Simple solutions that go a long way.
When you first experienced back pain, maybe you thought it was annoying and would just go away on its own. But it didn’t. You found stretches and exercises online and saw various healthcare providers for treatment. Perhaps temporary relief followed, but the pain ultimately returned. Now you can’t sit comfortably for a single meeting, reach down to tie your shoe, or go for your afternoon run without cringing. What if the problem isn’t simply your back? What if you’re missing the basics?
Overall health spans many physiological systems. Sometimes a simple solution will go a long way. If the foundation of a house is not strong and stable, there can be many problems above ground. The walls may crack, windows may slope, or plumbing may be disrupted. The body is similar. If you’re not moving, sleeping, breathing, eating, and recreating well, problems will likely result in many forms, including pain, stiffness, and fatigue. I will give you solutions to lay a solid foundation for your health while addressing your pain or breathing issue, since the two are likely connected.
All too often we obsess over our problems, striving to relieve our symptoms. At Sommers Physical Therapy, symptom relief is not the only goal; we are passionately working toward optimizing your health through prevention, holistic medicine, and interdisciplinary care.
My philosophy has been shaped by both study and experience. My studies with the Postural Restoration Institute made me aware of the connectedness of the entire body and the physiological systems housed within it. For example, I have found that the way your shoulder moves might be causing your hip pain. I’ve seen this time and time again. In my clinical practice, my goal is always to provide you maximal benefit, and that requires looking at the big picture.
An introduction to the upper airway came later in my studies. While participating in physical therapy for my own hip pain, I was prescribed oral motor exercises following interventions to address the rest of my body. With oral motor therapy, the remaining hip pain ceased (as did my neck pain), my sleep quality improved, and I felt calmer throughout the day. Research demonstrating the connections between posture, tongue mobility, breathing, airway patency, facial growth, and sleep-disordered breathing is quickly growing. Abnormal oral posture is connected to numerous health issues downstream. What’s exciting is that something can be done about it! With early intervention and prevention of abnormal oral posture, the potential for compounded positive effects are immeasurable.
My formal training includes:
- A Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of California, San Francisco/San Francisco State University
- A Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from the University of California, Davis
I have also had the opportunity to study with and learn from:
- The Postural Restoration Institute (PRI).
- Bill Hartman’s Intensive V at Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (IFAST).
- The Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (AOMT).
- Various sleep specialists including dentists, orthodontists, orofacial myofunctional therapists, and orofacial surgeons.