UKIAH, Calif. – In mid-July, physical therapist Matt Whitaker, MPT, will open Synergy Physical Therapy Inc., a private practice clinic at 206 Mason St. in Ukiah (adjacent to Yoga Mendocino).

Whitaker has been a physical therapist for more than 15 years, most recently serving as director of physical therapy at Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital in Willits.

Whitaker is well trained in physical therapy and in business. He had a successful continuing education company for health care professionals and has held clinical and administrative leadership positions over the course of his career.

Whitaker’s approach is hands on and collaborative. He chose the name Synergy because he believes that partnering with patients and physicians achieves optimal results.

“It takes a team approach to provide the best health care and I believe expert treatment combined with patient education and communication with physicians is the best way to accomplish this … When patients come to see me, they should expect measurable improvement in a timely manner,” Whitaker said.

After earning his master’s degree in physical therapy in 1998,Whitaker went on to become certified in vestibular rehabilitation, studying under renowned researcher and author Dr. Susan Herdman of Emory University.

Whitaker also completed a year-long course in manual therapy, studying under Australian-trained physical therapist John Seivert, a nationally recognized speaker whose treatment approach has been the standard of care for many physical therapists. Whitaker has since continued to develop his manual therapy skills through extensive ongoing education.

Whitaker finds that his manual techniques, complimented with appropriate exercise, prove successful to help patients rehabilitate their muscular and nervous systems to return them to normal function.

“I don’t take a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Each patient has individual needs and a unique medical history, so I work with patients to create programs that are tailored to meet their specific goals,” Whitaker said.

Whitaker looks forward to working with many types of patients, from adolescents to elderly adults. He assists patients in recovering from muscular and skeletal injuries or trauma, as well as post-surgical rehabilitation (e.g. after joint replacements). His training with Dr. Herdman focused on balance and fall prevention and vertigo, so he understands how to help older adults (and others) safely get stronger and more stable.

As an athlete himself, he also enjoys sports medicine and helping athletes of all ages recover from injury and return to peak performance. He is working with coaches of local youth sports to help prevent injuries through screenings, education, and strengthening programs.

“In youth sports like basketball and volleyball, we see a number of torn ACLs (a knee ligament). Through sports performance training, I can help young athletes round out their fitness and prevent many of these injuries,” Whitaker said.

Whitaker is also certified as a Level 1 BikeFit Pro through the Seattle-based company, BikeFit. This system offers custom performance fitting for cyclists.

Ensuring a proper fit on a bicycle can be the difference between pedaling efficiently and healthy exercise or compromised performance and potential injury. Having completed multiple Ironman triathlons and numerous marathons, he understands the demands athletes face.

Whitaker said he is looking forward to spending even more time with patients, and anticipates his practice will help meet the pressing physical therapy needs of the community.

Synergy Physical Therapy will be accepting new patients when it opens in mid-July. Learn more by calling 707-462-8080 or visit them online at www.synergypt.net .