MONROE — Physical therapist Dr. Emily Neal opened Courageous Rehab and Wellness in Monroe in April 2024. The business doubles as a 24-hour gym with equipment left over from the GoMAD Express that previously occupied the location, as well as an office for her physical therapy clinic.
This was born out of Neil’s desire to make his services accessible to a wider range of people.
After graduating from college, she worked in a busy clinic providing home visit physical therapy and realized there must be a better way to serve those who needed it, and with CR Wellness, she found what she was looking for.
“So I’m there as a place where people can feel comfortable going to a medical professional and say, ‘Can you take a look at my form? Do you have any advice? My knee hurts,'” she explained.
Subscribe now: We bring you all the latest local happenings, breaking news and high school sports content.
The combination is also part of her overarching belief that physical therapy and fitness must be combined to meet a patient’s complete needs. She explained that while treatment is important, once a patient is released from the hospital, there’s little she can do beyond patting them on the back and reminding them to continue their exercise program. In a gym setting, she can keep a closer eye on her patients if they sign up as a member.
“I’m able to do more than what I normally have the capacity to do,” she said.
The ultimate goal of physical therapy is to get patients out of the house, she said, and CR Wellness contributes to their overall health in that regard, too.
“I think if COVID-19 has taught us anything it’s that we need to be active, we need to be social, we need to get out into the world. So the goal is to get people out of their homes and into environments that are supportive, welcoming and have the resources available so they can re-enter society,” she said.
Neal is still making plans for the business, including completely repainting the store, hiring a personal trainer and holding a “soft opening” in July when the store will be renamed.
— Contact reporter Connor Veenstra at CVEenstra@gannett.com.
