Gabby Petersen

I am a ballet dancer, and have been since I was three years old. During my first two years of high school, I suffered multiple knee dislocations, which eventually required two surgeries and physical therapy, all of which were performed at HSS. 

I had been recovering well, and was almost done with my final physical therapy protocols when I started to feel joint pain throughout my lower body. After determining that the pain was not orthopedic in nature, my surgeon, Dr. Fabricant, referred me to Dr. Pan in pediatric rheumatology at HSS. Dr. Pan immediately recognized the symptoms of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome (AMPS) and referred me to Magda Oledzka in pediatric rehabilitation, who was trained in the specialized PT protocol my diagnosis required. I knew Magda from my post-surgery physical therapy sessions with Joe Molony at HSS, and she knew how important it was for me to get back to ballet as quickly as possible, as we only have a few performances per year and at this point I was already a junior in high school. Within weeks of beginning the protocol, I was stronger than I had ever been before. That subsequent spring performance was the first time I performed without a knee brace in years. Since then I have performed on pointe and have fully recovered from both my surgeries and AMPS. I am so grateful for the collaborative effort, experience, and knowledge of the doctors and physical therapists at HSS for getting me Back in the Game.