Somatic physical therapist Dr. Nick Long, PT, CMTPT, takes some time to share a bit about himself, what first got him into physical therapy, and his favorite piece of treatment advice.
When did you know that you wanted to be a physical therapist?
In a round-about way I fell into the PT profession. I was going to night school to be an architect when I got a day job at a hospital working in the physical therapy department. I was 17 and I had worked a few odd jobs prior to that, including concession sales at an ice-skating rink and being the personal driver for Kenny Rogers (no joke). I soon realized that architecture was not my forte because I really liked working with people and couldn’t see myself working at an architecture firm behind a computer all day. I’ll never forget I had a patient come back into the hospital and personally thank me for helping her during her rehab and she insisted I apply to PT school and she wrote me a letter of recommendation on the spot to send along with my application (I still have that letter today). That fall I applied to Marquette University and dove head-first into the doctoral PT program.
What do you do to stay active?
I used to be a regular at the local gym with a solid routine of cardio, stretching, basketball and strength training. Once COVID became a serious issue our local gym closed, so like most people I started working out at home and slowly began adding equipment to my home gym. You can now find me in there most nights after work. I also take an annual trip to Colorado to snowboard and enjoy white water rafting in the summer.
What surprised you the most about the physical therapist profession?
When I was in PT school, I thought I was learning how to heal people. I have come to realize over the last 12 years is that I help to remove the disruptions that are preventing the healing process from taking place. I am really showing and teaching people how to heal themselves rather than healing them.
When did you know that you wanted to start Somatic PT?
When I became a PT in 2009, I worked in multiple settings and practices over the first 5 years of my career. I slowly realized that productivity standards and insurance reimbursement became the focus of my efforts, rather than patient outcomes and making a difference in people’s lives. I would see 50 patients some days, juggling 3-4 patients at one time. I barely had time to take notes on what I was doing. I became burnt-out with the case load and made the decision to leave the traditional PT setting and pursue electro-diagnostic medical testing. Sound exciting right? I loved it. I had a great job and was able to travel but I wasn’t helping people, I would test them and never see them again. I started to miss the patient care and realized that I would eventually want to get back into it. I rolled the dice in 2017 and quit my medical testing job to open Somatic PT and never looked back. Now I work one-on-one with each patient and have the privilege to help people stay active and healthy and avoid pain medications, injections and surgeries.
Are you currently pursuing any further education/certifications?
I am currently finishing the Neurac certification with Redcord, classes have been postponed but virtual options might be opening soon. (Neurac/Redcord)
What’s your favorite meal?
Sunday brunch: poached eggs in chorizo with avocado, feta cheese and pita bread.
What do you do to de-stress/unwind?
I’m definitely a person that carries tension and stress in my muscles, so I have to exercise and stretch regularly to help me loosen up and relax. I also enjoy playing guitar and relaxing with my fiancée Nikki.
What do you wish everyone knew about physical therapy?
I wish everyone would know physical therapists are able to see patients without a referral. We serve as the first point of contact for your aches and pains. We have advanced training in differential diagnosis and can refer to the proper specialist if therapy is not appropriate.
What is the most important personality trait that a therapist must have?
I think physical therapists need to be problem solvers. No two patients are the same, this requires creativity and attention to detail to avoid falling into habit of providing a cookie-cutter approach to patient care that is so common in the medical profession. I take pride in listening carefully to my what patients say and do in order to get to the source of the problem.
What is your favorite piece of physical therapy advice to offer?
Work smarter not harder. Think of movement quality vs. quantity. Everyone loves to see how much weight they can lift while exercising, but why? It is better to perform one exercise in perfect form every day than to mindlessly push through multiple exercises without control or technique. Martial artist Bruce Lee famously said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times”.
Learn more about Dr. Nick and Somatic PT treatments