Ageless wellness: Healthy Seniors brings physical therapy to older population

Christina and Ross Terry are a husband-and-wife duo who run Healthy Seniors, a physical therapy business specializing in older adults. (Photograph by Terah Hoobler)

Physical therapist Christina Terry strongly believes “If you don’t make time for your wellness, you’ll be forced to make time for your illness.” As an owner of Healthy Seniors Physical Therapy & Wellness, Terry strives to help her patients realize the value of that statement. Specializing in a patient range of 55 and over, Terry dedicates herself to working with a population whose numbers are only increasing, and according to research, only half of that generation gets the physical activity that they need to help reduce and prevent chronic disease.

All ages require their own set of challenges, and “a 70-year-old body is definitely different from a 30-year-old body,” she said.

Terry opened her business with her husband, Ross, in 2020. Recognizing that Wilmington is a melting pot of people from all over with many moving here to retire, working with the senior population was an easy decision for them both.

“During our experience as physical therapists, my husband and I recognized a growing need for an outpatient physical therapy clinic dedicated to seniors,” she said. “If you look at other specialized clinics in the area, there are some for pediatrics, for women, for sports, but none that targets that particular age group.”

The clinic specializes in many areas such as fall prevention; muscle weakness; hip, knee, and shoulder issues, along with cancer rehabilitation and spine injuries.

A Silver Fox Wellness Club is offered including group fitness classes and personal training sessions. Ageless Strength: Barbells, Bands, and Balls and Move It or Lose It classes help improve muscle memory and strength training. One-on-one appointments help those looking to stay active upon discharge from physical therapy.

Terry was drawn to a career in physical therapy because of its problem-solving nature and an overall desire to help others. “I love to figure out what is wrong with someone,” she said. “Deciding whether it is pain, vertigo, weakness or neurological or musculoskeletal impairments is fascinating to me,” she said. “Problem-solving is the best way to get patients better and help them achieve their goals and live life better.”

Originally from Ohio, Terry got her bachelor’s in health sciences from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s in physical therapy from Winston Salem State University. She and her husband met while working as physical therapists, and between them both have a total of thirty years of experience.

Ross has a doctorate degree in physical therapy from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Like his wife, Ross was drawn to helping more of an elderly clientele. “Early on in my career as a physical therapist I began working with seniors and really found my passion with this population,” he said. “People work their entire lives to get to retirement age, and no one wants to spend that time troubled with pain.”

“We strive to help our patients recognize the importance of physical activity as a preventative role in the healthy aging process and assist them on their path to enjoying life, no matter their age,” he added.