Testimonials

What the Patients are saying and then what the professionals are saying:

 

The Patients

 

"After suffering a stroke, receiving physical therapy for several months I was still not feeling well and time was NOT a healer. I called Matthew and began seeing him weekly as well as attending classes. The physical and mental aspects were then being met through various simple but effective activities - it was the healing of the body and mind!" 

Sheila Carlson, 55 year old stroke survivor

"After years of suffering non-stop pain from spinal stenosis and chronic neck and shoulder problems, I was able to find a great easing of the pain from the treatment I received from Matt. He offered me a variety of modalities beyond the standard physical therapy approach that offered me ways to help manage my own pain, and they continue to be of significant use to me to this day"

Judith Wehrle, retired school teacher and naturalist.

    "Matt's multi-faceted approach not only addressed the mechanical considerations of my complaint, but offered a broader perspective to factors that were contributing to my circumstances. Addressing those aspects seemed to advance my progress beyond mere exercise. This broadened my understanding of factors that were contributing to my circumstances as well as providing an accurate plan for healing. As a result I made good progress and know how to avoid repeating my mistakes. A cut above! "

 Lu Bleveans retired professional and active artist, back and pelvic pain

    "When I began Matt's therapy, I had limited range of motion in my left arm, and I was discouraged at having put on a lot of weight. I had little expectation that participating in a class once a week would be a life-changing experience, as I'd tried yoga before and found it too competitive and demeaning. After 6 months of Matt's classes, my arm had returned to full range of motion, and I felt well enough - both physically and emotionally empowered -- to begin Weight Watchers. Over the course of the next year, I lost 60 pounds - and I've kept it off. I directly attribute both the physical and the attitudinal changes to Matt's unique ability to blend wide physiological knowledge with a deeply spiritual approach to healing. Now I understand what people mean when they refer to the DSR Method as a life-changing, as my involvement with Matt Taylor's care has had that impact in my life"

Elizabeth Mitchell, retired professional speech coach and writer

    "I was referred to Matt in 2005 after a fusion in the cervical spine. Although I had experienced a successful corporate career in leadership for 25 years, back pain and surgery had reduced my life to an unsuccessful search for relief from pain and healing.

    Traditional physical therapy didn't provide much relief even after over 60 visits. Therapists spent on the average 20 minutes of individual treatment time with me per session. Core exercises were prescribed along with ice or heat during periods of spasticity. Various treatment modalities included prolotherapy, epidural injections, anti-seizure and narcotic pain medication, acupuncture, and a program in mind based stress reduction. Many specialists were consulted yet they couldn't seem to find the cause of the constant pain. An internationally respected surgeon from Germany diagnosed a mechanical failure and surgical error. The hardware in my back was removed and the surgeon inserted an artificial disc above the original fusion.

    From the first appointment with Matt, I knew not only was his style different but also he spent 60 minutes with me. His intake interview was thorough and he exhibited humor and compassion. When he asked me to walk across the floor I thought, "oh great, another one of those". This is where the similarities ended.
    Imagine my surprise when he told me I wasn't breathing. This is where the real journey began. I learned how to breathe the way a baby does. I went from barely

    breathing to following my breath and eventually meditating. Matt taught me gentle modified yoga poses to retrain my neural circuitry and change the pain pathway. As he became familiar with my striving personality, he gently suggested alternative ways of thinking and being.

    Matt lent me books and tapes oriented towards healing. With his graduate degree focusing on the very real impact of chronic pain on individuals and their families he understood my nightmare world. His masters degree in physical therapy provides him with a skill base in therapeutic myofascial manipulation, anatomy/physiology, and skeletal alignment. I was relieved to know Matt's Ph.D. didn't mean "Piled high and Deep". Rather, his grounding in science, alternative healing, the dynamics of personal transformation and change are integrated into his system of dynamic rehabilitation.
    The changes in my body, mind, and spirit have been profound in the last two years. I am functioning without pain medication, anti-seizure drugs, and sedatives. My body is being re-built as I practice yoga, weight bearing exercises, and walking. My friends comment that they see significant improvements in my whole being. I feel peaceful and serene. My life is a sacred gift"

Kim Ross Sullivan VP of HR and Organizational Effectiveness

    "Hi Matt: The marathon was amazing!! It was just this past weekend -- my first day back at the office was yesterday and I'm still feeling a "high" from the weekend. ...but it was my best marathon because I took the race nice and slow and managed to enjoy it and avoided hitting any kind of wall. I felt great all the way through and ran the first half in almost the exact same pace as the second half ...I enjoyed every minute of it and felt strong still at the end....(a feeling I have not had in my prior two marathons...).

    Matt, there is no doubt in my mind that the exercises that you taught me many months ago were absolutely instrumental in allowing me to continue my training and reach such pleasant success at Big Sur. After seeing you and engaging more regularly in the exercises you taught me, my knee pain never worsened again and mostly was reduced to a minor, non-interfering, and much less noticable pain. And, upon feeling better, my confidence also greatly increased -- again a direct result of your work with me. Having the confidence to go full steam ahead is critical for any kind of a training program or goal setting environment -- and you helped give me that confidence.

