Pain Free Wellness Center

As of January 1st Pain Free Performance has expanded its outreach to the community by creating Pain Free Wellness Center. The Wellness Center is located in the same office complex directly behind our current space. The Wellness Center is comprised of a new Egoscue treatment studio (in addition to our existing space) as well as two new practioners.  Meet our three new faces below!




JoAnn Christy, R.R.T., C.M.T.

JoAnn Christy is a Registered Respiratory Therapist and has been a Certified Massage Therapist since 2000 after completing the Medical Massage Program at the Virginia School of Massage. JoAnn's practice encompasses both relaxation massage and therapeutic massage. She has also been trained as a Schatz Technique (tm) Practitioner and is the only person ever granted this title. After an intensive mentorship with Bernard Schatz, P.T., she and Bernard went into private practice for over 2 years. The Schatz Technique (tm) treats chronic pain issues and is the perfect adjunct to The Egoscue method. While Egoscue aims for realignment of the joints, The Schatz Technique (tm) works to soften painful areas of fibrotic tissues. JoAnn is also certified in pre and post natal massage as well as teaching parents how to massage their newborns.




JoAnn offers Swedish relaxation massage in one hour or 90 minute sessions and The Schatz Technique (tm) in 2 hour sessions.


JoAnn can be reached by email at Massage2Go@aol.com for more information on The Schatz Technique tm, please go to reverseyourpain.com To schedule an appointment, please call 434-295-2272 (h) or 434-882-0380 (c) Free phone consultations.





Christie Savage, L.A.c

Christie Savage joins us with Harmony Acupuncture and Healing Practices. Christie decided to attend acupuncture school after personally experiencing the amazing results of acupuncture and craniosacral therapy. After a degree in mathematics from the University of Virginia and many years of working in a high pressured job for a large company she decided to move to a more fufilling career of helping people on their own personal healing journeys. Christie graduated from the Eastern School of Acupuncture in Montclair, NJ. She studied under world renowned acupuncture master Kiiko Matsumoto at the International Acupuncture Training Center in Beijing, China. While she studied Traditional Chinese Medicine, Five Element, and French Meridian Trigger Point Acupuncture, she focuses on Japanese Acupuncture. She can address a wide range of issues, but most people come to her with pain, digestive problems, stress relief, and emotional issues.


Christie can be reached by email at harmony.acupuncture@yahoo.com
or by phone at 434-242-8305.

Pain Free Wellness Center Opens

        As of January 1st Pain Free Performance has expanded its outreach to the community by creating Pain Free Wellness Center.  The Wellness Center is located in the same office complex directly behind our current space.  The Wellness Center is comprised of a new Egoscue treatment studio (in addition to our existing space) as well as three new practioners.  JoAnn Christy is a certified massage therapist and practices both relaxation and therapeutic massage.  She is also trained as a Schatz Technique practioner treating those with chronic pain issues which is a perfect adjunct to the Egoscue method.  Dr. Eric Evans brings his chiropractic practice to Charlottesville after providing care for 18 years in the New Jersey area.  He has focused his care on treating entire families and has developed effective techniques helping clients with all kinds of ailments, not just back and neck problems.  Pain Free is also excited to welcome Christy Savage, licensed acupuncturist who is moving her Charlottesville practice to our new space.  She also has a practice in Staunton, VA.  Christy specialized in several types of acupuncture as well as oriental bodywork.

        Stay tuned for pictures of the new space as well as in depth bios of our new practioners!!

Discover Egoscue. December Client Spotlight

      Before starting Egoscue I knew my mobility was spiraling downward at a rapid rate.  It was becoming increasingly more painful to walk and stand.  In fact, so much so that when I saw someone in a wheel chair I wondered if that might be me in five years.  Since joining the program I've overcome one problem after another and what were once large issues have now become subtle annoyances.  One easy measure: I used to carry and frequently use aspirin.  Now I only rarely take one.  With success has also come the peace of mind and confidence knowing I have the power and ability to influence and control my mobility as I age.

