Expert Manual Therapy

What is a Certified Functional Manual Therapist (CFMT)?

A Certified Functional Manual Therapist (CFMT) is a physical therapist who has truly gone above and beyond the average peer.  Many years of studying, attending courses, traveling, sacrificing the attendance of family anniversaries and birthdays, time away from work, and money were all invested to prepare to qualify to sit for an arduous 1-week examination to demonstrate excellence.  This examination occurs only once a year, which includes extensive and thorough written and oral exams in up to 10 subjects.  Aside from gaining validation for their technical application and understanding of the Functional Manual Therapy® (FMT) approach in front of the directors and founders of the Institute of Physical Art, a CFMT also made a commitment to serving their patients through the of the "Art of the Hand" and the gift of touch.  They are humbly "one of the few" that make amazing and positive changes in the lives of their patients with their hands.

When it comes to physical therapists using their hands to evaluate and treat one's functional capacity, CFMT'rs are the best in the physical therapy industry.  We at Total Potential want you to know that you were totally worth the journey.  And we hope that you can experience the change that you deserve to have in your body with us.  All the time training, time away from family, etc. you were worth the sacrifice.  At Total Potential, the heart of servitude and gratitude is the type of clinical office that we want to provide to you and our patients.

How many Manual Therapy appointments will I need?

There is a correlation between the amount of hands-on Manual Therapy you will need and the amount of time you have had an injury or pain.

• The more acute/recent the problem, the quicker we tend to see positive results. Acute injuries can often be resolved in just a few visits to our clinic in the City of San Marino, CA.
• More serious or chronic injuries will usually take somewhat longer to effectively treat.

Factors such as age, overall health, and lifestyle definitely also play a role in how much treatment is needed to get you back to doing what you love. That said, we occasionally see major changes quite quickly, even if a problem has persisted for many years.

It really depends on many things, which we can identify and more clearly determine at your initial evaluation or in a RISK-FREE on-site “Discovery Session.”

Take-home point: For most people, the sooner you pursue Manual Therapy treatments, the fewer sessions you will likely need.

Why shouldn’t I just go to a massage therapist or chiropractor to get “Manual Therapy” to treat my condition in San Marino, CA?

While we are big proponents of massage therapy and chiropractic care--and often send our patients to get regular massages and refer to/from chiropractors in our community--our physical therapists are uniquely trained to assess and evaluate not only the musculoskeletal system and injury but as well as the impact of the vagus nerve, heart rate variability, dural/neural tension, and CoreFirst® Strategies for posture and motor control as examples.

Many chiropractic adjustments are passive and rotary in nature. Our manipulations include lateral shearing and side bending with an active contraction, which can achieve similar benefits and is proven to be overall safer--for someone with osteoporosis or an autoimmune condition for example.

From our in-depth evaluation and constant re-assessments at every visit, our Manual Therapy techniques are not simply aimed at working on an area that hurts but also directed at resolving the true sources of your pain and injury. Additionally, most injuries and pain need some form of exercise-based treatment, which, again, many forms of therapies are not trained or legally allowed to prescribe.

Again, we love massage therapy and chiropractic and are regular clients of great massage therapists and chiropractors here in town. The benefit and service we provide are from professionals who can evaluate and treat an injury in an extremely detailed manner, picking up on minutia that are often overlooked in tangible ways.

Will I be sore following Manual Physical Therapy?

It is not uncommon to have some soreness following treatment, which is nothing to worry about if it happens. This usually subsides within 24-48 hours. If it persists beyond 48 hours, please let us know so we can adjust our future treatments to match your body’s receptivity to hands-on treatment.