I was introduced to the treatment approach that I now practice in 2007 when my older son sustained a serious head injury, and the doctors at Denver Children’s Hospital recommended a particular physical therapy practice in Steamboat Springs for his rehabilitation. For the next few weeks and months, I observed his recovery, as well as the recovery of other patients in the clinic, and was blown away. We had been to physical therapy before, but nothing like this. I was so inspired that when my younger son started boarding school, I went back to school. Seven years later, having earned a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, having completed a post-doctorate residency program, and having achieved Certification in Functional Manual Therapy, I too now practice that same physical therapy treatment approach that so impressed me almost 20 years ago.
Functional Manual Therapy (FMT) is a comprehensive physical therapy treatment approach developed and perfected over the course of decades by Gregg Johnson and his wife, Vicky Saliba Johnson. The Johnsons recognized early in their careers that exercise alone cannot correct physiological dysfunction. In response, they developed a three-step approach, the first of which involves the use of manual techniques to correct mechanical dysfunction and restore efficient alignment. Mechanical dysfunction almost invariably leads to muscular inhibition, and so the second step uses manual techniques to restore communication between the brain and the involved muscles (neuromuscular re-education). The third and final step then incorporates efficient mechanical alignment and neuromuscular response into a functional activity (i.e., walking, running, swimming, cycling, etc.) that is meaningful to the patient. It is the combination of these three steps that produces the kind of results that prompt patients to seek out practitioners of FMT around the country, and around the world.
Certification in Functional Manual Therapy (CFMT) is a rigorous continuing education program involving the completion of a series of eight courses followed by a week-long examination. Most candidates complete each of the eight courses multiple times in order to fully master the material prior to sitting for the examination. The examination itself consists of four days of review, followed by two days of both oral/practical and written examinations for each of the required courses. Certification is awarded to those candidates who demonstrate proficiency in all required courses.
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) with Honors,
Regis University, Denver, CO May 2014
Post-Doctoral Residency in Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF),
Kaiser Foundation Rehabilitation Center, Vallejo, CA January 2015
Certified Functional Manual Therapist (CFMT) with Honors,
Institute of Physical Art, Steamboat Springs, CO August 2016
Upledger Craniosacral Therapy
Including courses in Craniosacral Therapy, Somatoemotional Release, and Advanced Topics
Functional Dry Needling, Level 1,
Kinetacore Physical Therapy Education, Brighton, CO May 2016