
Being that we rarely have free time, nothing beats being able to stay in and binge watch a show. I’m always asking for suggestions and have a list running.
Have a recommendation to add?
What is your best joke?
I laughed reading this question because whenever my kids need a joke on joke day, I say the same one. They think it is lame, but they know it is coming. I like to think they will chuckle someday when their kids ask for a joke on joke day, and then proceed to say the same one.
Here is my go-to joke: “What do you call 3 holes in the ground?” When somebody doesn’t know, you just start shaking your head side to side and respond slowly “Well, well, well.”
Anything else you’d like to share?
My family is everything to me. My husband KC and I have known each other since our elementary school days in Seneca, Kansas but waited until later in life to connect and create a life together. We now share 3 kiddos – Hailey is 13, Tanner is 11, and Kinsley is 5.
My extended family is equally important. If there is a significant life event, we all drop everything to be together. I am truly lucky to navigate this life with my entire crew, both near and far.
What patients/diagnoses are you most excited about treating?
I know it is cheesy to say, but I love working with all diagnoses. That is the beauty of outpatient physical therapy. We get to see it all!
Though, if I had to pick one specific diagnosis, I would say give me ALL your dizzy patients!
Can you share a patient success story?
I inherited a patient case who was dealing with severe dizziness after a stroke. She was miserable and would not leave her home due to busy environments making her symptoms worse.
I decided to shake up her previous therapy routine the first Monday I saw her, and by Friday she entered the clinic smiling and I swear had an extra jump in her step. She said it was the first morning she woke up and wasn’t dizzy.
Her return doctor appointment was later that day, and she was going to beg for 4 more weeks of physical therapy so I could continue to work with her.
Fast forward 4 weeks, she returned to her normal activities! She was finally able to go to church and quilt with her group without being dizzy, she went to Grandparent’s Day at the school without being dizzy from all the moving little bodies, and was no longer confined to her home.
On her last day she asked me about upcoming classes for dizziness and even wanted to go with me to my next continuing education class.
Her life was changed. Probably one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences for me as a Physical Therapist.
That patient is the reason I chose to specialize in all things dizziness! I wanted to know more. Needed to know more for the patients I will serve in the future. Definitely one of my passions!
What inspires you?
Anything that can potentially make a positive change in any aspect of work or life.
I love seeing a challenge, brainstorming how to conquer it, but then at times learning how to pivot to continue working toward the end goal.
The old adage “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey” speaks to me more than anything. I’m inspired by the journey!
