In June 2019, entrepreneur Kendra Shull’s dream of running her own physical and occupational therapy clinic became real when Foundations Therapy opened its doors in Lexington, Mo. Located at 536 S. Business Highway 13 (next to Dave’s Country Mart), Foundations Therapy offers services related to:

  • general orthopedics (surgical and nonsurgical)
  • sports-specific injuries
  • spine rehabilitation
  • neurological and stroke rehabilitation
  • balance training
  • total joint replacement
  • foot/ankle rehabilitation
  • chronic pain management
  • IASTM (instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization)
  • kinesiotaping
  • headache management
  • pelvic floor dysfunction and more

“Foundations Therapy is built on my belief that you need a good and solid foundation in every aspect of life,” Shull said. “In order to achieve that physically, you need to have a body that moves properly and is strong. At Foundations Therapy, our team provides high quality, professional care to get patients back to their normal lives quickly – and at a more affordable rate, because we are a private practice.”

Shull graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in May 2009 with a master’s in physical therapy and a bachelor’s in health science. “The physical therapy department at Mizzou has a wonderful program,” she said. “Of course, the greatest learning experiences come from working in the field and not sitting in a classroom.”

She spent the last 10 years working at Lafayette Regional Health Center in the acute, outpatient, and pediatric departments. “It was an awesome job for a new grad because you got to see and treat a variety of diagnoses. You could work an eight-hour day and never treat the same diagnosis.”

Shull recognizes the responsibility entrepreneurs have to constantly keep current with their industry’s trends. “As a physical therapist, I am required to have 30 hours of continuing education every two years in order to renew my license. As a professional, that allows me to keep up with research and continue to learn new techniques.” Shull is certified in IASTM, manual therapy techniques to treat and relieve low back pain, and is a credentialed clinical instructor for physical therapy students.

“Other ways I stay up to date is I frequently listen to physical therapy podcasts and read blogs written by other therapists,” she said. “I’m also a member of the APTA (American Physical Therapy Association), which has a vast array of educational content and publishes research journals.”

Shull invited two former colleagues at Lafayette Regional Health Center to join her in serving clients in Lexington. Ashlee Snyder-Cox is their pelvic floor occupational therapist. Pelvic floor dysfunction – including bladder incontinence, interstitial cystitis, post-surgery and scar tissue pain, etc. – is a common issue affecting both men and women. Karen Cummings serves as Foundation Therapy’s licensed massage therapist. “Massage therapy is a great treatment option that is able to coincide with physical therapy,” Shull said.

Starting her own physical therapy business has been on the back of Shull’s mind for quite some time. With her husband’s support and the belief that God would provide, Shull quit her job after putting together a business plan based on principles learned from financial expert Dave Ramsey.

“Honestly, everything has worked out so well,” she said. “I love helping people. It is very rewarding to see them make progress that betters their life and allows them to gain back function. Each patient is like a new puzzle; I need to evaluate and assess and then put the pieces together to help them achieve whatever goal we are working toward.”

Being her own boss feels fantastic – most of the time. “I’m not going to say I haven’t had my days where I let stress get the best of me,” Shull said, “but I just stop and remember why I’m doing this. Overall, it’s been a great experience. I have learned something new every day and the process has made me realize as long as you put your mind to it and have faith, you can do anything.”

Contact Foundations Therapy at 660-251-2101 or visit entrepreneur Kendra Shull’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FoundationsTherapyLLC/.