Philosophy

Our Treatment Philosophy

Many of our patients express the disappointment they feel when seeing other practitioners and are put into a box, classified because of their diagnosis. At Superior Performance, we know everyone has their own unique story and that story paints the picture of how they got to where they are now. We go through your entire past medical history extensively, looking for the cause of your pain and dysfunction in order to effectively address your complaints and create lasting effects. So often the start of the cascade into pain began with something you might have not connected to your pain or seemed minor at that time. It is important for the success of treatment to find out what lead to the dysfunction causing your pain and our assessment of your whole body helps us to complete the picture. We are evaluating you for not only the available motion and strength you have but also how your entire system integrates and impacts other areas of the body. It is not uncommon for us to be treating a completely different area than your site of pain in order to have an effect on your symptoms based on what we find with our functional evaluation. Our treatments utilize the philosophies and teachings of Functional Manual Therapy^TM and Barral Visceral and Neural Manipulation to address the areas of dysfunction found in the evaluation. Treatment becomes a group effort between the patient and therapist to mobilize the tissues, activate the appropriate muscles and incorporate them into daily movements. As the patient, you will feel a part of the process where your input is encouraged and helps to get you back to your desired level of function. It’s through our hour-long one-on-one treatments we are able to provide this level of care. We are an out of network provider to ensure we, as the patient and therapist, have the only say in the proper care required to get you back to living the life you want pain-free.

Diagnoses We Treat

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Head/Neck

Cervicogenic headaches, TMJ disorder, facial asymmetries, radiculopathy, acute wry neck, facet dysfunction, whiplash, herniated disc, spinal cord injuries, sprains/strains, arthrisits, post-surgery

Shoulder and Upper Extremity

Thoracic outlet syndrome, rotator cuff injuries, labral injuries, AC joint separations, golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis), tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), sprains/strains, arthritis, post-surgery

Back

Radiculopathy, herniated disc, low back pain, scoliosis, rib pain, sprains/strains, sciatica, arthritis, post-surgery

Lower Extremity

Ligamentous injury (ACL/PCL/MCL/LCL), patellofemoral pain, patellar tendonitis, Osgood-Schlatter disease, Achilles tendonitis, sprains/strains, plantar fasciitis, arthritis, bunions, tarsal coalitions, post-surgery

Women’s and Men’s Health

Incontinence, prenatal, post-partum, diastasis recti, painful intercourse, dysmenorrhea, non-bacterial prostatitis, infertility, tubal occlusion, post-surgery

Dr. Heather Demirci provides a high level of professionalism, knowledge and experience, as well as an intuitive sense of understanding the root of the problem. She is dedicated to her work and her patients. Dr. Demirci has helped me immeasurably with her treatments as well as teaching me exercises to keep me flexible and mobile. She is the best physical therapist I have ever encountered.
Nancy S.

I started seeing Heather after my second hip surgery in one year. I was angry, frustrated, and in pain. Heather's consultation and approach was both holistic and traditional. We spent most of the first session just talking - about my life, my activities, my family, and what I wanted to accomplish through PT. Heather was very clear about setting expectations, and ensuring that we were always communicating about pain, exercises and getting through the grind. Every session after the first session was completely hands on, and focused on not just my hip recovery, but my posture, my gait, my core strength. Heather's approach encompassed how my entire body moved, with an emphasis on functional movement - how to enable me to do all of the things I needed to do, as well as the activities I enjoyed.
Mini N.

