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Dr. Josh Lo PT, DPT, OCS | Swimmer’s Shoulder Specialist

@drjoshlo

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Becoming In Motion @unlimited.ptp
Eliminating Shoulder Pain In Swimmers And Teams👇🏽

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Since I was a child, I dreamed of swimming at the Division 1 level. I was willing to do whatever it took to make that dream a reality.

But during my freshman year of high school, everything changed. After a grueling 400 IM race, I felt a deep, aching pain in the front of my right shoulder. At first, I brushed it off as normal soreness, but it only got worse. Soon, simple movements became painful, and no position felt comfortable.

A doctor diagnosed me with a rotator cuff injury and told me to take four weeks off. I did exactly what I was told, but the pain didn’t go away. I saw multiple physical therapists, but none seemed to understand what I needed as a swimmer. Every session felt generic—like I was just another patient with a shoulder problem, not an athlete trying to get back to peak performance.

Doubt crept in: Is this the end of my swimming career? Am I beyond repair? Will I ever race again?

Then, my parents connected me with a physical therapist who specialized in working with swimmers. In just two sessions, everything changed. He understood my sport, my pain, and what my body needed to heal and perform. He didn’t just help me recover—he gave me the knowledge to protect my shoulders for the long run.

That experience shaped me. I know firsthand how devastating an injury can feel when swimming is your passion. I also know how powerful the right guidance can be in turning things around.

That’s why I do what I do.

I became a physical therapist to help swimmers navigate pain, prevent injury, and stay in the sport they love. I want to be the person I needed when I was struggling—the one who understands not just the injury but also the athlete behind it.

If you’re battling shoulder pain or questioning whether you’ll ever swim at your best again, know this: You don’t have to go through it alone. I’m here to help you heal, stay strong, and keep doing what you love.

#StrongerShoulders #FasterSwimmers #FindYourWay #WinTheWork taken in Los Angeles, California by @drjoshlo

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2 years ago

Shoulder pain shouldn’t decide how far a swimmer gets to go.

The Strong Shoulder Method was built around a simple idea: getting out of pain is only part of the job.

We want swimmers to understand what their shoulder can handle, rebuild the capacity they need, stay connected to the water when appropriate, and return to training with confidence.

Because pain-free is the baseline.

Performance is the expectation.

If shoulder pain is starting to limit your swimmer’s training, confidence, or goals, DM “START NOW.”

#becominginmotion by @drjoshlo

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12 days ago

The fastest swimmers I’ve worked with all have this in common…

They don’t chase more yards.
They chase better movement.

✅ Their shoulders are stable, not just strong
✅ Their catch actually holds water
✅ Their recovery doesn’t beat up their joints
✅ Their training has intent, not just effort

They’re not guessing in the water.
Everything they do has a purpose.

That’s why they stay consistent.

📩 DM me Strong Shoulder

Olympians. College swimmers. Club swimmers. They all train this to stay fast and pain free.

Follow @drjoshlo for smarter swim training that keeps you fast and injury free

#swim #swimming #swimmer #shoulderhealth #injuryprevention by @drjoshlo

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3 months ago

Just because the pain is gone doesn’t mean the shoulder is ready.

I’ve seen too many swimmers take time off, feel better, and return to training only to end up right where they started.

Rest can help calm things down. But feeling better and being prepared for the demands of swimming are two different things.

The goal isn’t to avoid the work that caused the pain.

It’s to build a shoulder that can handle it.

That’s why we developed the Strong Shoulder Method at UNLTD. To help swimmers understand their limits, build their capacity, and return to pursuing their goals with confidence.

Because we don’t want swimmers who are only healthy when they’re resting.

We want swimmers who are prepared for the demands of becoming great.

If your shoulder pain keeps coming back, DM “START NOW” and let’s build a plan together.

#StrongShoulderMethod #BecomingInMotion #SwimmersShoulder #UNLTD by @drjoshlo

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5 minutes ago

We’re hiring!!!!

But more than that, we’re looking for the right person to help build what UNLTD is becoming.

Someone who understands swimming because they’ve lived it.

Someone who wants to work beyond pain and rehab, and think about performance, longevity, communication, and the whole athlete.

Someone who is teachable, hungry, and willing to grow with a company that’s still building.

If that sounds like you, send your resume and a short introduction to:

josh@unlimitedptp.com

Subject: UNLTD Physical Therapist

#BecomingInMotion by @drjoshlo

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2 days ago

If I were chasing big swimming goals at 14 again, I’d train like this.

