Nine months ago, I injured both my knees to the point where I could barely walk. I went two months resting and trying to let the injury heal, and then another 4 months in standard physiotherapy through my health insurance. I got nowhere with these methods of healing. Slight improvements one day were followed by disappointing pain the next. My recovery was unpredictable and unstable.
So I finally decided to take the plunge, despite being an in-debt graduate student, and sign up with Sharon for yoga physiotherapy – an integrative and holistic approach which appealed to me. And from my very first session with her the improvements were miraculous. My husband could not believe how little I was complaining, how far I was walking, how I was starting to train my muscles again, after only a few hours with Sharon!
Sharon changed my life. I can pinpoint the moment I started to truly recover from the day I met her. She reminded me how to be in tune with my body, how to understand its natural movements, and how to strengthen my body again in a sustainable and safe way. Her knowledge of how the body works, muscles, alignment, etc., is far beyond that of a regular physiotherapist. Her demeanor is calming, her explanations clear, and she respects her clients’ feelings about their bodies and the fears in their minds. At the same time, she pushed me to overcome my fears step by step and to use my body again. After months of depression and misery, Sharon helped me find a way to sustainably recover and find my happiness again. I cannot recommend her more highly.
– Faaria K.
New York, NY
Sharon’s investigative approach to healing my chronic Achilles tendinitis was what I had been searching fruitlessly for for three years. When I first spoke to Sharon I was pretty convinced that, at 28, my career as a dancer was over. Sharon is a highly gifted listener, observer, and teacher. Unlike the other physical therapists I had worked with, who were focused only on the presenting problem, Sharon treated my whole. Together we found root problems in my lower back and hip. For me, this was the yogic element of treatment– being seen and heard in body and spirit completely and without assumption.
The prescribed exercises were right on target and very easy for me to do at home. I never felt rushed and I never felt like just another client. Sharon treated me with the utmost caring, respect, and genuine interest in my success. I am pain free and have more freedom and mobility than I’ve had in years. I cannot recommend Sharon Gary enough! My time with her has been invaluable to me as a dancer and a person.
– Lia Bonfilio, dancer
New York, NY
I feel incredibly lucky to have Sharon as my physical therapist. After feeling shortchanged by so many doctors and physicians it was total bliss to finally have someone who truly listened to my issues, and accommodated me as a person. One of my favorite things was that although I was comfortable with yoga, it did not become a large part of our sessions. Sharon was able to on the fly switch up and incorporate whatever techniques necessary for my spine rehabilitation; a reason I feel she is an amazing physical therapist in general. I couldn’t recommend her wonderful, perceptive, sensitive instruction more.
– Filip O.
Rego Park, NY
I went to see Sharon several months ago because I had been suffering from tendonitis, back pain, and various other tight, sore muscles throughout my body.
All of these symptoms added up to a feeling of general poor health and fatigue – it got to the point where all of the tightness and pain made it difficult to even take a full breath of air comfortably. As a pianist and music teacher, it was essential that I correct these problems. Before going to Sharon, I had tried many different treatments and exercise programs and, although some had provided temporary relief, none were able to permanently change my symptoms. I felt like I was stuck in a rut.
It has been several months now since I began working with Sharon, and I am feeling so much better. My back pain is almost completely gone and the tendonitis in my arms has diminished so much that I don’t feel it when I play the piano. The big difference between Sharon’s therapy and everything else I had tried was her great attention to the details of my specific problems. There was never any generic solution. At our first session, she took a detailed inventory and history of all of my symptoms, and from there crafted a unique exercise program for me. The exercises were all very mild to begin with, and what was emphasized was learning how to breathe with each exercise in order to loosen up and heal the tight, painful areas of my body. Sharon gradually added to the exercises, while closely monitoring any changes in how my body felt. With her diverse knowledge of many types of physical therapy, she was able to create a program for me that best suited my particular problems. At each session, Sharon also used various massage techniques to release the tight areas of my body. This created space in my body so that my exercises would be even more effective in the days following the session. It was this creative, thoughtful approach that allowed my body to gently heal itself.
I am incredibly grateful to Sharon. She is an amazing healer and the things she taught me will allow me to continually strengthen my body to prevent the pain and injuries from returning.
– John A.
Pianist and Musician
New York, NY
Sharon Gary is an integrative Physical Therapist with unique capabilities. With her highly trained eye and her training in dance and yoga as well as standard PT, she is capable of picking up subtle problems in movement patterns that are often missed by other therapists. She has a vast array of corrective exercises at her disposal, so she is always able to tailor a program to suit the needs of her patients, from people with severe disabilities to accomplished dancers and athletes. Many of my clients love to practice yoga, but are actually making their injuries worse because of the way they have been instructed in the past. Ms. Gary is able to help them to return to yoga by teaching them strategies appropriate for their particular physical situations. She has a strong and empathetic touch in her hands-on work, such as stretching and myofascial release. I have gone to Ms. Gary for post-surgical therapy myself and referred many clients to her, and always been happy with the results.
