Repsher Physical Therapy Fall 2025 Newsletter
Your Movement. Your Health. Our Mission.
Volume 1, Issue 1
🍁 In This Issue 🍁
A Message from the Team
Spotlight on a Success Story: Gabrielle
The Benefits of Contrast Baths
Staff Highlight: Meet Corey
Movement Tip of the Season
Rehab Insights: Anatomy, injuries, and how therapy helps
Upcoming Workshops & Events
A Message from the Repsher Physical Therapy Team
As we enter the fall season, our team at Repsher Physical Therapy is focused on supporting our patients and community in maintaining health, mobility, and resilience. Seasonal changes often bring new demands—whether it’s participation in school athletics, increased yardwork, or preparing for winter activities. Each of these can place additional stress on the body, and our team is here to help you navigate those challenges safely and effectively.
Our commitment extends beyond injury recovery. We strive to be a trusted partner in your overall wellness, emphasizing education, prevention, and individualized care. This fall, we are continuing to expand our workshops and community programs, offering opportunities to learn practical strategies for staying active and reducing the risk of injury.
We remain grateful for the trust you place in us. It is our privilege to provide care that helps you move better, recover stronger, and live healthier. We look forward to working with you this season and beyond.
Sincerely,
The Repsher Physical Therapy Team
Our unofficial office mascot – the red-tailed hawk.
Patient Spotlight: Gabrielle Kennedy
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Gabrielle Kennedy recently completed knee rehab with Kevin Drury, PT at Repsher Physical Therapy and has come back stronger than ever. Her hard work and dedication paid off at the 2025 USA Powerlifting Northeast Regionals, where she set a personal record on her squat!
A Note From Gabrielle :
Hi, I’m Gabrielle!
I’m a retired bodybuilder and currently a powerlifter. I started seeing Kevin Drury last September (2024) for knee pain that was affecting both my training and daily life. Something as simple as sitting cross-legged or squatting down to pick something up at work was uncomfortable.
After some testing in the clinic, Kevin identified where the problem areas were and gave me several stretches to work on at home. I’ve stuck with them consistently—before squat days and at least one or two other times a week—and they’ve made a huge difference. We discovered I had tight hips, IT bands, quads, and glutes, so staying proactive with these stretches has been a game changer for both lifting and everyday movement.
This September, I competed at NE Regionals, and for the first time I can honestly say I had no knee pain during my squats—or even the day after. I truly wouldn’t be here without Kevin’s guidance and encouragement. I’m grateful and always recommend Repsher PT to my friends, because being pain-free is life-changing.
Here’s to seeing what Kevin, my knees, and I can squat next!
Contrast Baths: What They Are and Why They Help
Contrast baths involve alternating immersion of a body part—usually hands, feet, or sometimes larger joints—in hot and cold water. This simple therapy can offer significant benefits for recovery and circulation.
How It Works:
Warm water (typically around 100–110°F) helps increase blood flow, relax muscles, and reduce stiffness.
Cold water (around 50–60°F) reduces inflammation, swelling, and soreness.
Alternating between the two creates a pumping effect, which helps remove metabolic waste and bring in fresh, oxygenated blood to the area.
Benefits of Contrast Baths:
Reduces pain and swelling after exercise or minor injuries.
Speeds recovery by improving circulation and decreasing muscle fatigue.
Improves flexibility in stiff joints and muscles.
Can be a gentle, non-invasive therapy for conditions like arthritis, tendonitis, or sprains.
How to Do a Contrast Bath at Home:
Fill two containers: one with warm water and one with cold water.
Immerse the affected area in warm water for 3–4 minutes.
Switch to cold water for 1 minute.
Repeat the cycle 3–5 times, ending with cold if swelling is your main concern or warm if stiffness is the main issue.
Pat the area dry and gently move the joint to maximize circulation.
Safety Tips:
Avoid extreme temperatures that are uncomfortable or painful.
Not recommended for people with diabetes, poor circulation, or open wounds without consulting a healthcare professional.
Always listen to your body—stop if you feel numbness, tingling, or sharp pain.
Contrast baths are a simple, accessible way to help your body recover naturally, whether after a tough workout or for ongoing joint discomfort.
