Richard Liggett

Richard was severely injured in a car accident: Seven broken ribs, punctured lung, exploded bladder, sheared pelvis. He had four surgeries and was in the hospital for 23 days. By the time he came home, Richard was struggling to even use a walker.

As a federal grain examiner for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Richard climbs grain bins – up to 15 stories high, several times a day, all across the Midwest.

“The doctors didn’t know if I’d even walk again, never mind climb again,” he says.

Richard started physical therapy at NH+C’s Rehabilitation Services in Lakeville. His first appointments were with Kevin Johnson, PT, ATC. “Kevin said, ‘You’re just like Jell-O.’ He didn’t know what to do with me,” Richard recalls.

First up: Debilitating leg pain. Was Richard’s spine injured? It turns out that the surgical pins used to repair his pelvis were pressing on Richard’s sciatic nerve. Once the pins were removed, the pain stopped.

Now, Richard was ready to rebuild his strength. Incisions to repair his bladder had cut through Richard’s abdominal muscles. “I couldn’t sit up or get out of bed by myself,” he says. “I was like Humpty Dumpty, with all these vertical and horizontal incisions. Kevin put me back together.”

Conditioning exercises steadily rebuilt strength in his arms, then legs. “Kevin pushed me hard, and I thank him for it,” Richard says. “The day I could walk without a walker, and the day I could climb stairs . . . it meant everything. To be in a very physical job and not be able to walk, that’s a long road to get back to it.”

Next up: The concussion that threw off Richard’s balance. Chris Myatt, DPT treated Richard for that; weekly sessions improved Richard’s balance steadily. “At extreme heights for work, I have to have balance better than most people,” Richard explains. “Chris did a great job.”

Meanwhile, therapist Lori Lubow, PT helped alleviate severe cramping in Richard’s limbs. Samantha Klassen, MOTR/L, CLT treated the surgical scars on Richard’s chest that restricted the movement he needed to be able to climb. She used deep massage to break down scar tissue, restoring flexibility. And Corey Tynan, DPT used dry needling to restore feeling to Richard’s left foot and thigh – a combination of acupuncture and electricity to stimulate muscles and nerves that have gone numb.

“I saw pretty much everyone at the clinic over a year and a half,” Richard says. “I’ve gone through everything they offer in PT.”

So much physical therapy can be grueling. “They use positive reinforcement to keep you going when it hurts,” Richard says. “There were a lot of times when I was down, and they helped cheer me on. If I’m willing to put in the work, they’re willing to help me make the most of it.”

Kevin Johnson seconds that: “Richard is the real hero in this story. His perseverance and determination fueled his recovery.”

Now Richard is back on high ladders inspecting grain bins, and driving hundreds of miles a week . . . carefully.

His advice on making the most of physical therapy: “You gotta do the work. If you think you’re topping out, communicate with them. They can always find new exercises to work muscles you didn’t know you had. You think you’re getting better, and then you learn even more.”

“You don’t realize how rough you have it until you get better from it,” Richard adds. “I really appreciate things now that I took for granted – like walking.”

And the view from the top.