In 2017, I was in a very desperate place. I was encountering injuries in every training cycle to the point that I was no longer able to safely train. Most of my injuries were calf muscle strains, but I also had a tendency to develop ankle tendinitis. My last training cycle leading up to the Boston Marathon was consumed with chronic calf muscle injuries.

After working with an exercise correction specialist for more than two years, I was then referred to work with Dr. Courtney Conley. Despite the myriad of issues I had to correct, my first interaction with her offered me such a ray of hope and promise that I could overcome them. I no longer felt defeated but rejuvenated and determined. Dr. Conley laid out an extensive plan for me to follow to target all my problem areas and retrain my body mechanics to work efficiently. Aside from our regular appointments, she was always available when needed and checked in with me frequently on my progress. Within a year, I was cleared to start increasing mileage. By the 18-month mark, I was cleared to resume doing speed work. I am now six weeks out from my first race.

Without Dr. Conley’s expertise, I know I would not be where I am today. Not only is she very knowledgeable, but she truly cares about her clients. The approach she has taken toward my situation breathed life back into what I thought was a bleak set of circumstances. Now I am back to doing what I love. For that, I am eternally grateful. I highly recommend Gait Happens to athletes who are dealing with consistent injuries. Dr. Conley truly makes a difference and is a gift to this world.

“I started playing rugby 13 years ago in college and definitely have had my fair share of injuries but luckily have not need surgery, even when I fractured my acetabulum. In January, 2019 I developed ankle/Achilles pain and ended up seeing our team PT just as I have done for my previous injuries. I have a high pain tolerance and tend to develop overuse injuries because of it and am stubborn about taking it easy when needed. After 2.5 months of PT, mostly soft tissue work, I stumbled upon gait happens and was so thankful it was located in CO. I saw Dr. Jen Perez and instead of the typical soft tissue palliative care I was used to, she had me doing movements barefoot in her office. We worked on my hip imbalance, core strengthening and even diaphragmatic breathing. Dr. Perez was the first person to actually tell me that she was working to have me not have to come back to see her. Rather then internalizing my diagnosis I left feeling empowered to make changes and in control of my health. Instead of relying on orthotics I now work on my feet daily, wear minimalist shoes and stand most of the day at work. I am so thankful to the team at Gait Happens and continue to learn from their videos and encourage my teammates to give them a follow.”

“Three years ago, I had some serious surgery done on my foot, and for three years, I had been telling Doctors, Specialists, and numerous Physical Therapists that something wasn’t right in my ankle. It was very weak after the surgery and I kept falling when the ankle wouldn’t hold me up. Twice in three years, I fell hard enough to break my leg bones of the same foot. Three years and four surgeries, and all these people I saw, were not able to help me anymore. Desperate to find someone that could really help me figure out what is going on that is hindering my recovery, I followed a friend’s advice and called Dr. Courtney Conley. The very first visit was one of those ‘life changing events’. With her careful and trained observation skills, she quickly saw where the problem was originating as well as many other things needing attention. She not only gave me exercises to do to train my muscles, she would make sure I was doing them correctly, with the targeted muscle doing the work. All the little corrections really make a difference. Dr. Conley is amazing. She took me from hobbling in pain most of the time to hiking and gardening and doing things I love. If I had first seen Dr. Conley four years ago, she would have seen the problem and I know I could have avoided surgery in the first place! But since it happened, she has done more for me in three months than all the other professionals did in three years! Her knowledge, her passion, and her touch, all combine to make Dr. Conley the doc to see, if you want to heal!”

Following 1-2 years of sesamoid inflammation, multiple specialists and a failed ultra-marathon that left me with a hip injury afterwards where I could not run 5km without hip pain I was running out of ideas. Even walking was inflaming my sesamoids and felt incredibly unnatural like I'd forgotten how to walk. I wasn't really convinced long-distance running was going to be available to me again. I'd seen Gait Happens on Instagram and was always intrigued by what they did and the messages they had about foot health so I decided to book a Zoom assessment with them to see if they could help. After only a handful of appointments and 6 months of at-home exercises to get my legs firing properly, I'm stoked to be back out running again, and even having finished a 50km ultra-marathon where I felt stronger than I ever have! If you have any problems from your hips to your feet, you absolutely will not regret seeing Jen at Gait Happens. She is a gait genius, and a wonderful human to boot.

“Having BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT, I got recommended to GAITHAPPENS by my brother who had also BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT and found his solution. An achilles reattachment, a debridement, a long rehab that never got me back to where i was. I finally had cortisone - not knowing where to turn next, pain in my foot IMSA looming, battling to train or race without pain. I booked and did an online consultation with Dr Courtney. 1 week later i raced PAIN FREE, the longest distance cycling smashing PB’s and being the first lady home in my marathon! My confidence is back, my pain is gone and i couldn’t sing Dr Courtney praises any louder.. Thank you for giving me my MOJO back.”

