Divergence Physical Therapy and Wellness Wellesley in Wellesley

I started working with Connor for lower back and hip pain following 3 failed PT sessions at other locations. From the first session, Divergence PT was clearly different. Connor was able to assess how my movement patterns were causing me trouble and from there created a program each session that helped me correct my patterns that were causing my pain. This eventually included getting my body stronger than it has been in the past decade. I am now able to strength train without pain and go about my day to day with minimal pain/tightness as well. If I do feel discomfort, I know exactly what to do to get out of it. This had not been possible for years! The 1:1 attention and education is unmatched and Connor patiently guided me through each step, each movement with care and expertise. I am so thankful I found Divergence PT!

Connor represents the pinnacle of PT professionals in my opinion. I first started in the fall with lower back pain that hasn’t gotten better in years. I wasn’t able to exercise, golf, or walk without pain. A few months later and I’m now back to dead lifting, rowing, lifting, and golfing without needing to recover for weeks afterward. The biggest difference I noticed is I was able to withstand a 5 day trip to Disney, on my feet for 12+ hours and 100k steps without medicine or having to ditch my family to give my back a break, meaning Connor is responsible for giving me more time with my family, something every dad seeks. Throughout it all Connor has expertly explained things to me to the point where I understand cause and effect of certain exercises, when to push it and when not to. I recommend Connor and Divergence with to anybody seeking to recover quality of life.

Have you ever had your mind blown? Just swore you knew something for sure, and then were totally wrong? My PT experience at Divergence is just that. Following two hip surgeries, then two hip replacements, two disc repairs and systemic arthritis, I’ve endured my share of PT visits. In my Divergence revelation, I now know that the goal of all of those PT sessions was to make me “safe,” saving my insurance company money by not having me fall down. It had nothing to do with putting me back together or the return to sports and activities that I had loved in my lifetime. I just drank the Kool-Aid that said those activities were behind me. Never was attention paid to how my particular body worked; where there were natural and structural weaknesses, asthma and arthritis, and the weird compensatory body mechanics that I used to get through the day. I had strength trained on and off for 30 years always quitting when the routines became too painful. At nearly 70 I was referred to Divergence by a friend, and I began as a complete rehab patient with poor balance and no muscle. Now I carry a 40-pound awkward water bottle up a flight of stairs…and then go get the other nine. Divergence is a group of DPT’s—Doctor of Physical Therapy—and their focus is all of you. Clinical and analytical about one’s overall presentation from breathing to gait (and able to explain it), and restoration of body mechanics to healthy, paying close attention to every small deviation with a plan to re-teach, re-train and re-build, and careful listening at each session—“How does that feel?” Then we start. Today, ⅓ of my session is rehab and the rest, well, we lift some heavy weight! I was evaluated by Garrett—orthopedic woes are his specialty and he has certifications beyond his DPT. He and Mike came to me(!) to do the evaluation. Mike got me started; I’d label him a cheerleader, but that would undersell his coaching, and ability to switch up or change out movements from past injuries that are specific to me, for example, tweaks to planking with a torn rotator cuff. I spend most of my time with marathon-running Taylor. She is a master of mechanics and my arthritic knees squat painlessly, my arthritic wrists lift ridiculous weights, and my supinating falls are in the past. “Let’s try this, tell me how it feels.”—her mantra. Now the good part: It is a joy to come here. This is a family, and you are invited to join. The humor, the ability to laugh about what hurts, the constant care from the other DPT’s—experts all--who are watching. Even if they don’t work with me, they notice the changes, and this recognition of being stronger in this comfortable atmosphere is just icing on the cake. If PT and strength-training have failed you, come have your revelation.

I was referred to Divergence PT by my personal trainer. I worked with Therapist Glenn Affrunti. I had a great experience working with Glenn pre-surgery to strengthen my knee and post surgery to get me back to tennis. Glenn always listened to my aches/tightness concerns and took the time to address them during our sessions. I liked how Glenn would tweak my workouts based on my feedback. Glenn was always friendly, fun, organized and professional. The environment amongst all the Therapist at Divergence is friendly and welcoming to all. I would highly recommend Glenn and Divergence PT.

