About | Injury Prevention Expert Bonita Springs

My name is Mike Kriz and I am the founder of Kriz Physical Therapy in Bonita Springs, Florida. My first career was in the high-tech industry in Northern Virginia after graduating with a business degree. I realized that my passion was in helping people but that computers were not the vehicle through which to do it. I had always been interested in fitness and anatomy and after a great deal of searching, I decided to enter the field of physical therapy. Ten years into the physical therapy industry I decided that there was a better way to provide physical therapy to my clients so I, along with my wife, opened Kriz Physical Therapy in Bonita Springs, FL. Florida has one of the highest ratios of golf courses to residents in the country and as a physical therapist working in the area, I have had the privilege of working with many people that play golf. If you have had an injury or a surgical procedure that has affected your life, especially with golf, I am here to help you return to the game with confidence.

I’ve been treating golfers for over 24 years as I am passionate about this sport and love playing too. I’ve been playing golf since I was 7 years old, so it’s always been my favorite thing to do. Whenever I’m not treating patients in my clinic, I like spending active time with my wife and children. I have an 18-year-old son who also plays golf and I’ve been helping him improve his game and technique. My 14-year-old daughter is a competitive dancer and I enjoy spending time with her analyzing her movements and helping her improve her overall condition.

I’ve been working with golfers and other patients for over 24 years, helping them recover and get back to doing things they love. My years of experience and proven track record of success gained me a reputation as a go-to person for injury prevention and treatment in Bonita Springs. I am continually updating and enhancing my clinical skills with intense continuing education coursework and certifications. I am certified as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist through the APTA. I am one of fewer than 450 physical therapists who have been certified as a Functional Manual Therapist through the Institute of Physical Art in Steamboat Springs, CO. That certification has honed my skills in the assessment and treatment of movement dysfunctions that inhibit efficient movement and stability. I became certified as a Titleist Performance Institute Medical Practitioner to enhance my knowledge of the golf swing and swing mechanics that can lead to injury. This background combined with two and a half decades of working with golfers equips me to help golfers return to the game after surgery or injury. I always look into expanding my knowledge and excelling in my skills, so I take the time to get advanced training and get better to be able to give my patients the best treatment they can get.

In my practice, I have helped countless people with various injuries recover and return to the things they need and love to do. I have helped dozens of clients avoid rotator cuff repair surgery with manual therapy techniques and progressive exercise routines allowing them to return to their sports and household activities saving them months of pain and inability to play golf. I have also helped many avoid back surgery with appropriately targeted treatment and exercises allowing them to return to golf and other activities. Golf is a social sport and when the people that I have worked with have been unable to play they tell me that they often become depressed. When those I have worked with are able to return to golf they are much happier and less anxious. I work primarily with golfers but I have helped those who play other sports return to the court or field as well.

I decided to change careers and become a physical therapist because I know how difficult it is not to be able to do the things that you love most, for me that was golf. I have worked with untold numbers of people who have given up their sports or activities that brought them joy and happiness because of pain. Two years ago I had extensive abdominal surgeries related to colon cancer that left me with masses of scar tissue in my abdomen. The surgical incisions through the abdominal wall not only created scar tissue, it rendered my core muscles weak. Swinging a golf club was the farthest thing from my mind, and yet I couldn’t help but wonder whether I would be able to, and if so, I wondered whether I would have any strength to hit the ball any distance. Applying the same techniques and performing the same customized exercises that I have used with golfers over the years has returned me to the game and I am swinging the club better than I did before my diagnosis. If you’re suffering from an injury, whether or not it’s golf-related, I can help you too. I want you to be able to get back to playing sports, keeping up with your kids, working, and doing all the things that you can’t do now. You deserve a chance at a better quality of life.

My expertise and certifications set me apart from other physical therapists that you have seen.

As a Certified Functional Manual Therapist, I am trained to look at the entire body rather than just a specific joint or a few joints.

Areas and structures of the body that you may not think have anything to do with the area or joint that is hurting may have influence over your primary area of concern.

One example that I often see is immobility in the thoracic spine affecting the mobility of the shoulder joint.

Why, simply put, it is because muscles and soft tissues that attach to the thoracic spine also attach to the shoulder blade and, in turn, to the arm. If those tissues are not addressed, complete resolution will never occur.

Evaluating people head to toe allows me to determine the root cause of the problem causing your pain or weakness and prevents me from just treating the symptoms.

Certifying through the Titleist Performance Institute sharpens my skill in working with golfers to return them to the course.

Injury and surgical procedures change the way the body moves, and those changed patterns can remain even after rehabilitation.

Inefficient movement patterns that may not be obvious to the untrained eye can lead to irritation and reinjury in any activity, especially with golf.

Why? The golf swing requires forces that can stress weak, instabilized, or immobile areas of the body. If you consider how many swings you take when warming up and playing 18 holes of golf and apply that to those weak or unstable movements, you can see how reinjury may occur.

Proper analysis of movement patterns to find inefficient patterns is the cornerstone of a program designed to return you to the game with confidence that you will minimize the chance of getting an injury.

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