We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jillian Keeler . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jillian below.

Alright, Jillian thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the best advice you’ve ever given to a client? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

I work with a former NFL running back who initially found me through his golf swing instructor. The main reason he sought help was to improve his hip mobility, drive distance, and increase his club head speed. In those first few months we had to make modifications to the ELDOA exercises because he was so stiff and muscle bound.

These exercises are challenging and he found them very frustrating because throughout his football career typical athletic movements came easily.

During his exercise program we would get to specific exercises where I would get what we call the “evil eye”. I would have to remind him, “this is why I’m here,” and I would repeatedly say to him “it’s ok to have a place to start and know where you want to go. Just keep the work consistent, and it will happen, just like everything else you have achieved both on and off the field.”

I have been working with him for two years now and the improvement in his mobility is significant. Similarly, the evolution of his golf swing is even more impressive.

I think sometimes the advice I give to clients can also serve as a personal reminder to allow myself to develop. I, too, have to remember that with consistent work, I will reach the goals I have set for myself.

Jillian , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a licensed and certified athletic trainer who takes a holistic approach to evaluation. I work with both athletes looking to enhance performance, recovery from injury or prevent injury, as well as the general population looking to live a healthy and pain free life. Each person, even with the same presentation, is a unique puzzle, and evaluating the person as a whole, not just locally at the site of issue, helps with success and longevity.

I have always been interested in the medical profession. When I was younger, I wanted to be a veterinarian, but after I had a foot fracture that required surgery in high school, my interests switched from animals to people. As I continued my education at UNC Chapel Hill, that interest expanded into athletics and performance enhancement. Helping people and problem-solving are at the root of what I am passionate about, so becoming a healthcare professional was a natural progression.

I found Dr. Guy VOYER’s Osteopathy/Etiology program and ELDOA by way of my own personal injury/chronic pain issues. I started experiencing back pain in my late twenties, and as it worsened, it began to sideline the majority of my activity. The back pain got so bad that I sought treatment from doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, and acupuncturists. Eventually, I learned that my back pain was possibly the result of a hip injury, which I had repaired by surgery late in the fall of 2018.

As in many cases, the hip surgery turned out to be a temporary fix, and unfortunately, the same back pain resurfaced just months later. After continuing my search for relief and any form of healing I could find, I was pointed in the direction of an ELDOA certified trainer at the Titleist Performance Institute Level 1 seminar in 2019. This was the first time I came across the term ELDOA, but I was immediately intrigued and signed up for the first course. In this course, I was able to act as both a student and a patient, and I was treated by the instructor, Bryce Turner. My initial session with Bryce gave me relief, which was something I had not experienced in quite some time.

Aside from the techniques and philosophies I learned through the ELDOA and Osteopathy/Etiology program, my background in both the medical and fitness industries is a unique offering. I continue to learn new techniques and incorporate these philosophies in my own sessions with clients. I am one of a handful of ELDOA trainers in middle Tennessee and the only one currently studying under Dr. Guy VOYER. Through this work I am gaining a much deeper understanding of biomechanics and learning how to apply it to performance enhancement.

Most of the people I come across have never heard of ELDOA, so I want to take a minute to talk about these exercises. ELDOA is a French acronym that, when translated, roughly stands for Longitudinal Oste-Articular Decoaptation Stretches (LOADS). Simply put, these exercises are specific to different joints between the vertebrae and in the pelvis and shoulder girdle, and help to create space by using the body’s fascial system. Each position is prescribed for one minute, and looks like an odd isometric hold, or, some like a yoga pose. However, it is the work required to hold these poses that sets them apart. To create the space, the client must generate as much inner tension as they can tolerate to strengthen at the very end of their joint’s capability. But with each rep, the client becomes stronger at a further range, and that is how the space is held. It is not surprising that some of the benefits of these exercises include increased joint space, increased blood flow, decreased inflammation, decreased pain, decreased pressure on the discs, increased sense of awareness and wellbeing, and a restoration of normal joint biomechanics.
These exercises, supplemented by strengthening exercises and different types of stretches, can help with persistent pain or, like many of the golfers I work with, help them increase their club head speed and drive distance.

I am proud of my traditional and holistic approach to client fitness and wellness. My formal education in athletic training from UNC and Auburn has served as a solid foundation where I’ve been able to add on yoga and movement certifications to continue to think outside the box and always put the person first.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My business is still young but the road that led me here is also an example of my resilience. As I mentioned earlier, I experienced chronic pain for over a decade. As a healthcare provider and active person, this was extremely frustrating. I tried to work through my own pain with traditional medicine focused on the site of pain. After years of limited success, I knew I needed new solutions to address these ongoing problems. I looked to more holistic medicine, added new techniques to my clinical practice, and sought a deeper understanding of biomechanics. The TPI Golf Movement Certification, Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA), and ELDOA coursework have been instrumental in changing my clinical perspective, where I evaluate the full body’s movements and barriers – not just the site of pain.

I once thought my clinical career would be a linear path, that is, working in a high school or collegiate setting. But through my own pain journey and integrating other techniques to restore my own movement and function, I have evolved as a clinician. Now I focus on bringing the same holistic pain relief and performance enhancement strategies that have helped me to patients of all ages with different activity goals: from competing at the highest level in sport to just living pain free.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

It sounds simple, but I think good communication with the people you work with is important. I have had the experience as a patient where I felt the provider did not listen or ask follow-up questions and it was very frustrating. Often, people who have been in chronic pain come in and just want someone who will listen. I recently read an article that found communication in and of itself with patients has therapeutic value similar to that of some medications for chronic pain. That means that just talking to your patients and listening to what they have to say can stimulate pain relief! I found this to be true when I worked with patients completing physical therapy with the spine team at Vanderbilt and with the golfers and athletes when I do consultations. Regardless of the goal or pain level, if a client has a healthcare provider that cares about their long-term outcomes and values their input it matters.

The nature of ELDOA exercises lends itself to immediate, hands-on feedback. There are a lot of cues to help a client maintain the correct form for the full minute. Having that personalized care and time to interact with the client is extremely important. I hope it communicates that they’re not just a number to me – their time is valuable and I want them to get the maximum benefit for the time they put into their own care.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @jpkeeler
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillian-keeler-88ab982b/

Image Credits
Marqos Maldonado