Island physical therapist asks, if we are Made2Move, why not move better?
You know the saying: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Of course, most people would take exception to that directive in the case of a sprain or tear. But is it sound advice? What if “it” was a gateway to injury, or simply a barrier to better performance?
In the case of our complex bodies and the extraordinary ways we move them, physical therapist Yves Gege believes the action of fixing should be a more proactive one. It is a credo that he thoughtfully imparts to every one of his clients at his new Made2Move practice in Daniel Island.
Gege, a first generation American son of Swiss parents, was born and raised in Charleston. He attended Mason Preparatory School, Bishop England High School, and College of Charleston and would later earn his Masters in Health Science/Physical Therapy at Medical University of South Carolina. He and his wife, Amy, who is Director of Sales for the Charleston Battery, have lived in Daniel Island since 2010. The Geges have a four year-old son, Liam, and a two year-old daughter, Hollyn.
The only thing Gege ever wanted to be (well, with the exception of a professional soccer player) was a physical therapist. And he had a dual drive to pursue this particular vocation. First, his little sister contracted spinal meningitis when she was about three months old, leaving her with severe brain damage, cerebral palsy, and profound deafness, among other issues. As a result, she required multiple intensive orthopedic surgeries on her hips, knees, and back, as well as lifelong physical therapy.
“It was very moving and inspiring to see the special relationship she had with her physical therapists,” recalls Gege. “When the PT would arrive in our home, my sister would smile and be so happy to see her. During the session, she would sometimes cry and you could tell the exercises and stretches they were doing were very difficult and painful for her. But she would still give her PT a hug every time she left.” His sister’s observable understanding and gratitude, despite the consistent pain, was something that resonated with Gege, and he knew he wanted to have the same opportunity to impact lives in such a profound way.
Later, as a high school soccer player, Gege dislocated his kneecap on two different occasions: once during his sophomore year and again at the start of his senior year. That second incident put him on the bench for the entire senior season, but it left an inspirational mark on him, too. “The PT I had took the time to take out an anatomy book and show me what was going on,” Gege remembers. “I was impressed about his knowledge of the human body and I was so fascinated by the whole process. And that was the final straw; I knew I had to go to PT school.”
His adolescent sports injuries proved to serve as more than motivation. Though Gege didn’t know it at the time, it would also serve as a frame of reference for his own approach to treatment of future patients. As a teen, he was given what he says is a “very basic knee protocol,” which is fairly standard even today: monitored strength and range of motion recovery on a stationary bike, ice therapy, a progression of exercises from leg raises and knee bends to squatting and leg presses and, eventually, a return to running and sport (in this case, soccer).
Reflecting back, Gege suggests there are things he, as the PT, would have done differently. “I would still give someone the same basic exercise,” he relates. “However I would progress them more quickly and incorporate more weight training and functional exercise as soon as possible to minimize muscle atrophy and improve strength quicker.” He also says he would not waste office time delivering therapy that could be done at home, such as ice or heat, stating, “I feel like the skilled, hands-on treatment is more useful for the patients and my time.”
Gege also recalls that the PT’s focus was entirely on the injury itself, and not on future prevention or a path to become stronger or move more effectively than before. “Perhaps if I had incorporated some higher level weight training, corrective exercise, and/or mobility work prescribed specifically to me and my deficiencies,” he reflects, “I could have possibly avoided further dislocations and other injuries.” But, he concedes, the clinic he attended back then was high volume, and his therapist was usually seeing two or three patients at once.
The invitation – and ultimate decision – to set up shop inside CrossFit Discovery was not an arbitrary one, but rather one founded on Made2Move’s philosophy, which aligns perfectly with the tandem “Getting Better Every Day/Forging Lifelong Fitness” motto of CrossFit Discovery. In a one-on-one setting, Gege offers his patients efficient, actionable exercise programs with tools to promote healing and manage pain that will easily fit into their everyday lives. But the goal is not simply to get better; it is to be better – by getting stronger, moving faster, and evading injury.
CrossFit Discovery owner Robert VanNewkirk had been referring his athletes to Gege for several years, and says that having Made2Move onsite has vastly improved what was already a positive arrangement. “Now when a new client, who may have limited mobility, instability, or a previous injury comes in to train, Yves can help them get to better fitness right away,” Coach Robert contends. “In addition, our (Daniel Island) community is a bunch of very active people who twist ankles and pull muscles playing sports and going on adventures. Having Yves right here is ideal for helping them get back to doing the activities they love more quickly.”
Favored tools in Gege’s PT arsenal are manual therapy techniques such as dry needling and an array of soft tissue mobilizations, including cupping, the Graston method, and active release technique (ART) massage. “I can make change in pain and movement that day,” he asserts, “and it creates a window to use corrective/rehabilitative exercise to strengthen and improve movement.”
In an effort to stay on top of developing trends and methods in therapy, Gege reads a lot of medical research and renowned peer blogs, and listens to podcasts from top physical therapists, coaches, and health and fitness professionals around the world. He employs evidenced-based practice at Made2Move, and in turn shares it with the PT and patient community via social media, his website and, soon, an e-newsletter.
The height of his expectations is infectious to his clients: “I want to take it slightly further by not only getting you back to doing the things you love but also show you how to keep doing those things as long as possible… and push up a notch or two on the health/fitness spectrum.”
Learn more about Made2Move and Yves Gege’s approach to physical therapy at made2movept.com, and visit the new PT office inside CrossFit Discovery at 115 Pier View Street in Daniel Island.