I met Heather following a running-related stress fracture to my left foot. Convinced that the problem was not my footwear but the ultimate result of very old (3+ decades) unrehabbed childhood surgeries to my right hip (that caused me a vast amount of pain while running, but like all runners, I ran anyway), I asked my doctor to recommend a physical therapist who could help resolve this root problem. When I met with Heather, she listened to my assessment (rare in the medical industry), did her own thorough evaluation, and then came up with a thorough plan to break down the decades’ worth of scar tissue, rebuild the nearly absent mind-body connection to that area, and explained what she was doing, every step of the way. In early 2012, I walked in gingerly on my post-stress fracture foot and a year later, in 2013, completed my first half-marathon. It’s been nearly five years since Heather cleared up the scar tissue and started my hip on the path to rebuilt strength and flexibility, and I’ve since completed six half-marathons, two marathons, and numerous 5ks and 10ks. All with NO hip pain. Heather knows what she’s doing, has experience as an athlete and expertise bar none as a FMT practitioner, and will even find a way to make you laugh while working on you.
Ann B.

Heather Demirci is one of the most knowledgeable, passionate, and effective physical therapists I have worked with over the course of my athletic career (and I have seen a lot). I am injury prone and was very frustrated by all of the seemingly random health problems that consistently put me out of running. Heather wanted to hear about my entire health history and was able to find underlying problems that connected these together and made me feel as if I weren't actually crazy and imagining things, or else had a very low pain tolerance. Within minutes of working with Heather, I had regained significant amounts of strength and mobility, was relieved of gastrointestinal pain and issues, and was able to perform exercises and activities with much more fluidity and ease. Furthermore, she was very friendly and fun to work with, and it is clear she knows what she is talking about and is dedicated to being up to date with the newest methodologies in the practice. I would highly recommend her, especially if you feel as though you have "tried everything" or have grown cynical about traditional rehab. I will definitely be returning for more treatment.
Kristi C.

Heather D. at SPPT was great to work with and I'd highly recommend. While I hope to not have any future injuries, I'd certainly go back. I was having ankle / achilles issues that were reoccurring after some long runs and gave me serious concern. After a few weeks I was running better and further than before. She isolated the issue to some other problem areas that were leading to my issue and fixed those. Five stars across the board.
Mike C.

Heather at Superior Performance P.T. has exceeded my expectations in treating my back and leg problems. She helped relieve a lot of issues I was having after my pregnancy. She really took the time to find the root of these issues and successfully solve them when I assumed it was just sore muscles and tension. After the first appointment, I experienced a huge improvement in movement and pain. She also talks you through her process and explains how everything is connected or affected. She's very insightful and knowledgeable! I would recommend a consultation with her!
Brittney S.

Heather really takes the time to get to find the underlying cause of the pain and discomfort you are having. She explained to me while all systems are interconnected and dependent on one another the Nervous system coordinates all activities in your body. Which means, for example when you feel pain your nerves send a message to your brain which tells your muscles to contract. This can cause muscle tension and wear and tear over time. So rather on focusing on just the muscle she goes to the WHY? Why is that muscle tight? Where is there a disruption in the nervous system? By solving and customizing a treatment plan to correct the root of the problem she was able to relieve my pain.
After each visit I left feeling more educated about my body and more importantly in less pain. I highly recommend Heather for anyone looking for a custom hands on approach that delves a little deeper than the more traditional superficial approach.
Kimberly V.

Heather has literally saved me! I have been to many physical therapists in my life, none are like Heather. She has a deep understanding of how the body works and can fix multiple issues in just a few sessions. She has saved me from needing back surgery and helped me recover from abdominal surgery. She is the best you will find!
Lisa S.

Heather is amazing at what she does and the physical therapy she practices is next-level. As a practicing physical therapist myself with board specialized training - I am astounded by the work Heather can do and how she is able to integrate so many related and seemingly unrelated body systems into her treatment to fully create a holistic approach. From your simple aches and pains, to more complicated and chronic issues -- she can help address it all with her vast knowledge and manual skills. She is so professional but light-hearted and fun to talk to as well, so the time always seemed to pass so quickly. An esteemed therapist recommended Heather to me and she was great about finding appointments for me as I was traveling from another city to see her. She was so great in answering all my questions and I was able to feel immediate and positive changes in my body with each appointment we had. I wholeheartedly recommend Heather, and wish I lived closer. She is a great representative of our profession and a true gem!
Maureen L.

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