My Approach to Physical Therapy

“Helping you move efficiently, breathe freely, and live without pain.”

The Principle of Neutrality

What it means to be “physically fit” varies among individuals. Whether your goal is walking to the mailbox or training for a marathon, the key is efficiency—doing your activity without self-harm and with the least amount of energy.

The secret is Neutrality. Good posture isn’t about “sitting up tall” in a military fashion; it’s a relaxed position where your trunk is centered. In a neutral state, you aren’t being pulled in one direction or the other, allowing you to move freely in both directions. When your body is in neutral, your muscles are neither too tight nor too loose—they are in the right place to do the job they were made to do.

Understanding Human Asymmetry

We often think of the body as perfectly symmetrical, but it isn’t. The internal placement of our organs—specifically the liver on the right and the heart/spleen on the left—determines how we move and breathe.

Because the liver helps “dome” the right diaphragm, breathing is naturally easier on the right side. This leads to common tendencies, such as right-leg dominance. My work focuses on balancing these asymmetries by positioning the left diaphragm to encourage better abdominal activation. This is far more effective than generic abdominal strengthening.

Reframing Movement: Hamstrings & Squats

The Hamstring Myth: Athletes often feel the need to stretch their hamstrings, but often the problem is that they are already too long due to an excessive anterior pelvic tilt. Stretching only makes the tilt worse. I test for pelvic position to determine if you need to strengthen your hamstrings, not stretch them.

The Functional Squat: A true functional squat requires a rounded back, not a stiff, arched one. This is a breathing exercise as much as a movement exercise. If you can’t squat with a rounded back, we don’t force it; we work on restoring your body’s natural ability to flex and breathe.

Healing Through Interconnectedness

The complexity of the human body is beautiful. I recently treated a patient for right-side low back pain, but the source was actually his right shoulder and ribcage. By teaching him to improve air flow into his right chest, we allowed his left diaphragm to drop, engaging his left abdominals and finally letting his right low back “go on vacation.”

Knowing how the body functions as a whole makes all the difference in the outcome of your rehabilitation.