Helping a patient live pain-free and getting them back to living their normal life is, for most physical therapists, their number-one priority. Matt Koziol, PT, DPT likes to take this a step further by incorporating modalities and manual therapy on the patient’s first visit to help reduce pain an individual is experiencing and give them a positive outlook in therapy.
Matt’s journey in the field began after a stint of physical therapy in high school for a shoulder injury. It was there that he decided to pursue a career in physical therapy. He received both his bachelor’s degree in exercise science and his doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Toledo. His post-graduate focus has been on the use of manual therapy techniques, and he hopes to gain a certification in functional dry needling and the McKenzie Technique. Matt also likes to work with his hands, so physical therapy was a perfect match for him. “Using my hands in physical therapy helps me to tell which muscles are firing, over-firing or inhibited. Knowing that allows me to tailor a program that either facilitates or inhibits movements. This improves overall movement patterns, which, typically, improves the underlying condition. Also, being able to perform manual therapy gives a patient a sense of relief relatively quickly, and there is nothing better than having a patient walk out of therapy feeling better than when they came in,” states Matt.
Matt’s wife, Heather, works as a physical therapist as well. Her job is what, originally, brought them to Michigan. Matt treats patients out of Advanced Physical Therapy Center’s Grand Blanc clinic, and in his day-to-day practice, he enjoys treating athletes, geriatric patients and any upper extremity injury. In his spare time, he likes to go running, weight train or go to the movies. He also has fun playing with his dog, Hardy. For several years, Matt was an instructor and volunteer for Delay the Disease, which is an exercise program to help Parkinson’s patients overcome freezing during their gait (walking). “I found it to be so rewarding to help build up their confidence again and improve their quality of life,” says Matt about his volunteer time.
When you ask Matt about his experience working at Advanced Physical Therapy Center, he will likely tell you, “We have a definite team spirit here and the atmosphere for the patients as well as staff is friendly.” He considers himself to be very ambitious and is driven to provide all his patients the best care possible.
Grand Blanc Clinic:
10809 S. Saginaw St.
Grand Blanc, MI 48439
(810) 695-8700
MKoziol@advpt.com
http://www.AdvancedPhysicalTherapy.com
Advanced Physical Therapy Center 