I first came to Divergence on the recommendation of a family member who was dealing with hip replacement issues. I had recently suffered three broken ribs after a simple fall and knew that at age 65 with osteopenia, I was not headed in the right direction. Balance and stability were my two main issues. I have now been working with Taylor for close to a year and I feel transformed. We started out very slowly working on exercises that most people would find simplistic but that I had trouble performing. Anything that required balancing on one foot would cause me to nearly (often) topple over. Gradually we progressed to adding weights into the mix and I began to notice real improvements. We are now at a place where strength training has become as important of a focus as the balance and stability. In my everyday life, not only can I put on a sock and shoe while balancing on one foot, I can also perform heavy lifting tasks that I used to leave for my husband. I cannot recommend Taylor enough. She knows her stuff and is a wonderful cheerleader as I work through new exercises. The atmosphere at Divergence is also tremendous. Everyone is there with a goal and there is camaraderie and support among the talented staff and the clients. I’ve never been a ”gym” person, but this crew makes it fun. I’ve worked with trainers and physical therapists before but never had this kind of success. At other places, I felt like I was just another time slot on the schedule. Divergence has been an entirely different experience.

I woke up one morning with pain in my right arm after a workout and couldn’t lift it above my head. This went on for months before I could see an Ortho. After a misdiagnosis of frozen shoulder, an MRI that showed no injury, and a cortisone shot, I turned to Divergence. I was feeling hopeless as the doctors could not figure out what was going on but suggested PT may help. At this point, I thought I’d be living with this pain. When I met with Glenn, his approach was simple and different than any of my past experiences with PT. He didn’t follow a script, and instead closely studied my movements and pain tolerance to figure out how he would treat my arm. He reassured me that with time my arm would be feeling better, which is something the Orthos were not able to give me. After a few months, I was not only lifting my arm above my head but with weights. From there, my program transitioned into strength training and following an at-home program in between visits, and I feel stronger than ever! My visits are not only effective but enjoyable too. Glenn and the whole Divergence team creates a fun and engaging atmosphere. The hour long workout flies by. I highly recommend Divergence to anyone looking to resolve an injury or just simply looking to feel good!

I cannot recommend Connor at Divergence enough! I had been working out in a small group setting for a few years, and over time, my poor form started wearing down my body. It was immediately clear upon meeting Connor, that he holds a true passion for helping others with this work. The time and attention he put into getting to know my personal needs and goals was appreciated. Connor pushed me way past my comfort zone, in the best way possible! He knew I was capable of more than what I was allowing myself to do at home and the playlist was always 🔥. If you’re considering Divergence for your Physical Therapy or Personal Training, the answer is yes, you need Connor in your life!

I have been working with the staff at Divergence Physical Therapy and Wellness since October, 2021. My first session consisted of Mike, Connor and Garrett coming to my house for an initial evaluation because I was in too much pain and it was so uncomfortable for me to drive. I was barely moving, in constant pain from my lower back and unable to work. From the moment we began working together I respected their knowledge, professionalism, support and willingness to get me back to where I felt comfortable moving pain free. I appreciated that they listened to me and my concerns and I trusted them. I had been to several Physical Therapy practices in the past, but I knew immediately that Divergence was different and was the best fit to help me in my recovery. After a few months of working with Connor I was able to drive myself to the Wellesley location. My back pain was decreasing, I was comfortable driving longer distances and started to feel like my old self. Through Connor’s help I was able to set reasonable and attainable goals and it felt great each time they were met. Unlike other Physical Therapy practices Divergence gives you one hour sessions and you have 100 % of the clinicians attention. You are not sharing their attention with other patients. They have developed a comfortable and friendly training environment, with state of the art equipment and many loyal customers. I have had the privilege of training with Mike, Connor, Taylor, Cam and Sam over the past three years. I have recommended Divergence to family and friends dealing with their own health issues. More than three years later I still go to the Wellesley location twice a week. I have made great progress, feel comfortable when driving long distances, began running and completed a 5K last November. My family and friends are all in awe of my progress and the difference in my level of pain. I owe so much to the staff of Divergence Physical Therapy and Wellness for their constant support and professional guidance. David Gottlieb