Dr. Kyle Blair, PT, DPT, CSCS, Physical Therapist/Clinic Manager
Kyle earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Exercise Physiology and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from West Virginia University. While specializing in orthopedic physical therapy, he also finds the complexity and high degree of improvement with vestibular rehabilitation intriguing. Chronic pain management and helping his patients through their physical and psychological challenges is also a strong point for Kyle.
What Kyle Has to Say
What aspect of movement do you find the most fascinating? Why?
Motor planning. When a muscle or body part is “weak”, it’s an over simplification to think this only means how much resistance it can handle. In many cases, if not all, some degree of dysfunctional movement is at fault and must be addressed along with resistance loading to reach the desired healing outcome. It’s fascinating just how much improvement you see when you incorporate this principle.
List 3-5 specialty areas. What is one specialty area that makes you stand out?
1. Orthopedic Conditions- The foundation of my skillset and passion. The musculoskeletal system is a complex machine, it’s dysfunctions are no different. I pride myself in using the latest research, experience and a true, individualized care approach to get my patients to where they want to be and fast. My favorite subcategories include shoulder, knee and lower back conditions!
2. Men’s Pelvic Health- There is a huge disparity in Men’s Health (or those with male anatomy). Much like women, there are pelvic floor conditions specific to these populations that can cause pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction, urination problems and more. I not only want to provide excellent care to this population, but to also bring a sense of comfort through being a practitioner with similar anatomy. To my knowledge, I am one of the few if not the only male therapist treating these conditions in the greater Chicago area.
3. Functional Dry Needling- I can’t begin to explain the positive physiological responses I have seen using this tool. I’ve had patient’s who have been stuck in a chronic pain cycle for years see improvement in just a few sessions.
Which patients are your favorite to work with?
From a musculoskeletal standpoint, shoulder injuries and vestibular patient-types, as I feel these are my strong points. From a population perspective, the elderly. It’s amazing what you can learn from those who have lived through and experienced much more than you have.
What are your values and how did they influence your career?
Always learning and improving. In this field, there is no such thing as “good enough”. It is natural to find comfort in routine, but this is not a habit I allow to manifest. My determination to constantly improve through research and self-awareness has both grown my clinical and managerial skills.
Why do you work for Body Gears?
I chose Body Gears because of the breadth of patient populations I have the chance to work with. I found my previous roles to be too confined to particular subpopulations, such as elderly or post-operative. Body Gears allows me to work with these populations as well as many others. A majority of my patients are direct-access, so I never know what pathology I may encounter on any given day. This makes work exciting and leads to heavy clinical skill growth.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Aside from fitness and physical activity, I enjoy creating creating various forms of art. I typically do one large project each year!
How do you stay active?
I resistance train 4-5x a week with a blend of traditional lifting and functional movements. Fitness has been a part of my identity since my powerlifting and bodybuilding days. I also enjoy a long bike ride on either the lake front or a nature trail!