My Story
Christa Ordonez, PT, DPT
Hi! I am Christa Ordonez, I help people from their pain, and use Pilates and Mobility training to keep the pain away.
Here’s My Story that has led to creating Functional Flow Pilates.
When I was near my last year of PT school, my husband severely hurt his back lifting an engine by himself (I know, not the best idea). It had sent immediate wrenching pain into his spine and he could no longer walk.
What an awful day for us. And while I tried to feel sorry for him for doing the one thing I told him not to do (lift an engine by himself)- I felt all the burden of having my spouse not being able to do anything for our family. At that time, we had just one son, and we were both in school. I was in graduate school- a very demanding PT program that kept me away most days.
Fast forward over the next several weeks and months: he received pain medications to help him sleep, and Physical Therapy at home with me as his PT. It took him almost 7 days to be able to stand. Then gradually back to walking enough to return to school. Then slowly back to doing things around the house and join our daily family walks. Eventually, then to the things he loves- like working on the cars and skateboarding. It. Took. WORK. And me forcing him to do his therapy and exercises everyday.
I hope this experience on no one. Yet, having a severe back pain episode that puts people out of commission is very common. More often, it is a gradual build up of aches, then pains, to difficulty with certain movements/activities, and then one day just barely able to move. Less often is an actual singular event that started it all, like the way my husband did it. Thankfully, majority of low back pain conditions can be treated without surgery! And my husband, and many others can continue managing their spine condition without any surgery.
By the time I graduated Physical Therapy school- I knew I wanted to help others with similar back pain as my husband. I don’t know the extreme pains of having disc and nerve pain- but I saw it in my husband and prayed for it to just stop and go away. It’s hard to see someone you love be in misery. I felt the heaviness of not having him as an active participant in our family, and how much he wished he could help around the house, but couldn’t. (If you know my husband- he’s a laborer of love kind of guy, hence the many projects he does around the house and on the cars). If I was able to help my husband and restore our family life, then I might be able to help others do the same.
And God gave that to me. I started my PT career at Texas Back Institute in Plano, TX. I was there for 5 years. I was able to help people, return to their spouse, return to their kids, return to marathons and triathlons, golf, Ninja Warrior, etc., and just being whatever they wanted to be. You can’t beat that gratification.
I worked in several different General Outpatient Ortho Clinics to expand my horizons over the following 5 years. But everyone has their thing. And for me- it’s the spine. So I continued into more training and became a comprehensively training Pilates Instructor and Mobility Trainer to become even more focused with the core, spine, and restoration of movement.
Today I get to bring all my experiences, passions and education into Functional Flow Pilates.
I recover people from their pain, and use Pilates and Mobility training to keep the pain away.