When progress stalls, trust can move care forward

Chris Partyka, now 51, never felt the sand between his toes at the beach or ran barefoot around the city pool as a kid. For as long as he can remember, he lived with a fear of anyone seeing his feet. It was so severe that he didn’t get medical care when he broke his foot about 10 years ago.

Everything changed when Partyka met Ellie Monson, doctor of physical therapy with M Health Fairview Clinic - Blaine. Partyka limped into his first physical therapy session with persistent pain.

Despite a thoughtful care plan and consistent visits for six weeks, Partyka’s pain wasn’t improving. The lack of progress didn’t sit right with Monson.

“I told him, ‘I can’t ethically keep treating you when nothing’s changing,’” Monson said. “‘I think you should go back to your doctor and get more imaging so we can adjust the plan.’”

That moment of honesty opened the door to something else: the missing piece.

Partyka shared that he was also experiencing pain in both feet—something he hadn’t mentioned before. With the new information, Monson knew that addressing the foot pain would be key.

In physical therapy, this kind of overlap is common. Pain felt in the back can start in the legs or feet. Foot pain can influence how someone moves, stands, and compensates—sending stress upward through the body. As Monson often explains, treatment isn’t always a straight line.

“I always say we’ll start driving down one lane,” she said. “And if we need to switch lanes or get off the freeway and take another road, we will.”

Building trust for physical results

Physical therapists often see people for 40-minute sessions, for several weeks. Over time, that consistency creates space for trust—something research shows can matter even more than the specific exercises being prescribed. 

“Every patient is different,” Monson said. “So I try to do what I can to make each individual feel more comfortable. All PTs want to make it a safe, comfortable space for their patients.”

Monson also knew that she couldn’t just rely on a treatment plan from a textbook. To make Partyka more comfortable, she:

• Scheduled sessions in a private room, away from other patients.
• Encouraged him to bring an “emotional support human” to appointments.
• Welcomed comfort items like a weighted blanket.
• Removed her own shoes during their sessions.

What followed wasn’t just physical progress, but personal growth. Over time, Partyka became comfortable enough to transition out of the private room and into the open therapy gym—something that once felt unimaginable.

"You’ve done more for me in six months than anyone has done for me in 51 years as far as my mental health is concerned,” Partyka told Monson.

Because of his foot pain, Partyka always chose cushioned shoes. Monson suggested he try a more minimal style, which is just what Partyka’s body needed.

Now Partyka is doing things he never thought he would, like going to yoga classes with his wife, inviting a stranger to his physical therapy session to share his story, and even setting up an appointment with a podiatrist to get to the bottom of his foot problems.

In this case, the breakthrough didn’t come from a new piece of equipment or a radically different protocol. It came from patient-first care: listening closely, adapting thoughtfully, and understanding that trust can be just as therapeutic as treatment itself.

Physical therapy can help with muscle, joint, and bone issues that limit physical activity. Learn more about physical therapy services from M Health Fairview.