Hello all, I am David Schwarz. I work as a physical therapist around Grand Rapids, Michigan in the United States, but I am also licensed as a massage therapist and have an administrative background. Currently, I work in patients’ homes with older adults. I just transitioned from homecare to outpatient in the home for more freedom. I am currently working on my PhD in Physical Therapy at University of Michigan (Flint campus which is where I did my doctorate) and I am focusing my research on Functional Neurological Disorder, primarily on the motor portion for now as it is more palatable for PTs. Some of my other recent work is related to substance use disorders, ACT in PT, cancer pain, physical performance in older adults, and some other smaller stuff here and there.
My initial interest in the pain space was from my experience of starting with weekly migraines that began at about 6ish years old which grew to joint pains and then widespread pain as an adult. Before I was a PT, I worked for 9 years in nursing (“nurse aide” in skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care, UTI research, inpatient psych). I asked my boss at the time (on a co-occurring disorders unit) about what we do to help curb recidivism related to pain. His response was, “we don’t do pain here.” So, I decided that I “do pain” and want to help them. So, I continue to work hard to help people, especially focusing on those people who are on the periphery of healthcare.