“My online consult with Dr. Perez thorough and spot on. Within that single session she was able to determine the factors contributing to my pain and discomfort and less than a day later had sent a comprehensive and easy to understand outline of what I needed to do to achieve my goals.”

“My feet and toes are getting so strong and have never felt better. My daily exercise routine has paid dividends. I’ve been able to resume my normal activities with no pain or swelling. I can’t even begin to express how life changing the peroneus longus and extensor hallucis exercises have been. At the beginning, the exercises were so challenging and I could barely get any movement, but things have only continued to improve with patience and consistency. It is truly amazing what happens when your feet start “functioning” they way they’re supposed to. I’m so thankful for your help and guidance.

I had my initial virtual consultation with Courtney 8 weeks ago, but have only been doing the exercises she's recommended for the past 6 weeks. I started with pain in both of my feet, and I already have an almost entirely pain-free right foot!I have been chasing foot and lower leg pain for the past 6 years since having my first child. I have seen multiple medical professionals over the years, ranging from doctors, to podiatrists, to physiotherapists, to chiropractors. In the end, I basically felt like a lost cause after being told that things would probably just get worse as I got older. I've been offered orthotics, foam rollers, massage balls and stretches, all to help ease the pain. What I've never been offered is a common sense look into what has actually caused these issues for me in the first place. Instead of focusing on the area of pain like everyone else, Courtney didn't get distracted by the pain - she looked past it and very quickly showed me where the pain was actually stemming from. Her approach is so holistic, that not only are my feet and legs feeling better, but my damaged post-pregnancy core is also healing and is stronger than it's ever been. Courtney connected all the dots in a way that nobody else has been able to, and within just 6 weeks she's been able to achieve virtually what nobody else has even attempted in-person.Courtney is passionate, empathetic and thorough. She is unlike anyone you've ever met in the industry. You are not a number to her - you are a real person with real feelings. I've said it to her before and I'll say it again... being in pain for years and finding nothing but dead ends is like being stuck in a dark tunnel with no view of getting out. Courtney is the one who meets you in that dark tunnel with a flashlight and says, "come with me, the end is over this way". Her genuine desire to see you well combined with a knowledge that far surpasses most others, is what gives so much hope where there wasn't any previously. If you're considering working with Courtney, but you feel skeptical because you've tried every other option, just do it for yourself. She is a gift, and you won't regret it.

“I just wanted to say a huge thank you Dr Conley for all her advice and lessons. With all her exercises I managed to get to the start of my race pain and injury free, after dealing with shin splints and achilles tendonitis for months. I also managed to get through the race without any of my issues cropping up even though the course had a lot of incline over the 55kms. I am glad to see the results of all that hard work put in too not only training but also trying to better my running mechanics. I am so glad I found her Instagram page and despite being cautious about a virtual consult I was put at ease when she mentioned signs and symptoms I was having without having told her, things many others missed in office. She has been the best possible decision I have taken in regards to my running. So keep up the amazing work you’re doing.”

“The title says it all...I've been to multiple orthopedists and podiatrists, I've had x-ray after x-ray and a slew of MRI's, and I narrowly avoided removing a broken sesamoid by use of a 'bone growth stimulator'. At 18, I was basically told to 'deal' and get used to my new normal by a doctor; as a lifelong athlete and avid runner I was devastated. Over the past few years I have been in and out of a boot so much that it became a joke to my friends, "Are you ever NOT in the boot?" I THREW THE BOOT AWAY! Dr. Conley is a miracle. In our first session she pinpointed so many things about my feet+ankles that no one had ever told me should work differently, and she explained WHY my body has made these changes over time. To have her look at my injury with excitement and determination is so reassuring after years of shrugs and dismissal. Sesamoids: on the mend. Sesamoid removal: never. Cortisol shots: unnecessary. Boot: in the trash. Dr Courtney: a goddess.”

