I started to see Dimitry a number of months ago. I participated in contact and high-impact sports for many years and had been experiencing chronic pain, particularly in my hip and neck on opposite sides. I have had three cervical surgeries and am fused C4-T1.
He quickly determined that the two pain points were related and set me up with a series of exercises that I do nearly every day. They involve learning to breathe better/more efficiently and repositioning to improve mechanics. It is a very different form of PT than I have ever done before.
I saw results very quickly and pain relief has been significant. I am now able to exercise much more vigorously that I was able to before I started seeing Dimitry and importantly am no longer taking anti-inflammatories which was a primary goal. I feel like I am about 70% of the way to full pain relief which I did not think was possible before I started seeing Dimitry.
‘I am most grateful to him! This PT program has changed my life for the better! We will stay at it together until we get to the finish line which is now in sight.
Wow! Wow!! Dimitry worked wonders with Gracie and her L5 stress fracture. Not only did he rehab so she could get back to the lacrosse field quickly and safely, he also identified her imbalances that led to her injury! It was truly amazing what he did for our daughter. Very very grateful he was recommended to us.
Dimitry is outstanding! If you are a serious athlete who wants to get back on the field quicker and stronger, he is your guy. He has an incredible grasp of the way the body moves, the body asymmetry our year-round sports cause, and how to help the body strengthen back into place. He is hands on, shares his knowledge in an accessible way, and is generous with his time. My daughter is back playing club softball and we owe so much to Dimitri. Highly, highly recommend.
If you want the most impactful physical therapist you will ever meet, please consider seeing Dimitry at Total Physical Therapy. I have never met somebody with the in-depth knowledge and experience in how to treat the entire body as the majority of the time, what is hurting you is coming from or as a result of another part of the body not functioning effectively. You will be amazed at his ability to educate you and then heal you.
My understanding of the power of the breath came from Dimitry and it changed my life and overall well being. My entire family goes to Dimitry and it’s money very well spent as he sets you up for success for the long term.
If I could give 10 (out of 5) stars for Dimitry I would. If you are someone who is struggling with pain and have been through years of prescribed PT (that doesn’t help), have limited or completely removed the exercises or sports from your daily life that you once enjoyed (due to pain), or have been on the hunt for a FIX to your pain issues, Dimitry at Total PT is your only answer. Dimitry has helped me overcome my back pain, which impacted my lifestyle for 5 years before working with him. He has gotten me back to being pain free and back to doing exercises and movements I never thought I’d be able to do. I refer Dimitry at every opportunity I can. Yes, he’s expensive, but you get what you pay for and there is no price to your health. Thank you, D!
L pic Monday – R pic Friday
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Tuesday, Wed, Thursday patient was given a new strategy to try at home in engaging her diaphragm during inhalation.
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Movements were given as homework that allowed for safe bending at the spine/lower back rather than just bending at the hips.
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Teaching her how to posteriorly rotate her pelvis and inhale and fill her thorax properly without using her neck muscles to assist in inhalation was game changer for her lower back pain!
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If your nervous system doesn’t feel safe to move – it will NOT let you move & will put on the brakes.
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She said her hamstrings always felt ‘tight.’
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Don’t think so! #totalptnj
Why 🤷♂️ do we need to improve a poor squat pattern if someone is complaining of significant neck pain?
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Why 🤷♂️ do some people who have ‘tight hips’ also have a tendency of having chronic neck pain?
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The above ⬆️ has a lot to do with your breathing. 💨 SHOCKER! Inhalation & exhalation does not only occur in the chest & thorax. –
Your pelvic floor muscles expand & contract during breathing too. Some of those pelvic floor muscles also control your hip rotation and stability.
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If your pelvic floor does not move appropriately during breathing, you will need to breathe more with your chest & shoulders to make up for the lack of movement down below. –
Enter neck pain stage left
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Do you have neck pain❓Do you know someone who does & can’t shake it❓ #movehealchange
Very active patient with 2 year history of R hip pain that will not go away
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Multiple orthopedists, specialists, MRI’s, CT Scans, Ultrasounds, physical therapy, PRP injections, cortisone shots, NSAID’s, etc. no better!
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First session I asked her if she knew that she was leaning ‘a bit’ to the right. She had no idea. She’s lived in her body her whole life & has simply adapted to this lean and she felt perfectly straight & level.
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Gave her a sense of her L side with several @posturalrestoration reposition exercises (gave her L abs, inhibited her R abs & expanded her R thorax.) Sent her home with 1 reposition drill to do.
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2nd pic is 5 days later at the beginning of her session. She felt about 50% better for the first time in 2 years. A wee bit of a change no?
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When you stand do you tend to lean a bit forward/back? Do you tend to lean a bit to the L? lean a bit to the R? Do you sense your heels when you stand? Are your toes gripping the ground for no reason? Think you should know the answers to these questions? #totalptnj #movehealchange
Dr. Dimitry Polyakov quickly assessed my herniated disc issues, including a major spinal shift, and prescribed a sampling of exercises from multiple philosophies (PRI, McKenzie, DNS & another i don’t remember, but worked the best!). He is the MMA master of PT philosophies, fully versed in all techniques that are effective, and it was clear to me he sets aside time to keep up with newer philosophies as they become proven.
He was able to get me to fully recover in about 6-7 sessions over the course of about 6 weeks, which was remarkable. He does a great job video-recording the exercises and utilizing the cloud to allow access during the week so you can do the exercises between sessions. Dimitry is a passionate coach, and has some elite athletes as clientele. While he is not the least expensive PT per session, if you value your time, I argue he will get you results in much fewer sessions compared to standard PT centers. So long as you are disciplined and do your homework between sessions, overall cost of recovery probably the same. Highly recommend Dimitry!
I acquired this piece of driftwood about 1 year ago when my wife and I took a trip to Sonoma, California for a short holiday away. Couldn’t walk away from the quote that was burned into the wood! Around the same time that we were there, the fires started. Those fires brutally ravaged the state of California and destroyed so so much. But California recovered, California moved on. Strong leadership, resilience on behalf of the people & time healed so much.
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Perspective is everything in times like these. Yes – what we are going through is bad to say the least. Acceptance & adaptation is hard during this time, but absolutely necessary in order to be able to put one foot in front of the other. It’s necessary to be able to create positive change in the face of something that is trying to tear us down. The other side of this proverbial coin I would rather keep face down.
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I’d like to think that we can take advantage of these times in some way. All of us (including me) have had the narrative of not having enough time to take care of ourselves prior to this virus situation. This quarantine is not exactly a vacation as we have responsibilities for working remotely from home, schooling our children remotely, taking care of the home as now everyone has congregated indefinitely inside our walls, etc,. But it’s pretty safe to say that, generally most of us do have the fortunate luxury of having just a bit more time for ourselves than we did prior to this debacle.
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Take advantage. We know the healthier you are, the better your response to this virus. Social distancing is a given of course. Walk briskly outside. Go hiking. Ride the stationary bike if you have one. Get on the treadmill if you have one. Breathe better. Learn how to position yourself in ways that increases your ability to exchange oxygen with less resistance and more mobility. If you have questions on what you can do to help improve your ability to breathe better – DM us. We have a few tools you can use immediately
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Perspective! #movehealchange