– Beth Franzese
Certified Advanced Rolfer
NYC
Sharon Gary’s combination of Yoga and Physical Therapy literally gave me back my career in dancing. I had injured my back and traveled to many PT’s, massage therapists and chiropractors fearing that I would eventually have to have surgery. Sharon’s background in dance and years of experience in physical therapy enabled her to accurately evaluate my back problem. Within the first few visits, she had devised a series of yoga based exercises that not only cured my back problem but set me on a new path of dance training. As a middle aged dancer, she gave me a set of integrative and holistic tools to find a new strength in my body that will allow me dance for another forty years — I’m sticking with Sharon!
– Sarah Skaggs
Artistic Director
Sarah Skaggs Dance/Higher Ground Projects, Inc.
After years of fruitless physical therapy and worsening symptoms post-hip surgery, I found Sharon. Right off the bat, I was amazed by her unique and fresh approach. She observed things about my body and how I was moving that nobody had ever noticed before and has designed exercises that cleverly target my issues. She adjusts the approach to my ever changing needs and pain levels. Her ‘light touch’ manual therapy is really effective without subjecting me to the pain that other practitioners have told me is necessary with this type of work. I joke with her that she is like Annie Sullivan – patiently working me until my muscles “get it” and the pain levels decrease. In addition, she is a delightful person and she makes the tedious process of physical therapy much more manageable. I’m very lucky to be working with her.
– Barrie C.
Jackson Heights, New York
Sharon Gary has been a great help to me. I have had chronic back pain for several years. Her background and expertise in Yoga and Physical Therapy have been enormously helpful. The combination of these two plus her capability in Myofascial treatment have had an extremely positive impact on my condition. I wholeheartedly recommend Sharon Gary and her unique practice.
– Jack Welch
New York, New York
Sharon is a miracle worker! I went to her for chronic back pain and after a dozen sessions, feel like a brand new person! She is extremely knowledgeable, down to earth and personable. She not only educates you about your body–what exercises will work and not work for your particular challenges–but teaches you how to move your body in a healthy way. For example, I’ve discovered that I had been doing certain yoga positions incorrectly that would hurt my body or put extra strain on areas that shouldn’t be pushed. With Sharon, I’ve learned how to move safely with confidence! I simply can’t recommend Sharon highly enough-stop being in pain and go to Sharon-you won’t regret it!
– Patricia H.
New York, New York
As a physiatrist in NYC treating chronic pain, I am thrilled to recommend one of our local resources for back pain and chronic pain. Sharon Gary, an incredible physical therapist here in NYC, combines yoga and physical therapy in private sessions. She has developed a unique technique using focused breathing to channel energy and control motion and pain. I endorse her work enthusiastically, sometimes desperately for certain patients who really need help. Her diagnostic intuition and impressive fund of knowledge make her work remarkably effective. I urge you to try Ms. Gary if you have back or chronic pain. She is an excellent resource to an under-served community, even here in NYC, those dealing with chronic pain.
– Stacey Jaff, MD
New York, New York
I am 56, with chronic low back pain (an injury, stenosis, scoliosis, arthritis). I’ve been to scores of Physical Therapists over the years (and done Pilates, Feldenkrais & Yoga) in a fruitless effort to ameliorate my symptoms and develop a long-term exercise program.
Sharon Gary was recommended by my kinesthesiologist/chiropractor, and she is simply the best practitioner I’ve ever worked with. She’s developed a set of exercises to stretch and strengthen that I don’t even dread, and refines them every week. She also does hands-on therapy that feels great. Incredibly (to me), I feel better.
Sharon is expert, low-key, and flexible. She listens to me; more importantly she listens to things my body is saying that I don’t hear and then teaches me how to listen. Over the years, the difficulty of finding the right therapeutic path has been more demoralizing that the pain itself. I feel as though, with Sharon’s expert guidance and companionship, I’ve finally found my way.
– Ashton A.
Brooklyn, New York
Sharon is one of the best medical practitioners/therapists out there. After dislocating my shoulder several years ago, I never did any sort of therapy (expecting it to heal on its own) and came to regret that decision two years ago, when a simple fall caused it to pop back out again. Sharon came highly recommended by my Immediate Care doctor, and I decided to visit her to see how she would address my recovery. Her holistic and integrative approach — melding Yoga and Physical Therapy — moved her to a level beyond that of the typical PT (aka physical torture!). While I can’t say that I enjoyed every minute of the daily routine that she prescribed for me, I know for a fact that it moved my shoulder and accompanying muscles/body parts into the best shape they could possibly be in. What’s more, I began to actually look forward to seeing her each week in order to learn more about my body, its tendencies and how I could work muscle training for my weak areas into my regular fitness routine.
