Alexandria, VA — For too long, women have been told to “live with it.” Leaking a little when you laugh or jump? “Oh, that happens.” Shoulder stiffness after menopause? “Just part of aging.” Fatigue that lingers after cancer treatment? “Something you’ll get used to.”

Athena Wellness founder Sara Acheson wants to change that narrative. “It may be common,” she says, “but that doesn’t make it normal.” During this month of breast cancer awareness, and every other month, women deserve better.

As a physical therapist in Alexandria specializing in oncology and women’s health, Acheson sees a troubling pattern: women suffering silently, assuming that discomfort, weakness, or pain is simply their lot in life. She said, “My patients think, ‘Why am I still having this issue? I don’t want this to be n

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