A Detailed Insight Into My Practice
Getting Started:
For our first visit, I recommend a 90-minute appointment. This will give us ample time for clinical assessment, exercise prescription, and some massage therapy. If you are unable to book a 90-minute appointment, I’m happy to accommodate an initial 60minute appointment!
Treatment Frequency:
I have patients who see me as frequently as three times a week, others who see me as infrequently as once every eight weeks, and everything in between! While I find the best results come from weekly or bi-weekly (every 2 weeks) sessions, I’m happy to modify my services to best use our time together. Sometimes just a few sessions and adherence to a specific exercise prescription is all you need!
Step #1: Posture Assessment
if YOU'RE not assessing, you’re guessing
My Posture and Movement Assessment unravels the details of your posture, movement patterns, muscular balance, & joint function. After the assessment, we will record a therapeutic exercise program to start optimizing your posture & movement mechanics.
My assessment goal is to identify the source of dysfunction as specifically as possible. This allows me to develop an effective treatment plan to restore function in areas of weakness and restriction. We will explore a combination of manual and movement therapy to bring balance to your body and eliminate pain. As our work together continues, our treatment plan will evolve into a strategy to also achieve your fitness goals.
Posture Assessment - What to Expect:
We start with a general posture and movement assessment, identifying postural imbalances and poor movement habits. This usually involves some “postural mug shots” which we will review together to help you understand your posture. After reviewing these photos, we will explore some primal movement patterns (squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, etc.) to identify areas of compensation during functional, everyday movement.
Clinical Assessment - What to Expect:
Once we have identified general areas of concern, we will run through a series of specific clinical assessments to identify areas that require special care and also rule out pathology. If we identify anything that I believe to be outside of my scope of practice, I will refer you to one of several trusted colleagues I frequently collaborate with. In this case, we will continue to work on the bigger picture together while you receive highly specialized treatment for your injuries. Collaborating with other professionals has proven to be a wonderful learning experience for both myself and my patients.
Step #2: Therapeutic Exercise Prescription
Master Movement As Nature Intended
Unfortunately, as universities place increasing emphasis on medical technology in their rehab curriculum, therapeutic exercise seems to have become an afterthought and ultimately, in the practice of rehab professionals.
I firmly believe that when it comes to musculoskeletal injury and posture, movement is the true healer and manual therapy is the catalyst that makes such movement accessible.
Therapeutic Exercise Prescription - What to Expect:
We will start simple, with a 10-15 minute routine to practice 3-4x/week. I use a brilliant app (Phydeo) that allows me to record all of your exercises in session and then creates your own private webpage where you can stream instructions for your exercises along with written details of how many reps, sets, etc. to perform (no stick figure handouts here).
These exercises are specifically designed to target the “weakest links” in your body and require no exercise equipment. The goal here is to become stronger than the demands of daily life (whether you’re at a desk 14 hours a day or a professional athlete).
Step #3: Functional Neuroscience Therapy
Hacking the Human Nervous System
In the human body the hardware (muscles, joints, fascia) adapts to the software (the brain and nervous system). For optimal success, we must treat the software to successfully treat the hardware.
Muscles and fascia are controlled by the nervous system which responds to sensory input. 75% of the motor control system is processing sensory input. If there is corrupt sensory input to the brain, there can only be a dysfunctional response. These dysfunctional responses manifest into pain, injury, and inhibition.
Functional Neuroscience - What to Expect:
NeuroKinetic Therapy (NKT) is used to identify compensatory relationships and Proprioceptive-Deep Tendon Reflex (P-DTR) is used to treat their related sensory input dysfunction. Examples of sensory input include impact, tissue stretch/pressure, emotions, temperature, sound, and touch.
By clearing these sensory input dysfunctions at the start of our treatment, our massage and corrective exercise prescription will be even more effective because we have cleared the source of inhibition at the neurological level. Your brain, your nervous system, and your body will be “open-minded” to learning new ways of function. This creates a window of opportunity to reprogram the nervous system with functional movement training.
NeuroKinetic Therapy®
“NeuroKinetic Therapy®, is a sophisticated assessment and treatment modality that addresses the causes of dysfunctional movement/coordination problems at their root in the motor control center in the cerebellum. The motor control center stores these patterns and directs their completion through the spinal cord and the muscles. The motor control center learns through failure.”