“I saw Dr. Conley about a month ago hoping to get some help with some foot/ankle pain that I had been experiencing for the previous few months. My left ankle joint felt as though it was “locked up” with a limited range of motion that was causing discomfort and causing my normal gait to feel unnatural. Upon checking out my feet, Dr. Conley noticed that my toes were curling up unusually and looked at my footwear and immediately realized a problem. She mentioned that the shoes I was wearing had a very narrow toe box that was squeezing my toes together and preventing my feet from moving naturally. In addition to some mobility and strengthening exercises, Dr. Conley recommended that I look into getting new shoes with a wider toe box that would allow my toes to spread out more naturally and referred me to the Favorite Products page on her website GaitHappens.com. On the site, I found some recommended footwear and sock brands, as well as the Correct Toes toe spacers. Hoping for the best, I purchased the Lems Nine2Five shoes, a pair of Injinji toe socks, and the Correct Toes. On just the first day wearing the new shoes and socks I could feel the relief on my toes compared to my other shoes and I could tell a difference in the way my feet were moving. My problem ankle seemed to be regaining some mobility and I could feel the muscles in my feet working differently than I have ever experienced. A few weeks later my feet feel the best they have in years! The combination of the exercises and the new footwear has significantly improved mobility in my ankle and the strength of my foot muscles. All of this has led to a more natural feeling gait and significantly less pain and discomfort. Thank you, Dr. Conley, for fixing my feet!”

I found GaitHappens when I was working with a young patient a couple years ago who had a persistent morton’s neuroma and I couldn’t figure out what else to do with her. I had done a few joint mobilizations to her foot/ankle and given her the simple ankle exercises I learned in PT school… I even asked the other more experienced clinicians in my practice. Nothing was helping… I found GaitHappens on instagram and I was instantly intrigued and wanted to learn more. Fast forward a couple years, I have taken Top Down Bottom Up and joined the Gait Guru Membership, and my mind is blown. I can’t even explain the amount of information that I have learned through these educational programs, and I feel so much better equipped to treat patients with any lower extremity injury! I even gained enough confidence to open my own Physical Therapy business. I am a lifelong learner and am constantly seeking mentors and inspirational clinicians. I’ve gotten to share patients with Courtney and feel so lucky to have worked directly with her, as a patient myself and as a clinician. I have only just touched the surface of the gait guru membership and I love that you can learn on your own time- watch the short videos, join the zoom calls, and listen to the power player interviews. Now I feel like I need to go back and contact all the patients I treated before so I can teach them more about foot/ankle and hip mechanics :). I am so much more confident treating foot and ankle injuries thanks to GaitHappens and the Gait Guru Membership. Thanks Courtney and Jen (and Joe LaVacca)!

I would recommend the Gait Guru program to anyone interested in developing a detailed understanding of gait, both how to assess it and also how to treat injuries that are caused by it. It opened my eyes to critical aspects of lower body function and I use the information daily to the benefit of my patients. I already have had several patients where I can now clearly see the cause of their lower extremity injuries and have helped them where prior to this program I would have been off the mark. Thank you so much Gait Gurus!

Recovering from a TKR on June 11, my feet were jacked up with the rest of me and I simply couldn’t focus. Signing up for the Foot Function Membership gave me new inspiration to not give up. 4.5 months later, I am starting to walk better and my feet are working better too. My right arch had completely collapsed along with everything else on the right side and I am starting to see and FEEL the light at then end.

“I just wanted to thank you for the foot type course. I am a podiatrist and found the course very helpful which I will try to use more during my clinical assessments. Although surgically trained I still want to maximize what patients can do by increasing mobility in the foot and up the chain. Y'all are my favorite IG account for foot related things. Looking forward to more stuff from you.”

“Seriously guys, that class [foot types course] was amazing! I can’t wait to get back to work because there was so much that’s easy to understand and implement immediately. It makes me honestly excited!”

“I have absolutely loved the '6 Different Foot Types' online course from Gait Happens. I work in movement therapy and felt this has been a really important missing piece of the puzzle for me. I already know how important feet are (and frequently see clients who clearly have a foot problem causing issues all over their body) but lacked some understanding of the nitty gritty behind the mechanics of different foot types. This has pulled all of this together for me. I am looking forward to talking my clients through 'their foot type' to try and give even more client education and engagement from them. Thanks Dr Perez and Dr Conley.”

You guys are fantastic and exceeded my expectations. Thank you for being an amazing resource. [Foot Function Membership]

[The foot health 101 course] is EXACTLY what I was looking for in my quest to begin learning more about the feet.

As a personal trainer, I know that my clients ankle, knee and hip mobility/pain could stem from the base (the feet) but I didn't have working knowledge to really help them. Now I have some actual basic exercises I can show them to do on their own to help improve their foot health.

The best part about this course is that Dr. Conley and Dr. Perez are obviously super passionate about what they do and about helping people. This shines through as they present the information in a very authentic and even sometimes humorous way. I would totally recommend taking this course.

I'm not sure if I'm just a geek to and so I was totally geeking out right along with them or if their geek was just infectious LOL

Thank you so much to Dr. Perez and Dr. Conley for the amazing course! Such great, and applicable information. I definitely appreciate all of your insight. I look forward to increasing my knowledge of gait and the foot, and continuing to learn more from both of you. Thanks again!