Physical Therapy Section
Members of the AAPMD Physical Therapy Section are PT pracitioners who are Airway Centered and see their discipline as an integral part of a collaborative approach to airway management.
Who We Are
We are Physical Therapists trained to detect airway issues in our patients, and dedicated to working with other practitioners to treat them.
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Physical Therapists are at the forefront of evaluating and treating patients with airway issues. We are an integral part of the airway team addressing postural, breathing, and movement mechanics that have a direct impact on airway health.
As Director of the Physical Therapy section for the AAPMD, I am honored to have such a strong team of airway-minded physical therapists throughout the country that are involved in patient care, research, advocacy, and education.
Our goal is to spread awareness and knowledge to other physical therapists out there encouraging them to add Airway Screening and treatment to their practice. I would also like to encourage them to join us at our annual Collaboration Cures conference so they can learn from experts in all disciplines from around the world.
Section Leader
Dr. Gilden has been practicing physical therapy since earning his degree from New York Medical College in 2000.
His research since 2010 explores the impact of posture on airway health, sleep, and recovery. He treats patients with neurological, orthopedic, airway, TMD, and sports injuries.
Dr. Gilden earned a clinical doctorate in upper quarter & hand therapy from Drexel University in 2004, started Elite Health Services as a managing partner in 2005, co-founded IPA Manhattan Physical Therapy in 2011 and Kinetichain Integrative Manual Physical Therapy in Aspen, CO, in 2019.
More on Brad Gilden
A national lecturer, Dr. Gilden educates physicians, dentists, oral myologists, and physical therapists on posture’s role in breathing, sleep, performance, and recovery. Utilizing over 25 years of experience and cutting-edge technology, he specializes in identifying breathing pattern disorders and postural discord. He has also developed a physiology lab to study respiratory efficiency and the autonomic nervous system’s role in pain and inflammation.
What We Do
Airway Centered Physical Therapy works to improve body mechanics, behavior, posture, ergonomics, and breathing mechanics in our patients.
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Airway Centered Physical Therapists use a combination of hands-on techniques and prescriptive exercises to evaluate and treat dysfunction to ensure restoration of efficient function. They support the airway through body mechanics, behavior, posture, ergonomics, and breathing mechanics.
BODY MECHANICS
By increasing awareness and execution of positioning during activities such as bending, lifting, squatting, and other repetitive activities, we reduce the chance of injury and decrease healing time.
How We Do It
We discover airway issues, referring patients to the appropriate practitioners, while providing additional therapeutic support when needed.
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We contribute to the airway team in a number of ways:
- Support for patients going through airway expansion and/or orthodontics
- Reduce strain from appliance using hands-on and therapeutic exercise interventions to cranial, cervical and mandibular complex
- Communicate changes in pain, gait, movement and balance to inform dentists how adjustments to patients’ appliance may improve compliance and outcomes
- Support patients with visual, auditory and vestibular dysfunctions related to an imbalance of their autonomic nervous system
- Provide interventions to improve sensory processing
- Refer to appropriate professionals (ENT, Optometrist, Audiologist)
Some of the dysfunctions we discover require referral to the airway team:
- Sleep Disorders (Dentist, Sleep Medicine Physician, Psychiatrist)
- Malocclusion, crossbites, open bites, gum recession
- Ankyglossia, tongue or lip restrictions, poor tongue control (ENT, Dentist, Myofunctional Therapist)
- Dysfunctional swallow (ENT, Myofunctional Therapist)
- Hearing loss, tinnitus (Dentist, ENT)
- Balance and gait disturbances (Dentists, Neurologist)
- Cranial Nerve Dysfunction (Neurologist)
- Inflammatory Conditions (Functional Medicine Physician, Nutritionist, Allergist)
- Nasal Obstruction (ENT, Plastic Surgeon, Dentist)
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF
PHYSIOLOGICAL MEDICINE & DENTISTRY
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Suffern, NY 10901
Email: info@aapmd.org
Phone: 845-570-1979
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