“Resilience is the virtue that enables people to move through hardship and become better.” That’s a definition from the book Resilience by former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens. It’s a book Physical Therapist Dr. Daniel Griffin keeps on his desk, and “Resilience” is the name he gave his business when he hosted its grand opening two years ago this month.
Today, Resilience Physical Therapy and Wellness, a modern, new facility just behind N.E.X.T. Fitness in Agawam, has three full-time physical therapists, one therapist assistant, three massage therapists, and a few, carefully selected doctorate student interns.
“I feel very fortunate being able to grow as fast as we did,” said Griffin. “We are, from a manual skills and therapeutic exercise standpoint, very skilled, and our relationship with schools in the area keeps us up to date on current research and new treatment methods. That keeps us sharp.”
Griffin takes pride in that.
But what he admires most about his staff is their passion for their vocation, their love of helping a diverse patient population, and their big-picture approach in crafting – and continually reassessing – individualized treatment plans.
“Being in pain makes everything harder,” Griffin empathized. “You experience pain in the brain. You don’t function as well. You don’t think as clearly. There are going to be ups and downs, so when a patient comes in, we don’t just go with a one-way approach. For example, we might have two back-pain patients and treat them completely differently. It’s a team approach.”
That “team” is every Resilience client working with his or her therapist. “It’s never the clinician talking down to the patient,” Griffin said. From injured high school athletes to older adults improving strength and balance, Resilience recognizes that every patient’s unique needs, goals, career demands, lifestyles, and preferences are integral to successful healing.
“And we don’t settle,” Griffin said. If plan A hits a plateau, he said, there’s always plan B, or C. “If those don’t work, we have an end plan, too.” Rather than walking away, therapists work with their patients to schedule follow-up medical assessment when necessary.
“We always set up an individualized care plan with our patients,” Griffin said, “and I think all of our staff shares a holistic mindset when it comes to rehabilitation.” Nutrition, sleep, stress reduction, and exercise all aid healing, and the Resilience clinicians discuss these topics as they relate to their patients’ overall recovery.
“We’re trying to make our patients more resilient so they’re not coming back with the same injury,” Griffin said. “And we’re trying to add to those basic goals. “We want our patients to enjoy physical activity; we also want them to leave more educated in regards to their overall health, including good sleep, eating, and relaxation habits.”
“Movement is another big part of our practice, regardless of a patient’s baseline status,” Griffin said. “Physical activity is extremely important. That doesn’t mean you have to join a gym or work out with dumbbells at home, but you do need to do something. Physical activity increases generalized longevity. It improves your quality of life. It reduces your risk for all sorts of comorbidities.”
Customized plans with a whole-body, whole-life approach have earned Resilience Physical Therapy a five-star Google rating. In fact, because the facility isn’t directly affiliated with a physicians’ office, most of their referrals come through word of mouth. “Physical therapy is direct access,” Griffin explained. “Patients can go anywhere and should choose the right clinic for them.”
He’s honored that so many patients choose Resilience.
For Griffin and his staff, earning those positive referrals is just part of the job. “We enjoy what we’re doing,” he said. “We can take a patient and make their life better. That’s really rewarding.”
Suggested pull quotes:
1) “We want our patients to enjoy physical activity; we also want them to leave more educated in regards to their overall health, including good sleep, eating, and relaxation habits.”
- Dr. Daniel Griffin
Resilience Physical Therapy and Wellness
2) “Physical activity increases generalized longevity. It improves your quality of life. It reduces your risk for all sorts of comorbidities.”
- Dr. Daniel Griffin
Resilience Physical Therapy and Wellness