Tracey Adler specializes in reproducing pain.

Adler is the owner of Orthopedic Physical Therapy Inc., at 2000 Bremo Road in Richmond, and a satellite office at 4630 S. Laburnum Ave. She treats people who suffer from musculo-skeletal dysfunction and back pain. In other words, she said, she helps people who have problems with muscles or joints.

"It's more related to chronic pain, soft tissue dysfunction," she said.

40 to 50 patients daily

Adler established her clinic in 1984. She describes it today as one of the few physical therapy clinics not owned by a hospital or a doctor's office.

She said the clinic has made great progress since its opening; She remembers having 10 patients her first day. Now, Adler and her 11 employees see 40 to 50 patients daily.

In addition to treating people with general orthopedic problems, she said she also treats patients for abdominal and pelvic pain; chronic fatigue syndrome; lymphedema, which is an impairment of the lymphatic system; balance problems, headaches, rotator cuff injuries; and urinary incontinence.

 

THE RESUME

Name: Tracey K. Adler Born: Nov. 28, 1957 in Carmel, Calif. Position: Owner of Orthopedic Physical Therapy Inc. Education: Bachelor's degree in physical therapy, Georgia State University, 1979; master's degree in orthopedic physical therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University's Medical College of Virginia Hospitals, 1984; orthopedic specialist certification, 1993 Career path: Worked in a hospital in Birmingham, Ala., while in graduate school; established Orthopedic Physical Therapy Inc. in 1984 Affiliations: Member of American Physical Therapists Association, the Virginia Physical Therapists Association and Hadassah, a Jewish women's service organization that supports the Hadassah hospital in Israel Family: Husband, Hanania; children, twin daughters, Talya and Sheera Spare-time pursuits: Cooking, exercising, crafts

Change in law

The slowing economy hasn't had much of an effect on Adler's clinic. By contrast, she experienced an increase in patients after a change in state laws regulating physical therapy.

As of July 1, patients wanting to seek the services of a physical therapist can now do so initially without a doctor's recommendation. Before that date, they had to have a physician's referral.

Adler said the "direct access" law states that patients may come on their own initially, but after the first visit, they must be referred by a doctor. Physical therapists participating in this program must have at least three years of practicing experience.

"The patients that I see now are all people who asked to see me," after the law changed, she said.

But at the same time, Adler said, the law change "places more responsibility on us as professionals." She said now that anyone can visit her office, some may come to her for help when their injuries really call for the services of a physician.

'Changed my life'

Goochland resident Sandi Reese said she waited for three months to see Adler. She suffers from a shoulder injury that occurred while riding a horse. She said she'd been to other health professionals who only offered drugs or surgery for the pain. Reese said surgery is not a practical option so she needed to find a way to live with the injury.

"It's miraculous what this woman has done for me," Reese said, adding that Adler provides massage services, and has taught her what exercises are necessary to build the muscle around the shoulder to protect it. "This woman has changed my life."

But Adler stresses that her patients do not come to her clinic simply do exercises on machines for an hour. In fact, the majority of the space inside her clinic consists of therapy rooms.

"We spend a lot of time one-on-one with the clients," she said. "We're manual therapists," as opposed to some clinics where patients are put on exercise machines for the entire session. But she's not a massage therapist, either.

"We see a lot of people who have been elsewhere, and they're still having the pain," she said. "If you can't reproduce the pain, you don't know what to treat."

She said she shows people exercises they can do at home, "because I don't think people should come here to exercise."

Two visits a week

Louisa resident Debra Tiller said she suffers from lower back, neck and shoulder pain. She said she visits Adler's clinic two times a week.

"I couldn't make it without going to Tracey," she said. "They make you feel so welcome. It's not like they're there just to get paid."

Adler said ever since her teen-age years, when she volunteered her summers to work at a camp for handicapped children, she knew she wanted to work in the health services field.

"I've never changed my mind," she said, "and I still love it."

She said she has no intention of establishing additional offices.

"My most important thing is quality of care," she said. "I'd rather continue to give the care we give and not become mainstream and spread out all over the state."

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Contact Holly Carroll at (804) 649-6945 or hcarroll@timesdispatch.com