Until recently, I've never had to get physical therapy but if I ever have to go anywhere else,…read moreCentral Park Physical Therapy (CPPT) has set a high standard for other therapists to meet. I had arthroscopic surgery done on my left shoulder in February 2011 and then come March, my orthopedist recommended CPPT as one of the better PT offices out there. Not knowing anything about PT, I took his word for it and I'm real glad I did.
I've had sessions with the owner, Rik Misiura, who is real personable and does great work. Most of my sessions have been done with Paul-Ryan Mariano however. I was told that Rik takes more of a holistic approach to PT (don't ask me to explain) while Paul-Ryan is focused more on sports-related injuries, although I am also told that while everyone has different techniques and approaches, they'll get you to the same place: wellness.
P-R kicks my ass every time I go. He says it himself, "I make the women feel like warriors and the men feel like b*tches." I am a witness. The problem with my shoulder right now is that my range of motion is limited and since I play basketball and full-contact flag football, I can't exactly utilize my shoulder in ways needed for both sports. In order to achieve fuller range, increased stability, and overall strength, P-R stretches my shoulder out to the point of agony, "massages" knots out of the affected area, and runs me through a bunch of exercises. He's a real stickler for detail but I like that. I want to be able to do things right and not half-assed. P-R makes sure of that.
My one gripe is that not everyone else takes this keen approach. There are some PT trainees who assist the full-timers to help with the exercises. While they are all friendly and fun to be around, I don't think they are as focused or detail oriented. Understandably, it is hard to give equally high attention to generic patients throughout the day when you are not the one assigned to diagnose them personally or guide them through their recovery from whatever physical ailment, but still, I think this is probably their one area of improvement.
I will say that while most of their patients are older, I do see people around my age (20s) getting treatment. I guess this explains why I'm the FTR this place. And it's usually the older demographic that needs PT anyway, except for weaklings like me. Anyhow, I would recommend these guys to anyone and I will certainly come back if my once immaculate body fails me again.