The Movement Clinic
Nishal Patel
Nishal Patel
PT, DPT, M.S.
Owner, The Movement Clinic
I didn’t want to be in the field of medicine
That’s probably not what you want to hear from a physical therapist, but it’s true. Growing up, I wanted to be something creative: an architect, specifically. But I was raised in a strict Indian household, and that was out of the question for my parents.
The options given to me were doctor, engineer, or computer programmer – no exceptions. My mom required me to register at the University of Texas as a pre-med student for her to cosign my student loans. Since I didn’t really want to be there for medicine, I’ll be honest…
I ruined my chances of a good GPA
I didn’t go to class, didn’t study, and wound up in trouble more than once. To say I was “behaving poorly” would be an understatement.
So, when I was a 5th-year senior at UT, my mom had had it with my nonsense: she sent me to the Himalayas to learn a thing or two.
That might sound drastic but hang on: there’s this pilgrimage that multiple religions believe to be a “soul-cleansing” experience. My mom had done it herself, and now she saw no other alternative to help put me back in line.
This is Where My Journey Began
After flying to Nepal, driving 3 days to Tibet, bathing in the highest lake in the world (which was barely water, it was so cold), and embarking on the multi-day 53-kilometer trek around Mt. Kailash… something happened.
I was busy thawing out my tent one morning, and I saw the natives who were guiding us along the trek as they sat and ate by the fire. They were laughing and enjoying themselves in a way I never had before. These people were climbing out of huts made of literal garbage, and they were clearly happier than I had ever been in my life.
That’s when reality hit me
I had so many opportunities handed to me that these people could never imagine. I was going home to a soft, warm bed and clean, running water from the tap when I got back to the states. I was attending one of the best universities in the world…and I was wasting it away out of spite. Things had to change when I got home.
I Finally found my passion for PT
I applied myself in ways I never had before, graduated top of my class when I went back to school to get my Master’s in Exercise Science, and second in my class at physical therapy school. I had finally learned to love Physical Therapy!
I then went on to work in a variety of PT clinics. Over the next few years, I quickly found out what was wrong with my profession: insurance reimbursement rates are declining, and clinics are having to treat multiple patients at once, reducing the overall quality of care. There were days where I treated 30+ people in a day, and I wondered if anyone truly got better as a result.
This realization made me want to do better for my patients…
SO I founded the Movement Clinic!
I’m on a mission to provide high quality care that’s patient-centered and kicks ass! If you’d like to explore a different style of physical therapy that caters to your individual needs, give us a call and let’s get moving!