Sharon is incredibly intuitive, sympathetic and supportive, and let me tell you, when your arm is in a sling and you feel like you are creating havoc in everyone’s lives because of your disability (it’s NYC, what can I say?) that is the single best thing you can ask for. She is top of my faves list, that’s for sure.
– Nicole A.
New York, New York
I went to Sharon Gary because of tendonitis as the result of doing Yoga. I’d already gone to regular Physical Therapy, which was very helpful, but they couldn’t tell me how to get back into my Yoga practice. They just said, “don’t do it anymore.” But since I’ve been practicing Yoga for years and really love it, I was hoping I could understand what happened, and find a way back to it.
Since Sharon advertises a combination of Yoga AND Physical Therapy, I gave her a try. I was very pleased with her responsiveness to my situation and her ability to evaluate why I developed tendonitis in the first place. (It had to do with the style of yoga I was doing, combined with my body type.) With her expertise in both Yoga and PT, Sharon has worked with me in a patient and thorough manner to slowly ease my way back into Yoga without hurting myself. Even if you can’t do Yoga or if you don’t have an interest in Yoga, Sharon can help you with your injuries, because she’s an experienced, well-trained Physical Therapist who has made it a point to learn the cutting-edge integrative and holistic approaches.
She also does excellent massage as part of her work, better than what I received from the traditional PT’s. Sharon’s also sensitive and a good listener. She made me feel that I could trust her as a person. Because hardly anything is just about the body, there’s often an emotional piece lurking in the background. Not to say that Sharon would ever tell you it’s all in your head. She advised me to stay away from fast, aerobic styles of Yoga and stick with ones that emphasize alignment. This has made a big difference already.
Whatever your Physical Therapy issues are, Sharon’s years of experience, intelligence and personal attention will help you feel better in the short run and even transform the way you relate to your body in the long run.
We unqualifiedly recommend Sharon Gary as a Yoga Physical Therapy practitioner. She has helped many women with breast cancer overcome pain and restore shoulder movement after breast surgery. Sharon’s approach is unique. She uses a series of gentle exercises that incorporate breathing, meditation and relaxation with gentle stretching and strengthening. She treats each breast cancer survivor in the class individually — giving her undivided attention to each woman with whatever problem she may have.
I have received many benefits from working with Sharon. Before taking this weekly class, I had chronic back pain for many years. Now, I no longer suffer from back pain. I sleep better, too. A true professional in every sense of the word, Sharon Gary fills a special niche in the wellness and holistic area.
– Roosevelt Hospital
The Comprehensive Breast Center
Sharon’s sensitive approach to physical therapy has benefited me greatly. When I started with her I had very severe back pain almost constantly. Now I’m usually completely free of pain. Instead of focusing on external interventions, she helped me to tune into my body from within and thereby heal myself. Her work focuses on many levels of self awareness, and I have come to see that it is fundamentally through self awareness that I can make the changes in the way I use my body that will result in greater well being.
– Rabbi Burt Aaron Siegel
New York, NY
As a person with back and hip problems, I was nervous to try yoga, and concerned that I would not know if I was in the right yoga position and that I might do more damage to my back. Sharon’s knowledge of the body due to her training as a physical therapist put me at ease. When I thought something wasn’t right, she always knew how to change a position or shift my weight so that I was doing the correct yoga movements. I have gone to different yoga centers and had different yoga instructors. Her experience as a physical therapist makes me much more comfortable when doing yoga than with someone who is only trained in yoga.
– Robin T.
New York, NY
Sharon Gary helped me gain an overall new level of physical fitness and pain-free living. I had back and other orthopedic conditions for years, combined with other chronic conditions, and she worked with me to alleviate all of them in a holistic way. I had gone to other “standard” physical therapists, but none of them came close to helping me as much as Sharon has.
– Judy Gross
New York, NY
Sharon has a unique way of blending the scientific and creative within her integrative approach to Physical Therapy.
– M. Quan
New York, NY
My body has shown surprising improvement since I began working with Sharon. I am dependent on this class for my well-being.
– J. Sheridan
New York, NY
Sharon Gary is an intelligent, competent and sensitive physiotherapist. She is not formulaic in her approach but constantly evaluates her clients’ changing needs and capabilities in designing her therapy program. Sharon takes her professional responsibilities very seriously and monitors pulse rates and breathing patterns during exercises. She also concerns herself with her clients’ physical surroundings in order to insure safety and optimal progress. I have found her work highly beneficial and recommend her unequivocally.
– H.N. Graham, Phd
New York, NY