Traveling to Holladay for Physical Therapy with Dr. Emily

Considering a trip to work with Dr. Emily?

If you are considering traveling for help with back pain, neck pain or bone health, we can talk through your goals before you make the trip. At our Holladay clinic, Dr. Emily Warren, DPT, Cert. MDT, combines one-on-one assessment, McKenzie-based care, pain education and progressive exercise. A free 15-minute consultation can help you decide whether an in-person visit, virtual coaching from anywhere or care closer to home is the best starting point.

For Most Conditions, Your Local PT Is the Right Choice

We want to be upfront about this: if you have a straightforward knee replacement recovery, a routine rotator cuff repair, or a simple ankle sprain, your local physical therapist can likely provide excellent care. There are good PTs in Boise, in Jackson, in Idaho Falls, and throughout the region.

This page is not for those situations.

This page is for the people who have already done the standard approach — sometimes multiple rounds of it — and are still in pain. It is for people with complex, chronic, or treatment-resistant spine problems. It is for people diagnosed with osteoporosis who were handed a generic exercise sheet and told to “be careful.” It is for people who have had surgery that did not fix the problem, or who have been told “there’s nothing else we can do.”

If previous care has not helped you move forward, we take time to understand what you have tried, reassess how you move and help you choose a plan you can use in daily life. The goal is a clearer next step toward the things you want to do again.

What shapes our approach to back, neck and bone health

McKenzie Method: assessment and a plan you understand

Dr. Emily holds the Cert. MDT credential in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy. For back and neck pain, we assess how symptoms respond to movement and positions, then use what we learn to choose exercises and practical strategies for your day. Pain education helps you understand your symptoms and build confidence as you return to activity. Explore how McKenzie care works.

LIFTMOR-informed progressive strength training

The LIFTMOR trial found improvements in bone density and physical function with supervised resistance and impact training in postmenopausal women with low bone mass. We draw on those principles when building a progressive program around your strength, bone-health history and goals. Learn about LIFTMOR and bone-health exercise.

BoneFit-informed exercise and movement

Dr. Emily also draws on BoneFit training to guide exercise, lifting, balance and movement for people with osteoporosis or osteopenia. We help you understand where to start, how to practice and how to progress. For local patients, Bone Builder classes at the Holladay clinic offer another way to build strength with guidance.

What Makes MMPT Different

The Credentials

Dr. Emily is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and McKenzie-certified therapist (Cert. MDT), with BoneFit and LIFTMOR training. Back pain, neck pain and bone health are central to our practice. Your care brings assessment, education and exercise together around what you want to get back to.

The Cash-Pay Model

MMPT operates on a cash-pay basis. That means:

• 60-minute one-on-one sessions. Not 15 minutes with a therapist and 45 minutes with an aide or a tech. Your entire session is with Dr. Emily.
• No insurance-dictated visit limits. Your treatment plan is based on what you actually need, not what an insurance company authorizes.
• No referral required. Utah allows direct access to physical therapy. You can schedule without waiting for a doctor’s appointment.
• No surprise billing. You know what you are paying before your visit. No denials, no appeals, no balance bills.

The Approach

Every patient receives a comprehensive assessment that typically takes a full hour. This includes detailed history-taking (your symptoms, your treatments, your imaging, your goals), hands-on examination, movement testing, and — for spine patients — McKenzie repeated-movement assessment to classify your problem and identify your most effective treatment strategy.

From there, treatment integrates manual therapy, exercise prescription, pain neuroscience education, dry needling when appropriate, and a home program designed around your specific needs and equipment access. This is the multimodal, evidence-based approach that the research consistently shows works best for complex cases.

The Patient Journey: What to Expect If You Travel

Traveling for physical therapy sounds unusual — until you realize that SLC is already the medical hub for the entire Intermountain West. People from Jackson, Boise, Idaho Falls, and rural Utah already travel to Salt Lake City for specialist orthopedic, neurological, and oncological care. Specialist PT fits the same pattern.

Here is how it typically works:

Phase 1: Initial In-Person Assessment (1-2 visits)

Your first visit at our Holladay clinic is a 60-minute, one-on-one evaluation with Dr. Emily. We listen to your history and goals, assess your movement and begin a practical home program. For back or neck pain, McKenzie assessment helps us understand which movements and positions help your symptoms. We can discuss appointment timing before you arrange travel.

Phase 2: Home Program + Follow-Up

Between visits, your home program gives you a way to keep practicing. Virtual coaching is available from anywhere for education, movement guidance and support with your goals. If you are seeking clinical physical therapy by video, tell us where you will be so we can confirm which services are available. We can also discuss working with a local PT when that would help you continue care close to home.

Phase 3: Periodic In-Person Visits as Needed

We decide together when an in-person reassessment would help. Your symptoms, progress, home program and travel plans guide that conversation.

Travel Distances and Logistics

Our clinic is in Holladay, a suburb of Salt Lake City with easy access from I-15 and I-80. Here are approximate travel times:

• Park City, UT: 30 minutes
• Provo / Orem, UT: 45 minutes
• Ogden, UT: 45 minutes
• Idaho Falls, ID: ~3 hours
• Jackson, WY: ~4.5 hours
• Boise, ID: ~5 hours
• Pocatello, ID: ~2.5 hours
• Denver, CO: check current driving or flight options; virtual coaching is also available
• Fort Collins / Colorado Springs, CO: ask about virtual coaching before planning travel

Salt Lake City has a major international airport (SLC) with direct flights from most western cities. For patients flying in, we can often schedule evaluations to align with your travel dates.

Related Pages

• Virtual coaching from anywhere — explore education, movement guidance and available appointment formats
• Physical Therapy for Park City Residents
• McKenzie Method Physical Therapy in Utah
• LIFTMOR Protocol for Osteoporosis in Utah

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it really worth traveling for physical therapy?

For straightforward conditions, no — your local PT is the right choice. But if you have a complex, chronic, or treatment-resistant condition and you have already tried standard PT without success, the expertise of your therapist becomes the deciding factor. Patients travel across the country for specialist surgical opinions. The same logic applies to specialist rehabilitation. One or two visits with the right clinician can change the trajectory of a case that has been stuck for months or years.

How many in-person visits will I need?

Start with a one-on-one assessment. We can discuss timing and whether a follow-up visit would be useful before you arrange travel. The plan depends on what we find, what you need help practicing and how you progress.

Can I continue treatment remotely after my in-person visits?

Virtual coaching is available from anywhere for education, movement guidance and support with your home program. If you want clinical physical therapy by video, share your location so we can confirm which services are available. We can also discuss follow-up visits or coordination with a local PT.

Do you work with my local PT?

Absolutely, when it makes sense. If you have a local PT you trust, Dr. Emily can consult with them directly — sharing assessment findings, treatment classification, and specific exercise progressions. This collaborative model gives you local hands-on support guided by specialist-level clinical reasoning. We are not trying to replace your local PT. We are trying to make sure you get the expertise your condition requires.

What should I bring to my first in-person visit?

Bring any imaging reports (MRI, X-ray, DEXA scan), surgical records, previous PT notes if available, and a list of current medications. Wear comfortable clothing you can move in. Most importantly, bring your questions — we set aside a full hour so there is no rush.

Do I need a referral?

No. Utah allows direct access to physical therapy without a physician referral. You can schedule directly with us.