Absolute Performance Therapy Owner Makes Physical Therapy a Positive Process

Who: Alyssa Subbert 

Age: 37

Her history in Waukee: Subbert's physical therapy practice, Absolute Performance Therapy, has been in Waukee for nearly five years. She had worked for a large rehabilitation company prior to opening her clinic but said, “I was tired of asking permission for everything I wanted to do.  I wanted to have a clinic where people had fun and actually enjoyed their rehab.”

Why she chose Waukee: Subbert was drawn to the “small town charm with big-city perks,” she said, noting that they are close to everything and that the practice is easily accessible.

“I get patients from Indianola, Ames, Norwalk, and so forth and they can get here in no time,” she said.

She likes that Waukee is growing and is a city focused on health and wellness. With her sports-medicine and performance-improvement background she felt like Waukee was the perfect fit.

“Residents run, swim, bike, and play sports," she said. "The youth and high school sports have made tremendous strides in the last several years."

What she loves about working in Waukee: Subbert appreciates that people seem invested in helping one another out.

“I have patients who refer their friends," she said. "People support each other or simply just chat when they are in the clinic together. There is a great sense of community here."

What makes her notable: Part of the reason she started her own clinic was that it made her sad to hear that people thought PT was just getting “some papers” and instructions for doing exercises at home.

"At my clinic, we evaluate you from head to toe and try to figure out what is causing your pain or dysfunction," Subbert said. "We work on what’s important to you. If you are a runner, we look at your running form. If you play volleyball, we go through all the mechanics of volleyball and fix what is not right. If you have pain lifting your child, we help you figure out a way to do it and do it without pain.”

Subbert explained that to her, therapy is not about getting "papers" but about helping someone with exercise and education as well as stretching, soft-tissue mobilization and movement analysis. 

“It's about figuring out what caused your pain and how to fix it, to send you out better than you were before the injury," she said.

Why should you get to know her:
Subbert has a passion for her job. She loves what she does and shared that she loves to look at someone, whether it’s for an injury or for improving performance in sport, in order to find the missing piece of the puzzle. She enjoys the challenge of trying to see what others don’t see or haven’t taken the time to see. Subbert said, “I want people to have fun in PT and look forward to coming. It’s important to enjoy what you do so that you keep doing it. If people have fun with exercise then they will stick with it and stay healthy.”