Let Curiosity Be Your Guide

The role of a physical therapist is like that of a teacher or coach. You can probably remember a special teacher who stimulated your curiosity instead of just teaching you the facts at some point during your education. That’s Dr. Matthew’s goal as your physical therapist. 

In a typical physical therapy clinic, a provider shows you an exercise, watches you perform the exercise, corrects your technique if necessary, then sends you home with instructions for a certain number of sets and reps. To use our school analogy, these rote exercises are like flash cards—useful but limited. Foundation Physical Therapy's approach is more like writing a research paper or giving a speech: it’s more complex, which is exactly why it leads to greater knowledge.

Flash-card exercises often fall short when it comes to a lasting recovery from an injury. That’s because your nervous system needs more complex training to adapt to using an injured body part in everyday life. Foundation Physical Therapy’s personalized treatment plans are designed to retrain your body for healthy movement habits—and that starts with understanding the root cause of your pain or discomfort. When you are empowered with this understanding, you are likely to have a more complete recovery. 

How does this play out over the course of your treatment? Like this:

Teachers and physical therapists both know that neuroplasticity is a powerful tool. Approaching your treatment with curiosity helps your brain and body connect, rewiring your nervous system so that the results of your treatment become like second nature, no matter what real-life scenario you’re in. When you know what muscles you’re targeting and what patterns you’re correcting, you’re more likely to perform your exercises correctly, consistently, and confidently. Instead of checking a box, you’re becoming more aware of your body, which helps prevent re-injury and supports long-term results.

Foundation Physical Therapy’s 1:1 approach gives you time to ask questions, notice your improvements, and keep learning about your body because we believe that’s what works. Like a good teacher, we’re here to help you be curious so you can grow.