My first experience with physical therapy was when I hurt my knee while training Judo. After the 5th or 6th time that my knee completely gave out on me I was given an MRI and sent to a physical therapist. There I learned how weak my right leg was compared to my left and why just resting my injury was not enough to get me back to training. I also learned for the first time how limited I could feel when my mobility was taken away from me. This experience showed me the effect of what proper treatment and education could do for someone. It also made me want to give to others what had been given to me.
After finishing my engineering degree I started a doctor of physical therapy degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I graduated and began practicing in 2008. I was lucky that my school had a manual therapy fellowship program which gave me a strong base focused on Maitland teachings. Through my work I was able to study several different treatment types which included McKenzie method, Mulligan, and Functional Movement Patterns. I have found that no one specific program solves every problem, but a combination of manual therapy, proper exercises and education to address people’s movement impairments helps me to get the best outcomes for my patients. In addition to treating orthopedic and sports injuries I became interested in concussion and vestibular therapy. In 2016 I completed and passed the certification for Vestibular Rehabilitation offered through Duke and Emory University and I am a member of the STARS concussion clinic. I have been blessed to get to work with a variety of patients from professional athletes to patients who have not walked in over a year. Helping people to regain the level of mobility and movement that is important to them is what makes my work truly enjoyable to me.
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