Thank you so much for your interest in Convergent Movement and Performance! It’s important to me that we get to know one another, and so I would love to take the time to introduce myself. Through this page, I look forward to sharing my path and my mission. Ultimately, I hope to shine light on what Convergent Movement and Performance stands for, why and how it came to fruition, and what you can expect if you decide to work together.
My name is Dr. Gene Ketselman, and I am dedicated to helping people with persistent and unresolved pain conquer their condition, and become healthy, active, and fit… all without the use of unnecessary medications, injections, or surgeries!
I completely understand the challenges and difficulties that come with persistent pain. It can be incredibly overwhelming, and it can affect every aspect of your life. But I want you to know that you are not alone in this struggle. I have been in the same position, and I know the feelings of frustration and hopelessness that come with it.
The following is my personal journey with persistent pain, and what lead to the birth of the “Convergent Approach.”
A Rising Star
Benchwarmer to All-Star: The Journey of An Athlete’s Dream
Growing up, soccer and wrestling were my absolute passions, and my life revolved around these activities. When I played these sports, trained, and competed with my team, I felt like I had a place to belong. My teammates were some of my best friends, and through all the good and bad times, I knew we were in it together.
Not only was there a sense of connection, but there was also an incredible high that came from observing my skills and abilities develop and grow. It was particularly impactful because I was honestly among the least talented starting out. But I learned quickly that hard work and persistence pay off.
There came a time when I had to make a decision on which sport to focus on. At that point, soccer became my priority, and I went in full force. My soccer skills and abilities continued to grow, and I was selected to begin traveling to Europe to compete in international tournaments. Furthermore, I was selected to play for a specialized development team built around preparing promising athletes for Division 1 college soccer. My dreams were coming true, and I was on track to play soccer in college!
The Burnout
Athlete to Patient: Navigating the Complex World of Sports Injury Recovery
I was on an ultimate high, and on top of the world… until it all came crashing down. Progress was put on hold with the development of persistent injuries and setbacks. Looking back now, it makes complete sense. All I did was train non-stop, but I had no understanding or guidance on recovery. My body just couldn’t take it anymore.
I worked as hard as I could to recover, consulting with many professionals in numerous fields and specialties including orthopedists, sports medicine specialists, physical therapists, chiropractors, and strength and conditioning coaches. Unfortunately, nothing provided lasting relief.
At this point it became devastating to see that no matter how hard I tried, and how many healthcare, fitness, and sport professionals I consulted, my circumstances were not improving. I was being forced away from my passions of physical activity, exercise, and sport.
The pain became so bad that I began to hate practicing and competing. I just couldn’t take it anymore. The thing I once loved more than anything else became something I grew to resent. Essentially, I had burnt out far too early. My community, my confidence, and my dreams of playing Division 1 soccer in college all came to a painful end.
The thing is, I still believed in the potential of what properly managed therapy COULD be. But the problem was, I just wasn’t seeing it. Honestly, I had no idea of what it would even look like. All I knew was that there had to be an approach that worked. Unfortunately, I just kept noticing a number of key trends that were constantly arising:
This devastation fueled me to take matters into my own hands. Not only did I want to find answers for myself, but I simultaneously wanted to prevent others from going through the same heartbreak I had endured.
I knew I had to be the change I was hoping to see. I was going to dedicate my life and career to it. I was going to do things differently.
A New Beginning
Pain to Purpose: The Search For Answers
To accomplish this, I set out on a mission to gain all the knowledge and skills I could to help those with the goals of resolving pain and improving their physical abilities. Through the process I earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Exercise Science, a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, the prestigious recognition as a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists, and a multitude of other advanced and specialized certifications including those in strength and conditioning.
It was important to me that I understood the full spectrum of physical abilities; everything from conquering the most debilitating pain all the way through achieving elite level physical performance. My belief was that this knowledge and training would not only help me conquer my own persistent pain and physical difficulties, but more importantly help others just like me struggling to finally find relief and achieve their goals.
The Crushing Truth
Hero to Helpless: My Battle With Persistent Pain
Over time, the knowledge, training, and skills I relentlessly pursued allowed me the opportunity to progressively help more and more of my patients and clients conquer pain and achieve their physical goals. Although I was excited and grateful to be in a position of such meaningful service, I was still secretly heartbroken.
