Physical Therapist at Creative Rehab Earns “Fellow of Applied Functional Science” Designation

On October 19, 2013, Melissa Reh PT, a physical therapist at Creative Rehab, graduated from the Gray Institute’s mentorship program, GIFT (Gray Institute for Functional Transformation). Her completion of this mentorship, which is focused on developing a stronger approach to understanding, treating, and enhancing human movement, earns her the designation of Fellow of Applied Functional Science (FAFS).  Melissa participated in 40-weeks of weekly distance learning experiences and three GIFT Gatherings in Adrian, Michigan to fulfill the mentorship requirements.

The Gray Institute is known for advancing the movement industry via the development and utilization of Applied Functional Science (AFS). AFS is a process that incorporates physical, biological, and behavioral principles to understand functional human movement and to guide the selection of effective treatment and training strategies. The purpose of GIFT is to provide movement professionals, such as physical therapists, chiropractors and personal trainers, with the information and guidance necessary to gain expertise in AFS. Fellows of Applied Functional Science lead the industry in understanding of functional movement for the purposes of rehabilitation, wellness, and sports enhancement. In the next few weeks Melissa will complete her capstone project to earn her certification in Functional Manual Reaction (FMR), a technique that encompasses both the critical thinking and hands-on skills of AFS.

Melissa has already seen some great results when applying her newly learned skills in patient care, saying, “When I see the relief on a patient’s face and hear it in their voice after I work with them, I know that all the hard work in GIFT was worth it. I feel so much better able to address movement problems quickly and directly.”  Melissa works with a number of student and professional dancers through The Dancer Answer, a program at Creative Rehab designed to provide customized physical therapy and education to dancers.  Anticipating that the knowledge she acquired through GIFT will aide all of her patients in their recovery, including these dancers, Melissa explains, “A strong respect for the body as a whole has always been at the heart of The Dancer Answer.  I’m just really excited that I now have more tools to help this population.” 

Creative Rehab is a physical therapist owned clinic with locations in Gurnee and Libertyville.  It is an outpatient based facility staffed only by licensed physical therapists.  The therapists at Creative Rehab specialize in customized and functional treatment and offer specialty programs in orthopedic rehab, oncology, dance, TMJ, vestibular, and aquatic rehabilitation.  Creative Rehab’s therapists have extensive experience working with chronic and autoimmune disorders, post-surgical rehab, sports injuries, work injuries and work conditioning.  In addition to its therapy services, Creative Rehab also offers a variety of wellness programs as well as community and corporate education programs.