Hidden Gems: Meet Nate Shin of Central Physical Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nate Shin.

Hi Nate, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
When I started work after graduating physical therapy school, it was evident pretty early on that, much like other medical offices in today’s industry, quantity was often emphasized over quality. I was seeing an average of 12-15 patients per day, which was typical for most outpatient clinics, and after a few years I was physically and mentally exhausted. In 2016 I started working at a clinic in LA that allowed more 1-on-1 time  with patients and it was here I was introduced to an approach called DNS (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization).

Over the years this approach helped me to see the importance of working hands-on with patients, not only with manual techniques, but also with exercise in order for them to gain an awareness of neutral and balanced positions in their own body. I found this to be the most effective and efficient way to utilize my skills as a physical therapist and was something that not many other healthcare professionals offered. However I still felt that this type of physical therapy wasn’t accessible to the general public at large. I knew how helpful physical therapy could be to so many but only a select few seemed to be benefitting from it.

In 2020, I experienced a low back injury where I was bending down to pick something up and my back went out. When I woke up the next morning I couldn’t get up and an MRI later showed severe lumbar disc herniations. I think things had accumulated after a major car accident in the past. I had to take time off work, which, coincidentally was one week before the start of the pandemic, so this time off turned into more than a year! It was truly unprecedented and it was during this time that I was able to fully recover and develop a deep understanding of DNS principles and my own body. It also gave me time to research and find out ways in which to start my own business. Looking back I consider everything that happened a blessing in disguise.

In 2021 I had the opportunity to start a business and decided it was ‘now or never’. I started my office in Hancock Park, west of Koreatown and haven’t looked back since!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it hasn’t. Going outside of the typical insurance model wasn’t easy as well as starting a business during the pandemic. I had no prior business experience so I definitely had to go through a mindset shift because I had been so used to just focusing on patient care. It’s been a learning but rewarding process overall.

One saying that has stuck with me through the years has been “avoid stagnancy”. This has meant I’ve really sought out ways to improve and hone my craft, whether that’s taking courses on the weekend, studying at a coffee shop on my off time, or working on my own body. For the business it has meant that if something isn’t working I try something new in order to evolve and progress. It’s taken a lot of quiet, hard work behind-the-scenes, but enjoying what I do has made the process much easier.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I offer 1-on-1 office and in-home physical therapy that’s hands-on and
is a whole body approach. One of my philosophies is that if one part of the body is off, it has an effect on the whole so I typically assess full body movements — not just the part that’s in pain. Most people that come in have pain somewhere in their body (head down to feet) but low back pain is the most common and something I enjoy treating most.

I start each patient with a comprehensive initial evaluation and then treatment that typically consists of manual therapy and exercise. My office is cash-based but some people utilize their “out-of-network” physical therapy benefits through their insurance and get reimbursed for each session.

Lastly I believe that physical therapy could be helpful for anyone! I specialize in an approach called DNS (as mentioned above), which focuses on ideal ways to breathe and stabilize our trunk that’s innate to every person, programmed into our brain ever since we were babies. DNS helps to re-establish, train, and restore these ideal patterns and positions that have been lost over time. This is applicable to our everyday, but also with optimizing our performance with sports and activities.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
For more information on DNS check out these links:
-Website: https://www.rehabps.com/
-App: https://www.rehabps.com/app.html
-Courses (for health or exercise practitioners): https://www.rehabps.cz/rehab/co.php

Book recommendation:
-“Outlive” by Peter Attia (great book on living a longer and healthier life; chapter 13 speaks specifically on importance of stability)

Pricing:

• Office Initial evaluation: $110
• Office Follow-up visit (1 hour): $90
• Office Follow-up visit (45 min): $75
• Home visit (1 hr): $150

Contact Info:

• Website: https://centralptla.com
• Other: email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Diana Feil photography