Soak, chill, recover! Our whirlpool & contrast baths speed your recovery.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Corey Kruse
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Corey Kruse grew up in Latham and attended Shaker High School before earning his Master’s in Physical Therapy from Quinnipiac University in 2005. His connection to Repsher Physical Therapy began in high school while training in the offseason for basketball at the then “Athletic Training Room.” Inspired by the opportunity to learn from John Repsher—renowned as one of the best therapists in the Capital Region—Corey joined the practice in 2008.
Shortly after starting at Repsher, Corey met his wife, and together they have two daughters, Gabriella (10) and Emma (9), both excelling as students and athletes in their first year at Albany Academy. The girls are active in tennis, lacrosse, skiing, golf, swimming, and basketball, and in the winter, the family skis every weekend at Stratton Mountain.
Outside the clinic, Corey has embraced distance running, completing over 40 half and full marathons. Recently, he faced a new challenge: a left Achilles tendon rupture while playing tennis in August. He underwent a minimally invasive PARS SpeedBridge surgical repair in early September, a procedure designed to promote faster healing and a strong return to activity. With his signature determination, Corey views recovery as just another marathon to conquer.
In March, Corey became co-owner of Repsher Physical Therapy alongside Matt Alheim, continuing the legacy of excellence that John Repsher established in 1980. Looking ahead, Corey is excited to help evolve Repsher Physical Therapy into a forward-thinking practice that blends cutting-edge techniques with the personalized, patient-first care that has always defined its success—ensuring a bright future for the next generation of patients and families.
Corey shares his passion for proper patient education and advanced care through his specialties in hip rehabilitation (through HSS), the McKenzie Technique (certified MDT), and strength and conditioning (CSCS). He also hopes to begin certification in the Active Release Technique (ART) in 2026.
Fun fact: Corey is an avid Duke Basketball fan, always following the Blue Devils through every season.
Movement Tip of the Season:
Protect Your Shoulders This Fall
Fall is a beautiful season, but it also brings a lot of repetitive upper body movements—raking leaves, carrying bags of mulch, moving furniture, or even stacking firewood. These activities can put stress on your shoulders, especially if your muscles are tight or fatigued. Taking a few minutes each day to mobilize and strengthen your shoulders can help prevent soreness and injury.
Try incorporating these movements:
Shoulder circles: Slowly rotate your shoulders forward and backward to warm up the joint and improve circulation.
Wall slides: Stand with your back against a wall and slide your arms up and down, keeping elbows and wrists in contact with the wall, to improve mobility and posture.
Scapular squeezes: Pull your shoulder blades together and down for 5–10 seconds to strengthen the muscles that stabilize your shoulders during lifting and reaching tasks.
Doorway chest stretch: Step into a doorway and place your forearms on either side, gently leaning forward to stretch your chest and open the front of the shoulders—especially helpful after raking or shoveling.
Tip: Focus on slow, controlled movements and listen to your body. Even 5–10 minutes of shoulder mobility and strengthening each day can make a big difference in reducing fatigue and preventing aches.
By taking care of your shoulders now, you’ll be able to enjoy all the seasonal activities safely and comfortably—without paying for it with soreness or strain later!
Your shoulder blade gliding on your rib cage = smoother, stronger arm movement.
👉 Key for lifting, reaching & throwing
👉 Powered by muscles like the trapezius & serratus anterior
👉 Dysfunction can cause shoulder, neck & back pain
Quick Tip: Do 5 scapular squeezes a few times a day to improve posture & keep shoulders healthy! 💪
💀 Anatomy Spotlight:
The Scapulothoracic Joint
UPCOMING EVENTS:
October 23rd, 6:30PM
Shoulder Pain and Rotator Cuff Workshop: Join us to learn how the shoulder works, why injuries happen, and what you can do to keep it strong and pain-free. Our therapists will share practical tips and strategies to help you move with confidence.
November 3rd-7th:
Free Screen Week: This November, we’re giving thanks to our patients in memory of John Repsher, whose legacy of care continues to guide us every day. As part of that tradition, we invite you to take advantage of a Free Screen—a no-obligation visit where one of our therapists will assess your movement, discuss your concerns, and help guide your next steps.
