Today we’d like to introduce you to Danica Rodriguez.
Hi Danica, Thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My introduction to physical therapy was in high school as a patient. I played soccer and acquired many injuries, including two ACL reconstruction surgeries. So, I was in physical therapy a lot! I had a great physical therapist who was fun and encouraging in one of the hard seasons of my life. She had a huge impact on my life, and I knew that I, too, wanted to impact others in the same way: helping injured people get back to doing the things they love. So, I pursued a doctorate in physical therapy and graduated in 2012 from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI.
From there, I worked for 5 years in an outpatient orthopedic setting focusing on manual and sports therapy. Few people can say they love their job, and I was one of them. 2016, I moved from Michigan to Kansas City, MO, to intern at the International House of Prayer. I still loved my job as a physical therapist, but I put it on the shelf for 2 years while I served and worked at the House of Prayer. In 2020, when COVID shut down the whole world, I found myself helping many more of my friends with different aches and pains they were experiencing in their bodies. I realized then that God still wanted me to use physical therapy skills to help people, so I began to inquire what that could look like. After much prayer and research, I opened my cash-based physical therapy business in 2021. I never wanted to own a business because of how much work it can be. However, what made it worth it was the opportunity to serve the people of Kansas City with quality care. The most skilled treatment a physical therapist can provide is manual therapy, and this is often cut short in traditional physical therapy clinics due to the volume of patients and other demands at the clinic. Owning my own business, I get to provide my patients with the best quality of care because I spend time with them without distractions. I meet some patients in their homes and provide physical therapy services there. I meet other patients at my office in Overland Park. I get to meet the needs of my patients and care well for them because I am undistracted and not in a hurry.
The name of my business, Branch Physical Therapy, comes from a passage in the Bible, John 15:5, when Jesus says, ” I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing.” My heart is to glorify Jesus in my business, and I get to do that by serving and providing quality patient care to the people I work with.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There was a lot of grace when I first started. My friends and family had heard me talk about this for a while, so they were so supportive when I began to spread the word, share my business card, and send hurting people my way. In the last 2 years, the challenge and opportunity to grow has been in marketing; how do I market to people who don’t know me, people beyond my sphere of influence? That has been challenging and also a learning experience.
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Branch Physical Therapy?
Branch Physical Therapy takes a holistic approach to finding, fixing, and treating your problem. Whether it is a pain, movement, weakness, or post-surgery problem, we evaluate and treat the whole person, realizing how complex and intricately connected everything is. For example, your elbow pain may come from your shoulder or neck. Or your knee pain may be driven from your hip. Finding the source of the pain and fixing the driving dysfunction in that area is imperative to relieve what you are experiencing. Branch Physical Therapy offers skilled manual therapy techniques to find, fix, and treat the driver of the problem to create long-lasting effects. While you are being treated at Branch Physical Therapy, you will experience one-on-one care with a doctor of physical therapy for a full-hour treatment session. You will be given a customized home exercise program with videos and an app to track your progress. From start to finish, your rehab experience will feel personal, educational, effective, and worth your time and money!
What makes you happy?
Knowing and growing in my relationship with Jesus makes me happy! He created me, and I was made to know and enjoy Him forever. He is the most generous man I know. He gave up his life so that I could have eternal life. He conquered death on my behalf. He forgave all my sins. He taught me how to forgive others, knowing the freedom that brings to my heart when I do that. He’s amazing and makes me very happy!
Pricing:
- Initial Evaluation and Treatment- $150
- Follow up visits- $125
Contact Info:
- Website: branch-physicaltherapy.com
- Instagram: branchphysicaltherapykc
- Facebook: branch physical therapy
