Since Fit to Move opened last year, the UT Southwestern alum-owned physical therapy center has been on the move.

The fitness facility in Plano, Texas, is the brainchild of Dr. Kenneth Johnson, who is leveraging his years of experience in clinical administration and physical therapy to realize a dream: establishing a physical therapy center that alleviates pain while restoring free-flowing movement.

Beyond the glass storefront of a sprawling retail-industrial complex in one of Dallas’ largest suburbs, Fit to Move Therapy and Wellness Center welcomes patients to a fully equipped free-weight gym replete with padded therapy tables that portend to healing. Through manual physical therapy unaided by machines, practitioners use only their hands to apply pressure to muscles and joints to alleviate tension and pain.

A patient visiting his center might commonly have unspecified lower back pain, but Dr. Johnson and his staff address all manner of injuries and chronic pain, from detached tendons and dislocated shoulders to ankle sprains and post-operative muscle weakness resulting from orthopedic surgery.

“A lot of people have unresolved injuries and pain that they’ve never fully recovered from,” Dr. Johnson said one afternoon at the center. “We can see it in the way they walk, or in the way their limbs move. There is an underlying trauma that the patient has learned to compensate for, but not in an optimal way. Physical therapy can resolve these injuries, bringing proper movement and alignment back.”

Movement investigations and gait analyses conducted on treadmills are just part of the comprehensive evaluations offered by Fit to Move. The goal is the same with every patient: to provide physical stimulation that helps injuries heal and allows patients to re-learn moving in healthful ways so they can live their best lives. It’s all in the name of the center, which Dr. Johnson ultimately plans expand in the future.

After earning his master’s in physical therapy from the School of Health Professions in 2008, Dr. Johnson earned a doctorate in physical therapy from Texas Tech, before serving as director of therapy for Addison, Texas-based Concentra, which runs more than 500 urgent care locations nationwide.

Ironically, the Huntsville native and former Texas Tech football player had never seen a physical therapist himself – until he tore his ACL during a social game of flag football at UT Southwestern as a student. At the time, he was in good hands among fellow students and a top-notch physical therapy department that had already been teaching him the importance of interdisciplinary, collaborative medicine.

“In physical therapy, we see the most success when patients are referred to us before surgery might be done to address an issue,” Dr. Johnson said. “Often the problem can be addressed with physical therapy alone. But whenever surgery is medically necessary, ideally, we are in the room to consult with the orthopedic surgeon before and after. That’s where UT Southwestern excels is in bringing all the experts to the table, to look at a patient’s story and their condition wholistically.” UT Southwestern was an integral part of Dr. Johnson’s journey.

“My time at UT Southwestern was both challenging and fast-paced,” he said. “The environment helped shape my resilience and adaptability, qualities that are paramount in the medical field. While there, I was fortunate enough to work with other allied health and medical professionals. This gave me the chance to see through the lens of different medical providers and really boosted my knowledge and understanding of the multidimensional nature of health care. What was even more remarkable was how the staff fostered a conducive learning environment. Even amidst the daily pressures, they somehow managed to create an atmosphere of fun. This approach eased the tension and motivated us to bring forth our best.”