Learn more about NKT at: https://neurokinetictherapy.com/seminars/about
Proprioceptive - Deep Tendon Reflex (P-DTR)
“Proprioceptive – Deep Tendon Reflex (P-DTR)is the product of the original thought and research of orthopedic surgeon, Dr. José Palomar. This work recognizes that input from sensory receptors – and the way the brain processes the information from these receptors – is critical in determining neuromuscular responses throughout the entire body. If feedback from proprioceptors is aberrant, then motor control is compromised, and pain and dysfunction will ensue.
Using a comprehensive system of muscle testing and neural challenges, dysfunctional sensory receptors can be located and corrected, quickly restoring normal function and eliminating pain. Most therapeutic modalities address only the “hardware” of the body, neglecting the fact that most of the pain and dysfunction we experience is often actually a problem with our “software.” P-DTR® provides access to the software coding of the human nervous system, allowing you to quickly identify and resolve the root causes of pain and dysfunction throughout the entire body.
The P-DTR evaluation and treatment process is fast, non-invasive, and permanent. While a given set of symptoms can have many layers of software problems that need to be resolved, once a given channel of sensory information flowing to brain has been corrected, it will remain functional unless a new trauma occurs.”
Learn More About P-DTR here: https://www.pdtrusa.com/
Step #4: Deep Tissue Massage
& Fascial Abrasion Technique
Massage Therapy: The Oldest Form of Medicine
Massage Therapy - What to Expect:
Once relative sensory dysfunctions have been cleared, the next step is to treat the tissues themselves. This usually involves a combination of releasing fascial adhesions, decreasing muscular tension, treating triggering points, and improving circulation to areas of restriction.
In practice, my traditional Swedish massage therapy techniques are often complemented by tool-assisted fascial abrasion techniques and dynamic soft-tissue release. The goal of our massage therapy treatments is to improve overall tissue quality and resolve structural restrictions that are affecting your condition and performance.
WHAT IS FASCIAL ABRASION AND WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS?
The Fascial Abrasion Technique involves the use of a tool to break down scar tissue and resolve fascial restrictions. Fascial abrasion technique is used to treat painful conditions resulting from injury or overuse disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, cervical and lumbar strain, tendinosis (Achilles, rotator cuff) patella-femoral knee pain and tennis and golfers elbow.
HOW DOES IT WORK AND WHY IS IT EFFECTIVE?
Fascial abrasion provides a controlled micro-trauma that stimulates specialized nerve endings in the skin and fascia that help to normalize fascial tone. The FAT-Tool can also be used to treat scar tissue that may be causing pain or limiting motion. It can also be used to stimulate a local inflammatory response that supports the rebuilding of injured soft tissue. Please be advised that this technique often causes some minor bruising/petechiae and in some cases, soreness for a few days post-treatment. However, the results are worth the deep release this technique provides.
Step #5: Strength Coaching
& Functional Conditioning
Movement Therapy - Programming The Human Nervous System
After clearing sensory inhibitions and soft tissue restrictions, your body is in the optimal state to replace dysfunction with functional movement habits. However, a strong and functional body is not built with therapeutic exercise alone. As necessary as fine-tuning your movement mechanics may be, therapeutic exercise doesn’t offer the intensity required to develop the strength, physique, and performance you may desire.
Personal Training - What To Expect:
While my practice has a therapy focus, my roots are in the realm of personal training and strength coaching. I’ve been personal training for 13 years integrating elements of functional conditioning, bodybuilding, kettlebells, yoga, circus, martial arts, calisthenics, and gymnastics.
I’ve always lived a very active lifestyle and over the years have experience in fitness modelling, parkour, rock climbing, krav maga (martial arts), aerial circus acrobatics, fire flow arts, dance, and yoga. My involvement in these activities is often reflected in my training style.
Regardless of your age and fitness level, I’m happy to work with you. Throughout my career, I’ve had experience working with a wide range of individuals, from professional athletes to those suffering from debilitating chronic illness, to seniors pushing well over 80 years old, and a lot in between!