      When I started my program I couldn't decide which was more painful my feet or knees.  There was only one pair of shoes I could wear with any comfort and even then I could only stand or walk for a maximum of 10 to 30 minutes before the pain got the best of me.  I dreaded standing after sitting for any length of time because of the sharp pains in my feet.  Walking and balance was made more difficult by my toes grabbing the ground like claws.  As for my knees, I would experience periodic concussion like incidents which caused debilitating pain and swelling keeping me immobile for several days while guzzling aspirin. 

      Now after three years I no longer worry about walking, I have several pairs of comfortable shoes, and my toes no longer are curled. My knees aren't perfect and I still have joint pains. But I've had no immobilizing incidences requiring massivce doses of aspirin. In fact, now I rarely take an aspirin at all.

      The services provided at Pain Free are excellent. The entire staff is knowlegeable and well trained. More than that, they genuinely care about their client's well being and comfort. You know that if you have a problem they will address it with the expertise and time it takes to diagnose the source and correct it or direct you to the resources that will. I not only have complete confidence and respect for each and every one of them, I also consider them to be my friends.

Live Pain Free. Discover Egoscue.

Pain is like a fire alarm. It wakes you up and alerts you that something is wrong. Pain is the body’s way of sending you the message that you must stop and pay attention. Unfortunately, most people look for a quick fix with drugs or surgery. They treat the symptoms and never get to the underlying source of the problem. Think of your body like a car. If the axles and wheels of a car are in alignment, the result is efficient performance and long lasting tires. Let the car get even slightly out of alignment and the vehicle will pull to the side and the treads wear unevenly. If a car was a human body, it would signal alignment trouble through pain. When pain is treated without understanding the source of the problem, it is like replacing a tire without getting the car aligned.

Dr. Mark Drusin, a podiatric physician and surgeon was in pain. A hip replacement was under consideration but Dr. Drusin was looking at all options. “The hip pain had come on gradually”, he stated. “It was getting increasingly worse and had started to affect my quality of life.” Just at that point, Dr. Drusin heard about the Egoscue Method and Pain Free Performance, a local clinic owned and operated by Cindy Meyers and Susy Russell. “We use the Egoscue method to eliminate chronic pain by restoring alignment to the body without the use of drugs or surgery”, said Susy Russell, a certified Postural Alignment Specialist from Egoscue University.

“I worked with Cindy Meyers”, Dr. Drusin remarked. “I had pain and limitation in the hip but this pain was impacted by the poor alignment throughout my body”. Through photos and functional testing, Dr. Drusin was able to understand how restrictions in the upper back and shoulders along with other imbalances were contrib- uting to stress on the hip. A series of passive positions along with gentle retraining exercises allowed the gradual transition of the body toward a more optimal alignment. One key to making changes in the body is the individual SEQUENCE of the positions and exercises. You will not have to “think” about changing your posture. Dr. Drusin ‘s body alignment improved, he gained 1⁄2 inch in height, his pain level decreased 70-80% and his function improved 85-90%. He now has the tools to work toward toward full recovery. The body is designed to move. In today’s society, movement is often limited due to sedentary lifestyles, job technology and modern culture. People spend hours at their computers and do not balance this with activity. Inactivity leads to poor posture, imbalances in the body and will often result in pain. Being both a physician and a surgeon, Dr. Drusin understands that all parts of the body are designed to work together as a unit. “You cannot separate one part of the body from the rest,” he stated. “Any change such as poor posture I had developed, has a distinct effect on the rest of the body. It is action and reaction”.

To find out how you can take charge of your own health and eliminate pain without drugs or surgery, contact us today. Pain Free Performance now offers a free posture screening to introduce you to the Egoscue Method.

The Egoscue Technique Comes to Charlottesville

• Why do we accept that we need drugs or surgery for pain relief?

• Why do we associate aging with increased pain and limitation?

Getting older does not have to hurt!! Turns out that your mother was right; in fact, standing up straight was a good idea. Look down, are your feet turned out? Now look in the mirror, are your shoulders even? The source of most pain, as it turns out, is related to poor posture.

Maybe you suffer from a stiff neck, creaking knees, throbbing hips or back pain. Perhaps you have a diagnosis of arthritis, a bulging disk, scoliosis or a muscle strain… those aches and pains are ultimately related to or caused by poor alignment. Even if you have had an accident or suffered from chronic pain, the way you hold and move your body is a major part of what is responsible for the daily grind of aches and pains.