Meet Katherine Zoda PT, DPT, ATC/L, SCS, XPS
What inspired you to become a physical therapist?
I played a lot of sports when I was younger and had a few injuries that landed me in physical therapy, which helped me realize that I wanted to be the person who gets people back to playing the sports they love.
What’s your favorite part about helping patients in their recovery journey?
My favorite part is being able to see how excited patients get when they realize they can finally do something they haven’t been able to do in a long time.
What are the most common misconceptions patients have about physical therapy?
A common misconception people have is that PT is going to cause them more pain. There will be days that patients are sore or achy, but our goal is to get you feeling better without increasing your pain during your session.
How can physical therapy benefit someone who isn’t currently injured but wants to maintain good health?
Physical therapy can be effective at preventing injuries. In our office, we do a comprehensive exam. During that exam we not only look at the areas of pain, but other areas around the body as well. We look at a person’s strength and mobility, and find the areas that aren’t moving as well or aren’t as strong as they could be, and address these deficits to prevent future injuries.
What are the key things patients can do at home to complement their physical therapy sessions?
Doing your home exercise program is crucial in helping with your recovery. Coming to physical therapy a few times a week is good, but doing things outside of physical therapy will help speed up your recovery and help you prevent your pain from returning when you’re done with PT.
What’s one success story from your career that stands out to you?
I can’t pick just one success story, but my favorite ones are getting athletes back to their sports. In addition to being a board-certified sports physical therapist, I am also an athletic trainer – so I particularly enjoy working with athletes. This past July I was chosen for a 2 week volunteer program as a physical therapist at the US Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Lake Placid, where I had the opportunity to work with Team USA athletes and help with their rehabs to get them back to their sports.
How do you work with patients to create personalized treatment plans?
Our clinic does a comprehensive exam on all of our patients, looking at multiple areas of the body and different measurements such as strength, mobility, balance, and motor control, and use these findings to create a plan customized to your needs. Our clinic also changes your exercises every visit based on your response from the last session and how you have been feeling overall.
What’s a simple, everyday tip you recommend to avoid injury or improve mobility?
The most important tip is to just keep moving! Movement is medicine and is the easiest way to prevent pain and injuries.
How has physical therapy changed in recent years with new technology or techniques?
Physical therapy is a field that is constantly changing based on research and evidence, and technology is helping to progress the field and aid in recovery. Newer devices such as blood flow restriction training have become popular and can be extremely beneficial, especially for post-op patients. Virtual reality is also being incorporated into physical therapy clinics to improve balance, proprioception, and create realistic environments to train in. These have helped to form a more patient-centered approach, and help patients become more invested in their own recovery.