    So, this is just to say THANK YOU. This last marathon will be for me a cherished memory for many years to come. Thanks again!! David Boninger, Ph.D. marathoner and scientist, Three Rivers Holdings, LLC www.3rivers.com "

The Professionals:

    My relationship with Matthew spanned 7 years in the capacity as a referring physician and as a patient several times. I have a great deal of respect for Matthew as a therapist. He has broad clinical acumen in physical diagnosis and superb hands-on technique in a manipulative therapy. He also has the unique ability to incorporate nontraditional techniques such as deep breathing and mindfulness attention.
    I have benefited from Matthew's care following lumbar surgery, to include working through difficult post-operative scar tissue to return to pre-operative levels. This personal experience was repeated many times over in my patients who benefited from his expertise. This established Matthew as the "Go to guy" for difficult and recalcitrant cases.

Richard Scheuring, D. O., MS Advanced Projects/Flight Surgeon UTMB/Wyle Life Science System and Services, NASA-Johnson Space Center

    "I have had the pleasure of referring many patients to Matt over the years. The variety of skills that he brings to patients' problems, along with his warm and friendly demeanor, has consistently brought positive feedback from my patients"

Joe Garrity, M.D., emergency and family practice physician

    Dear Matt: I wish to thank you for providing me with a super quality rehabilitation program which doesn't exist anywhere else.

    Six months ago I was driving too rapidly on wet pavement, hit a slick spot, lost control of my car, ran into a solid concrete bridge abutment, totaled my car and broke my back. (L 3) You had moved to Arizona and my orthopedic physician told me only that in about three to six months it would heal itself without casts or surgery. No sympathy or explanation that it would hurt like hell in the meantime. Oh, yes, pain pills which left one totally in a fog.

    After three months of total inactivity I began physical therapy. Looking back, there were three aspects of my condition which went unappreciated:

    The fact that after three months of no exercise, I was in lousy shape: my leg muscles, arm muscles and back muscles were without strength.

    My every move was a protective one to prevent pain.

    I was suffering from a severe trauma in every muscle and fiber of my being. Fear, shock and dread. While on the surface I was happy and cheerful, I readily admitted to having pain; when would the pain stop? My posture was a dead giveaway; I was bent over to protect myself from pain. I moved with a tightness that eliminated the risk of flippant injury.

    It seemed like the condition was going to last forever. My physical therapy was finished, they told me. Finished, but I still had pain, was still bent over and still had trauma. Driving produced a nervousness bordering on panic!

    Then Matt Taylor returned to Galena for a few days and was kind enough to spend several wonderful hours on two successive days, bringing me that important step beyond ordinary physical therapy, the truly healing step which is the "dynamic system" rehab step.

    Matt dealt with me as a whole person and each of my arm, leg and back muscles, training me to recognize and feel what is normal i.e. what it feels like to be free from tension and trauma, both of which have 'become' the norm for the injured person.

    But it doesn't stop there. Then the body must be "reprogrammed" to recognize what is really tension and trauma-free normality. It takes time and patience and isn't accomplished overnight but gradually, like reprogramming a computer with corrupted software.

    This approach addresses the three unappreciated aspects of injury: The deterioration of the mind~body connection, the destructive posture and splinting, and the intense trauma involved in an accident. Reprogramming!!!!!
    Thanks Matt, if it hadn't been for your creativity in putting this dynamic system together, inventing it, I would still be shuffling with pain and bent posture, condemned to looking at the ground. My Regards,

Dick Alexander, J.D. enjoying his ninth decade of living, retired trademark attorney

    "Matt is one of the most thought provoking colleagues and instructors that you will meet. Although he left the Galena area over 5 years ago, we still discuss how Matt would have handled particular situations or clients. Matt gained a respect in our community that was unmatched by any other health care provider, not just physical therapist. I would recommend Matt to anyone as a clinician, a speaker, a director, etc"

April 1, 2009 Christopher Bailey, PT, DPT , Physical Therapist, Midwest Medical Center, Galena IL

    "I am so grateful to have attended this course - this work is inspirational, practical and exciting."

November 2000 Emily (Schaeffer) Large, PT, Florida www.livinglargetherapeutics.com

    "I have benefitted from Matt Taylor's help while he was a physical therapist and also later after he added techniques such as breathing, relaxation, and personal reflection into his approach to healing. This combination, along with Matt's gentleness and teaching of body awareness, makes his instruction unique and highly effective."

Bonnie Garrity, R.N., B.S.N., public health nurse

    "Matt is a pioneer in the evolution of physical therapy as a science and art that encompasses body, mind and spirit. He has shown us that it is possible to create a new model that respects both patient and therapist in their journey towards creating optimal health and well being. His knowledge and expertise is grounded in personal experience and a sincere desire to promote true healing on all levels. I have learned so much from Matt."

Rachel Krentzman, PT, CYI, CPI Director / Therapist Equilibrium Therapeutics San Diego, CA www.equilibriumtherpeutics.com