Professional Hockey Player
Age: 23
“Thanks to Reflex, I no longer worry about what I can and cannot do because of knee pain. And, I’m always welcomed with a smile.”
Pacific Northwest hockey fans will likely recognize Taylor Peters as the agile former player for the Portland Winterhawks – he served as Center for five seasons, and secured a Western Hockey League Championship in 2013. Yet, as effortless as Taylor appears on the rink, very few realize his years-long struggle with knee pain.
An active life
A career as a professional athlete requires long hours and dedication to staying in shape, improving skills, and building strength. In Taylor’s case, this hard work paid off – from the Winterhawks, he was signed to play for the Texas Stars in the 2013-2014 season, where he and his team won the AHL Calder Cup Championship in his first year.
However, Taylor encountered more than glory that season – as a new player for the Texas Stars, Taylor noticed increasing pain in his knees after practice.
“The pain became so unbearable,” he said. “I would tailor my workouts to put less stress on both my knees. Even on the ice, it would take almost fifteen minutes for my knees to warm up.”
In the following couple of years, knee pain caused discomfort and threatened Taylor’s athletic performance. After seeing how his teammates’ injuries could waylay their careers, he decided it was time to take action to improve his knee health.
Staying at the top of his game
To remain competitive, Taylor looked to Reflex’s expertise for solutions. Our physicians began administering platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections in the summer of 2014 – a therapy that substantially helps the process of wound and soft tissue healing. Taylor quickly noticed improvements.
“Within three months of the first treatment with Reflex, I noticed that the knee pain I normally experienced during and after practice greatly reduced,” he said. “My workouts became more and more productive, and I set personal bests on a number of leg exercises because of it.”
After experiencing the concrete effects of Reflex’s PRP treatments, Taylor returned to continue the treatments the following year. Reflex’s intervention supported Taylor in working toward his goals – he continues to play for the Texas Stars, and ultimately aspires to play for the NHL.
“The PRP treatments have given me much needed confidence in my knees as I continue to push myself on and off the ice,” Taylor said. “I wouldn’t be able to be where I am today without those treatments and the expert staff at Reflex.”