Our Approach
Professional Integration
In striving for successful long-term outcomes, we strongly believe in professional integration with our patient’s physician, dentist, chiropractor, massage therapist, and other health care specialist. To better understand how this unique philosophy came about, please continue reading…
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Professional Integration
Here at the Hruska Clinic we want our patients to achieve maximum functional performance. Whether this performance involves the ability to sit at your desk, work for eight hours, complete a soccer game or experience days without headaches; we want your body to be able to integrate muscles correctly on both the left and right side of your body to provide desirable outcomes.A common pattern exists in everyone that contributes to postural asymmetry. How people compensate for this pattern can vary, however, the underlying dominant pattern exists in all humans. Everyone favors their right leg. Whether right or left handed our right leg is dominant. We have a liver on the right side that weighs approximately three to four pounds and on the opposite side we have a spleen that weighs less than a pound. We have three lobes of lung on the right and only two on the left. In our upper trunk, we have a heart that lies more to the left. This organ asymmetry coupled with gravity, environmental factors and vestibular imbalances results in a tendency to stand on our right leg and rotate our upper body to the left. Consider how our world is set up to reinforces this asymmetrical body. When we cycle or run around a track, which way do we go? Counterclockwise. When a checker scans our products at the grocery store, which way is it done? Counterclockwise. We are always pushing off our right leg and rotating our upper body to the left.
Now take into consideration that the majority of people are right handed. They reach with their right hand for the phone, toothbrush, refrigerator, etc., reinforcing the weight shift to the right and upper trunk rotating to the left, with a neck that is oriented to the right and sidebent to the left. Even some left handed people bat, golf, or throw right handed. The tendency to favor our right leg and to rotate our body to the left with everyday tasks is overwhelming. Organ asymmetry, a counterclockwise world and right handedness reinforce this typical neuromotor right dominant pattern.
Do not misunderstand that standing on the right leg, rotating the upper body to the left with a neck rotated right and sidebent to the left is wrong. This neuromotor right dominant pattern is half of walking, stair climbing, etc. However, the inability to stand on our left leg and rotate our upper body to the right with the neck orienting to the left and sidebent to the right creates a strategic imbalance throughout the body. This neuromotor imbalance affects joints, bones and muscles and creates pain in various yet understandable places.
The Hruska Clinic’s PRI trained staff have the goal of creating neuromuscular balance in your body. This is done with specific exercises and techniques to “turn on” muscles and “turn off” others in your pattern with correct diaphragmatic breathing and positioning. In some situations, however, patients are unable to achieve symmetry in their body and a pattern still exists. This could be due to trauma, asymmetrical bite, strong neuromotor habitual influences, or other reasons such as vestibular and vision imbalances. The majority of patients achieve this symmetry with PRI exercises; however, there is a small percentage of individuals that require integration with other medical professionals to assist the PRI therapist and patient in maximizing this symmetry. These professionals could include, but not be limited to, a podiatrist, optometrist or a specialist in dentistry. Without integrative collaboration with these professionals, the outcomes of the patient would be limited.
In addition to working with specialists that assist with postural symmetry, the Hruska Clinic therapists also want to work with other professionals to assist our patients with achieving their goals. These professionals could include chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, personal and athletic trainers, pilates instructors, coaches, physicians, etc. We are dedicated to professional integration and communication to assist our patients in achieving their highest level of function and symmetrical form.
Dr. Paul Coffin, DPM
Dr. Christine Campbell
Dr. James Nedrow
Dr. Rebecca Hohl
Dr. Robert Schoettger
Dr. Annette Cserna
Dr. Heidi Wise, Optometrist
Dr. Geoffrey McCullen
Dr. Robert Glenn, Orthodontics
Hruska Clinic Restorative Physical Therapy Services
5241 R Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68504
Phone: (402) 467-4545 | Contact Us
