With anywhere between 11%-40% of the population suffering from chronic pain, Scott Gander and Zarina Vitebsky of ProTouch Physical Therapy believe choosing the right therapy is just as important as showing up for treatment. While physical therapy is an effective way to address and eliminate chronic pain, not all treatment plans are the same which can result in a relapse for the patient.

In 2015, Gander and Vitebsky set out to redefine what orthopedic and pelvic floor physical therapy should look like so they formed ProTouch Physical Therapy in Cranford, New Jersey – the only holistic physical therapy practice of its kind in the area. Just as importantly, they wanted their patients to experience long lasting relief rather than a band aid solution by taking a unified and holistic approach to treatment. 

What is Holistic Physical Therapy?

The term, “holistic” refers to the whole or complete system rather than the parts. In the simplest form, it means treating the superficial symptoms from a whole-body perspective. We take that meaning one step further by combining traditional physical therapy with alternative treatments for a higher success rate. 

Would you describe ProTouch Physical Therapy as holistic medicine?

Though we are first and foremost a traditional physical therapy practice, you absolutely can define us as such. We commonly see patients with difficult-to-treat conditions. By the time they find us, there is usually a need for emotional healing as well. We spend a lot of time listening to our patients and being compassionate; we notice this tends to result in a mind and body healing process.

How does ProTouch Physical Therapy differ from other practices in the area?

We create a customized plan for each patient that includes a minimum of 30 minutes hands-on manual therapy. Our patients are a part of our family and we do not believe in placing time restrictions on their treatment. Sometimes, we may even have two evaluations combining both an orthopedic and pelvic floor outlook to see if there is a relationship to the patient’s symptoms. We also offer a variety of treatments not available in competitive facilities.

What are some of the treatments that ProTouch uses?

Our treatments range from manual therapy, cold laser and electrical stimulation all the way to blood flow restriction (BFR) therapy, cupping, Arvigo abdominal massage, and visceral mobilization (VM). For a complete list of treatments, patients can visit the “How We Treat” section of our website.

Can you give an example of how using alternative treatments and a whole-body perspective helped one of your patients?

We had a patient reach out to us after having a major surgery for endometriosis. She had a long vertical incision from above her belly button down to her pubis. The scar tissue from the incision made it difficult for her to lift her arms over her head and she was suffering from persistent pain near the incision site. None of her surgeons had an explanation for the pain as it worsened over the months. When she came to us, we used a technique called visceral mobilization (VM) to mobilize the scar tissue. Within one session, our patient was able to lift her arms over her head. We then deduced that the chronic pain on her abdomen was an entrapped nerve that could be traced to her back. We had her lie face down on a table and performed cupping to the area. Upon getting up from the table, her pain immediately subsided and never returned.  We have so many stories like this; some can be seen within our Google reviews.

Who is your typical patient? 

Everyone! We treat pediatrics all the way up to the elderly. We treat athletes, sexual dysfunction, prenatal and postpartum conditions, post-operative rehabilitation patients, vertigo, TMJ, incontinence, scoliosis and more.

Are your services covered by insurance? 

Yes, we take insurance. However, all insurance plans are different.  Prospective patients can start the process by calling our office and our team will verify benefit coverage for them prior to their first visit.

Do patients need a referral? 

No, a referral is not necessary to receive treatment at our facility. Additionally, we find that referrals for insurance coverage is usually only required with Medicare health plans.

Location:  570 South Ave., East, Bldg. G, Ste., C, Cranford. For more information, call 908-325-6556 or email [email protected]. Patients can also follow on Facebook and Instagram @protouchpt. ProTouchPT.com. See ad, page 7.