12 Jun Meet Mike

Mike Ploski followed an interesting route to his successful career as a physical therapist: Mike was a certified athletic trainer and med school student who realized that he just didn’t enjoy med school – but he loved his work as an athletic trainer. The move into physical therapy was a natural one for Mike. After receiving his Master’s in Physical Therapy, Mike began his diverse career treating patients and utilizing innovative techniques to improve his clients’ health as a whole. Early in his career, Mike even spent six years with the PGA Tour athletic staff and also enjoyed a season with the CART racing league!

Uniquely, Mike is both a practitioner of dry needling and the Graston Technique. Dry needling involves inserting small, slender needles into specific muscle tissue, while Graston Technique treatment involves using specialized instruments to release fascia (connective tissue) restrictions that can inhibit movement, cause pain, and delay healing. Impressively, Mike is one of the first three clinicians trained in the now-popular Graston Technique, and was instructed by pioneer David Graston himself. Mike has achieved his GTS (Graston Technique Specialist) certification and is a clinical advisor who teaches this therapy around the world; recently Mike has developed an affiliate in Italy and is currently working to develop one in Denmark.

Currently, while seeing a variety of patients, Mike tends to see many clients with foot and ankle conditions. This is because Mike’s extensive training in Graston Technique has a wide application in this area and many podiatrists tend to send people his way! One misconception that Mike is eager to change is that Graston has to hurt. “There are many practitioners using Graston aggressively,” he says, “ but done right it shouldn’t be painful to be effective.” Although his work is his fun, when not busy at Body One and helping his patients, Mike loves to travel and thinks you can’t get much better than Italy.