Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Sneha Gazi, PT, DPT.
Hi Dr. Gazi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story starts all the way back to when I was 3 or 4 years old when I first started dance classes. My mother is a professional dancer and her dance studio where she teaches students was in our basement. I began performing nationwide and worldwide from a very young age and by the time I was ten, I had done hundreds of performances, competitions, and tours. Movement was a way of life in my household and there was no way around it.
I moved from the suburbs of Maryland to NYC when I was 18 years old. I attended college at New York University, thinking I was going to be a journalist or something within the field of media and communications. I ended up switching my major to Psychology and did pre-med during my undergrad. Something about medicine made me feel more connected to the world. I knew I always wanted to have dance and media be a part of my life, but more important to me was the need to help people on a daily basis. I applied to physical therapy school my senior year and spent the next three years at Columbia University in NYC. I worked at a few clinics and got experience in various forms of physical therapy. I started my practice soon after graduating.
Right now, I’m the CEO and founder of Sneha Physical Therapy where I provide in-home concierge treatments and telehealth sessions. I am licensed to treat anyone from the states of NY, NJ, and MD.
I host & produce a podcast called Fit As A Fiddle where I interview guests from all over the health and wellness space. I’ve had people from basically every profession you can imagine: strength & conditioning coaches from major athletic teams, acupuncturists, yoga/meditation experts, orthodontists, and so much more! The show has over 80 episodes and releases weekly. My passion for journalism, production, and interviewing never died!
Apart from this, my passion for service continues through the nonprofit organization Physical Therapy International Service Foundation (PTIS), which I founded over five years ago. PTIS, in a pre-COVID era, was intended to offer service trips worldwide to underserved communities and provide free physical therapy and educational workshops. Since March of 2020, my cofounder Dr. Maria Muto and I have created an even broader network of connections with various community organizations and offer all of our programs digitally. We work with homeless shelters, senior centers, children in underserved neighborhoods, and many other communities. We provide health education workshops, professional advocacy workshops, free telehealth PT, and movement classes catered to various audiences.
Overall, my love for movement is what drives me to do all of my daily activities and I hope this continues for me as long as I can keep up!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve definitely had road bumps through basically everything I am doing now. It’s not easy to run a business completely solo but my husband has been my biggest emotional support. One of the biggest struggles I had initially was starting my nonprofit. I realized that all of the efforts that went into it initially was worth it because of the awesome work we are able to do now!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sneha Physical Therapy?
I treat anything within the orthopedic realm: performing artists, athletes, prenatal/postpartum populations, pediatrics, geriatrics, and more. My day could start with a 12-year-old with an ankle sprain and end with a 60-year-old with a frozen shoulder. It could also start with a 1-month-old baby with developmental delay and end with a 90-year-old with knee pain. The newness of each day keeps my job exciting as I travel through the boroughs of Manhattan to treat my patients!
My specialty is within Pelvic Health physical therapy which is a field underrecognized in medicine. A lot of people I treat experience problems like pain with urination, a leaky bladder or bowel, pain after giving birth, C-section scar issues, pain with intercourse and intimacy, and constipation. I even co-produced a Youtube series called “A Girl’s Gotta Know” with Talking Back Pictures to highlight some of the pelvic health problems I see daily to the general public.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I think a lot of people are against the way the insurance system works and the difficulty it poses for healthcare professionals to do their job well. There are lots of rules, regulations, and red tape that could be avoided. For this reason, many healthcare providers are shifting to out-of-network or cash pay models which have their benefits. However, some people might not be able to afford it or not understand the value of the personalized care you can receive. I think as this shift happens, we will see lots of changes within the fields of medicine.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.snehaphysicaltherapy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snehaphysicaltherapy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snehaphysicaltherapy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzZh9Js812CeSJPMEJ4GG_Q
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sneha-physical-therapy-new-york
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/6S9guLdeP45b9ehCa0uiGd
Image Credits:
Aaron Rahman