I used to think getting faster was all about swimming more and working harder. But looking back, I would’ve spent way more time building strong, stable shoulders outside the pool.

The earlier you build that foundation, the better prepared your shoulders can be for the thousands of reps you put in every week.

If you want to work with me to build stronger, more resilient shoulders, I can help.

DM me “STRONG SHOULDER” for my free PDF used by Olympians, college swimmers, and age groupers.

#swimming #swim #shoulders #injuryprevention #swimmer by @drjoshlo

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17 days ago

The mark was never just about making something that looked good.

It had to represent what UNLTD asks of the people we work with: direction, motion, discipline, resilience, adaptability, and growth.

Sharp edges. Rounded corners. Grit and grace.

Because becoming was never only about what you achieved, but who you became on the way there.

Huge shoutout to @themarioquezada for taking an idea and giving it form, meaning, and movement.

UNLTD. Becoming in motion.

#becominginmotion #UNLTD by @drjoshlo

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3 days ago

Becoming in Motion - Week 3: Excellence

You rushed a set. You missed a commitment. You had a race you know you could have prepared for better.

Be honest about it. Then give yourself enough grace to learn and try again.

Excellence means knowing the standard, facing the gap, and doing the work to close it. Beating yourself up won’t do that work for you.

What’s one thing you can do better this week?

Who are you becoming? by @drjoshlo

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4 days ago

Some of the swimmers I work with right now are #1 in the nation in their age group.

And they’re still doing “rehab”

Because the goal was never just to make the pain go away.

The goal is to build a shoulder that can handle more training, more intensity, more fatigue, and the demands that come with trying to be great.

Rehab should not be the thing that puts performance on hold.

Done well, it should help build it.

That’s the idea behind the Strong Shoulder Method.

If you’re ready to stop choosing between rehab and performance, DM me “START NOW.”

#becominginmotion by @drjoshlo

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10 days ago

To everyone who has ever been a part of Reason Physio,

Thank you.

To every athlete who trusted me with their body, their goals, and sometimes one of the hardest seasons of their career.

To every parent who trusted me with their kid.

To every coach, colleague, friend, and person who referred someone our way.

Reason Physio became far more than I ever imagined when I started it.

It gave me the opportunity to help people get out of pain, return to the sports they love, chase goals that mattered to them, and become a better clinician and person along the way.

And now, that chapter is becoming something new.

Reason Physio is becoming UNLTD Physio + Performance.

UNLTD was built around a belief that has become clearer to me every year I do this work:

Getting someone out of pain is important.

But it was never supposed to be the finish line.

We want to help athletes restore what was lost, build what is missing, and develop the capacity to perform at a level they may not have believed was possible before.

And beyond performance, we want to help develop the person underneath the athlete.

More ownership.
More resilience.
More belief.
Better health.
A higher standard for what they are capable of becoming.

That is what Becoming in Motion means to us.

You are never really finished.

You are always becoming.

UNLTD is the next version of the work I started with Reason Physio, built with a bigger vision for where this can go and the people we can serve.

So if you have ever walked through the doors of Reason Physio, worked with me online, trusted me with your swimmer, sent someone our way, or supported this little business in any way:

Thank you.

You helped build this.

And I’m incredibly excited for what comes next.

Welcome to UNLTD.

Becoming in Motion.
#becominginmotion by @drjoshlo

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11 days ago

Putting numbers behind the recovery 📊🏊‍♂️

Working with @drjoshlo to better understand where my shoulder is now and what needs attention as I work toward getting back to racing.

We looked at:
• Mobility: how far each shoulder moves
• Strength: side plank, external rotation, and overhead testing

The value goes beyond one session. Recording these results gives us a reference for future testing, so we can compare changes over time and see how my shoulders are responding to the work.

My daily exercises are tailored to what we found. I’ll be sharing more of those and how we track progress along the way.

#Swimming #ShoulderMobility #PhysicalTherapy #SportsRehab #Swimmer taken in Reason Physio by @drjoshlo

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15 days ago

turns out you can’t help 3+ million swimmers on your own
who would’ve known 🤷🏽

if you’re a PT in the US with a background in competitive swimming and want to work with age groupers, collegiate athletes and Olympians, and want to make a difference in the swim world, DM me “PHYSIO”

You’ll be entering in on the ground floor of a service that is going to change this sport and so many lives.

LETS GO. by @drjoshlo

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16 days ago