In part three of our series, we profile Christina Christie, a physical therapist and Gray Institute educator from Parkridge, IL. Christina credits 3DMAPS in helping her become “the go-to person in my area for those really difficult, complicated patients.”
Name: Christina Christie
Profession: Physical Therapist; Educator for Gray Institute; President of Pelvic Solutions; Group Exercise Instructor
Employer: Athletico Physical Therapy; Gray Institute; Pelvic Solutions; Centennial Fitness Center
Certifications: PT; Childbirth Educator; FAFS; FMR; ASTYM; 3DMAPS Certified
Hometown: Parkridge, IL
How did you get your start in the industry?
I’ve been a physical therapist for 25 years. I met Gary Gray back in 1992 and took my first Chain Reaction course. I’ve been working with the Gray Institute in various forms ever since. Then in 2006, I developed the female Chain Reaction course. The reason the course was developed was to integrate the worlds of orthopedics, sports medicine, and women’s health. Many orthopedic therapists don’t have any knowledge of women’s health, yet they’re treating female patients. We’d have female athletes that would have pelvic floor dysfunction and nobody really knew what to do with them. So, we tried to integrate those worlds with Applied Functional Science and functional evaluation, training, and rehabilitation.
How did you get involved with the Gray Institute?
At the time, I was working at a facility where other therapists attended his courses, and they encouraged me. I came to my first course in Detroit and from that point on, I realized that this all made sense. I’m more successful with my patients when I follow these principles, strategies, and techniques. I’ve been practicing that way ever since. I feel like I eat, live, and breathe Applied Functional Science.
What are your goals for 3DMAPS?
The thing I like most about 3DMAPS is that it gives attendees a foundational and educational platform for the professions of physical therapy and personal training. I can refer my patient, after rehabilitation, to a personal trainer who I know understands all of this language. All of these different disciplines work together to provide a continuum of care to the patient.
What are you most excited about?
I feel that new grads coming out of physical therapy school get a really well-rounded education, but it’s just a starting point. Their functional evaluation skills, their Chain Reaction biomechanics; they don’t necessarily know what that is. 3DMAPS gives them a starting point to understand it, apply it with their patients, and then decide if they want to delve deeper into the education.
The other piece of 3DMAPS that’s super exciting for me with the female population is that we can take these tests, and we can figure out common things we see with the female athletes. Many of these athletes suffer from ACL injuries, and they usually have some sort of pelvic floor dysfunction. With 3DMAPS, we’re able to give the physical therapist, the trainer, the group instructor, and the osteopath the tools to figure out possible suspects that might be adding to the dysfunction, and then eventually, improve their sports performance and quality of life.
How has Applied Functional Science impacted your career?
I came out of physical therapy school with all of the traditional skills that a physical therapist comes out with. If a patient wasn’t getting better, it was kind of like, “I don’t know where to go from here.” When I took Chain Reaction and understood and started to learn Applied Functional Science, it actually made sense. The success I’ve had with my patients greatly improved and continued to improve.
Over the past 25 years, I’ve become the go-to person in my area for those really difficult, complicated patients. I’m always happier when my patients are getting better. It’s really exciting to get the emails and notes from patients after therapy. To keep telling me that I impacted their quality of life. I’ve had so many patients say, “You’ve saved me” and “You’ve absolutely changed the quality of life,” that makes it absolutely worth it.
Contact the Gray Institute
In case you missed it, read part one and part two of our series!
To learn more about the Gray Institute’s 3DMPAS Certification, contact us today.
Phone: (866) 230-8300
Email: info@grayinstitute.com
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