No matter how hard I tried, and how much I learned and put into practice, there were still those suffering with persistent and chronic pain that didn’t find relief no matter what I did. Although many of my patients did get better, my mind focused on those that didn’t. Furthermore, what really hurt was that I myself was one of those people I couldn’t help.
Yes, after everything I’ve been through and learned, I still couldn’t understand and resolve my own pain. What started out as overuse soccer injuries, evolved into persistent full-body widespread pain lasting over a decade that kept me from doing any of the activities I loved. The pain affected every part of my life, including my health, my hobbies, my work, and my relationships. To be completely honest, I felt like a complete failure. I just kept thinking “how could I help others if I can’t even help myself?”
A Light In The Darkness
Rock Bottom to A Beacon Of Hope: Discovering A New Way
I felt completely lost, which lead me to dive deeper into research and study. As dorky as it may seem, it’s honesty how I find comfort in times of uncertainty. Realizing that there’s something I might not know brings me hope that maybe there’s still something I haven’t tried.
One day I came across a researcher in the field of pain neurophysiology that posed the question, “what else might be going on in the life of someone with chronic pain?” This question was brought up in the context of pain involving multiple factors. The science is very clear; pain is not only about injury and healing.
I’ve heard of the importance of considering that question many times before, but it was only at that moment that it finally dawned on me. When it came to diagnosing and resolving pain, I primarily focused on how movement, exercise, and manual (hands-on) therapy could help, as well as considered when medications, injections, or surgeries might be appropriate.
As I gave that question more and more thought in relation to my own pain, I realized that there was quite a lot going on…
Not only was I unable to exercise and be physically active, but I was also simultaneously stressed, eating terribly, and barely sleeping. Furthermore, all of this had a negative impact on my relationships.
The more I thought about it, the more it dawned on me.
There’s no separation between these factors. They don’t function on their own, but rather as part of a bigger whole. So how could any of these things be left out? They couldn’t be. Rather, each factor needed to be considered within the overall program. They needed to be “converged.”
I realized that it’s not about focusing on each piece separately. It’s about converging all aspects together in a way that’s complementary. Only then is the body truly in a state that’s ready to recover and thrive.
“There’s so much I haven’t tried, but that all changes now,” I thought. After all, “I have nothing to lose.”
With intense motivation, I dove head-first into studying the neurophysiology of pain. I learned and practiced everything I could read, watch, listen to, and get my hands on. Everything pointed to the importance of tackling stress, nutrition, sleep, and social connections, all in addition to physical activity and exercise that I already spent my career mastering.
It’s Never Easy
Pumped to Flat: Feeling the Overwhelm
It wasn’t long before I became enormously overwhelmed. Have you ever tried going down the rabbit-hole of health and wellness? It’s no easy task.
Luckily, with my healthcare background, I was able to separate the quality research-based information from the click-bait hype and trends. Nonetheless, even with the correct knowledge, it is still overwhelming for anyone. I read the studies, took courses, achieved certifications, practiced, and tested everything I learned on myself. I wanted to make sure I knew exactly what everything felt like, as well as what truly did and did not work.
The hardest part of the process was putting everything together. As I learned all I could about these critical factors that affect pain, I realized that each factor was typically taught separately from the other. I would learn about nutrition. I would learn about sleep. I would learn about physical activity and exercise. I would learn about stress regulation. But I struggled to find a source that provided a clear and concise path of how to converge them all together in a step-by-step and systematic fashion.
The Finish Line
Chaos to Order: Uncovering the Hidden Path
Nonetheless I persisted, and was astounded by the results. The intense chronic pain I had suffered with on a daily basis began to dwindle and fade. Any pain that remained began to come and go depending on what I was doing, and what was going on in my life at that time.
The biggest thing was that I now knew exactly what made me better and exactly what made me worse. If pain did occur, I knew the specific cause, and I knew what it took to find relief. You can’t imagine the impact of having peace-of-mind.
It wasn’t until then that I realized the fear I used to experience as a result of my pain was what truly made me suffer. Prior to developing this Convergent approach, I never had answers, and I never knew what was going on. It kept me on edge, and actually made me even more sensitive to my pain.
