An eager learner in his final year of physical therapy school, Ryan had an alarming realization: the patients he and his cohort were treating were not getting better.
Despite following all the protocols, assigning all the suggested stretches, and doing exactly what the textbook said, his patients were making little progress and not experiencing true healing. When he pushed his superiors for answers about how and why they were doing certain exercises, they couldn’t give him any clear reasons that made sense to Ryan. He was at the end of his rope.
“I decided there had to be more to physical therapy,” Ryan explains, “or I had wasted six years of my life.”
Determined to discover redeeming methods that would save his love for physical therapy, Ryan began to investigate other educational options. Through this research, he discovered Applied Functional Science® and Gray Institute.
Applied Functional Science Reignites Ryan’s Passion for Physical Therapy
While going through Gray Institute’s Functional Video Digest Series, which covered many topics of Applied Functional Science, Ryan watched patients who would not have recovered with “traditional” methods heal from complex injuries in a matter of days. The Applied Functional Science approach was exactly what Ryan had been searching for; it addressed the root cause of his patients’ pain, empowered him to understand his decisions, and focused on understanding the patients’ unique needs as people.
With this new insight, Ryan felt curious and energized. Gray Institute was the missing piece from his formal education.
After completing Gray Institute’s Functional Video Digest Series, Ryan enrolled in multiple Gray Institute courses and GIFT, our renowned 40-week mentorship program. These learning experiences not only provided the person-centered education he craved, but nurtured his natural leadership abilities. At just 24 years old, Ryan was helping patients recover from injuries that no other conventionally trained therapist had been able to treat and was fielding job offers to direct physical therapy clinics.
RELATED: Why Choose GIFT (Gray Institute for Functional Transformation)?
Ryan Gets Results With Patients He Wouldn’t’ have Been Able to Treat Before
Ryan now runs a thriving private practice in Wisconsin. In a region where other private practices have experienced historic dips in business, Ryan’s practice has doubled in size. Driven mostly by word-of-mouth, patients come from as far as two hours away because of Ryan’s reputation for friendly, effective treatment.
“When I graduated physical therapy school, my former classmates would always tell me they didn’t know what to do with a certain person or condition,” Ryan explains. “It was hard for me to believe, because after my exposure to Gray Institute, I can truly say I’ve never had a patient I didn’t know how to help due to the principles, strategies, and techniques learned there.”
And it’s not just Ryan that sees the difference in approach. His patients, many of whom are experiencing relief for the first time in years, are vocal supporters.
“This PT team is the best,” says one of Ryan’s former patients. “I’ve been to PT clinics in the area and did not get the same results as with Ryan and his team. The difference is Ryan’s philosophy in treating the issue as it relates to the entire body and how it should move. This creates optimum results, and I’m extremely satisfied!”
While Ryan enjoys treating all patients, he’s exploring a new specialization treating and training golfers. After going through Gray Institute’s Functional Golf System, he’s helping golfers make simple biomechanical adjustments and drive the ball an extra 20 to 30 yards off the club, with a pain-free swing.
Need to Take Your Physical Therapy Education to the Next Level? Gray Institute Can Help
At Gray Institute, we believe educating, treating, and training begin with the person’s unique experience and story. If you feel like your formal physical therapy education is missing something and you need more tools to understand and treat injuries, continuing your education at Gray Institute could be the missing piece.
To learn more about which offering would be a good fit for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us by filling out this simple online form. We look forward to hearing from you!