With the right understanding, I was able to move beyond my pain. I was thrilled to witness myself becoming more and more physically active, and being able to return to hiking, jogging, cycling, squatting, and deadlifting, which were all things I only dreamt of being able to get back to.
As my knowledge and experience grew, I built out the clear and concise step-by-step path to integrating all the most essential factors involved in conquering pain and becoming healthy, active, and fit. These essential factors include:
As I reflected on how far I’ve come, I recalled how I had wished that an integrated and step-by-step process like this existed during my journey to overcoming my own personal pain. Realizing this, I knew I had to share the approach with my patients and clients. As they began to experience this Convergent approach themselves, they too began to realize profound changes in their pain, physical abilities, and overall well-being.
A New World
Patient to Guide: Live, Learn, and Share
As physically and emotionally challenging as this journey has been, I am grateful each day for the experiences I had, and those that I continue to have.
The pain, struggles, and frustrations I endured lead to the creation of Convergent Movement and Performance.
I know exactly how difficult it can be to deal with unresolved pain, or not be able to reach your physical goals. It’s incredibly frustrating and can make even the simplest of tasks feel like an insurmountable challenge. I understand how it can affect your relationships, your work, and your daily life. But I assure you that you are not alone in this struggle, and together we can find ways to alleviate your pain and improve your overall well-being.
I would be honored to work alongside you, and to help you find ways of easing your pain and improving your health and physical abilities. Together, we can come up with a plan that addresses your specific needs and helps you to reclaim your life. I am here for you, and I am ready to support you in any way that I can.
Please click here to learn exactly what you can expect during your journey with Convergent Movement and Performance.
As a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT), Dr. Gene Ketselman is recognized by the American Physical Therapy Association as being among the most highly trained and specialized physical therapists within the profession.
In fact, Dr. Ketselman’s Fellowship status places him in the top 5% of the most highly trained and specialized Orthopedic and Manual physical therapists in the United States.
Furthermore, Dr. Ketselman converges specialized physical therapy with his advanced training in wellness, yoga, breathwork, mindfulness, meditation, fitness, and sport.
The approaches utilized within each Convergent Movement and Performance program are truly personalized and individualized, with a deep focus on progressing from pain and injury all the way to the highest levels of physical performance needed to reach your specific goals.
Wellness
Physical Therapy
Fitness/Sport
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If my practice and approach sound like a good fit for you and your goals, I’d love to find a convenient time for us to meet. We can do an initial assessment, determine what’s going on, and discuss what the best next steps would be moving forward. Please click below to schedule a convenient time for your initial assessment session, and get ready to conquer your pain and become healthy, active, and fit!
If you still have questions, or would like to meet before getting started, I completely understand! Please don’t hesitate to click below and schedule a free consultation session where we can get to know one another and discuss what’s been going on. I will be happy to honestly explain whether and how I can help. Together, we will determine whether we’re a good fit.
If you have any other questions, or would like to discuss something prior to scheduling an initial assessment or free consult, please click below to send me a direct message. If you prefer to speak by phone, please click below to send me a direct message providing your name, phone number, and best time/s for me to return your call.
Contact
Convergent Movement and Performance serves out of Northern – Central New Jersey, conveniently located to those that live, work, and travel in the nearby towns of Bridgewater, Raritan, Branchburg, Somerville, Hillsborough, Warren, Martinsville, Watchung Hills, Bedminster, Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Chatham, Westfield, and Piscataway within Somerset, Morris, Union, and Middlesex counties, NJ.
Mailing Address (for postage/packages only)
726 Route 202 South, Suite 320, Unit 200, Bridgewater, NJ 08807
Medical Disclaimer: The content and information within convergentmp.com are strictly based on opinions and thoughts, and therefore all content is educational only. Convergentmp.com and all related content should not be relied upon for the purpose of replacing formal medical care including but not limited to screening for pathology, movement evaluation, diagnostics, and treatment. It is also the sole responsibility of each and every individual reader, content consumer, and website visitor to consult with a licensed healthcare provider prior to carrying out any provided information. Dr. Ketselman and Convergent Movement and Performance LLC are in no way, shape, or form responsible or liable for any kind of adverse event, loss, risk, or other problem, which is sustained as a result of consulting convergentmp.com or information obtained in any other forms of communication.
