BLYTHEWOOD – When Bruce Filler opened Blythewood Physical Therapy in McNulty Plaza in July, 2011, he was the only physical therapist on duty to treat the location’s first patients. Serving the community is how he grew his business.

Today, Filler has nine employees at his Blythewood office who treat 40-50 patients per day, but in a new McNulty Plaza space that is double the size of the first one.

”It was a much needed move,” Dr. Bryan Gray, the new facilities’ physical therapist supervisor, said during a re-open house and ribbon cutting last Friday that celebrated the expansion with food, door prizes, corn hole competitions and free shoulder and back massages given by massage therapist Jeff Cullen.

“The additional space allows us more floor room for agility and balance training, things we couldn’t do in the previous office,” Gray said. “Plus we have a break room now that allows us to see patients during the lunch hour, which is a real patient convenience.”

With the new space and a variety of therapy specialists, including two therapists certified in the McKensie technique for back pain, Gray said his staff can handle just about every physical therapy need.

“With our capabilities, there’s no reason for folks out here in Blythewood and Fairfield County to go downtown to Columbia for physical therapy,” Gray said. “We encourage folks in the community to tell their doctors that they want to come here for their therapy, and their doctors will write them referrals. Patients don’t always know they have that right.

“The different with us is that, unlike large clinics that have patient quotas to fill each day, we have one goal – to make our patients better. Filling quotas can interfere with the quality of care,” Gray said. “Here, patients find less of a corporate type environment and more of a community feel. We have a lot of patients in the community that we become friends with. After their experience here, they frequently refer their friends and family members,” Gray said.

“When our patients come here, we want them to have an overall good feeling about their care,” Gray said. “I think they do.”

Blythewood Physical Therapy offers a work reconditioning program, does functional capacity evaluations and impairment ratings, pelvic floor rehab as well as therapy for orthopedic, neurological, arthritis, TMJ, vestibular/balance problems, auto accident injuries, sports injuries and work related injuries.

For more information about Blythewood Physical Therapy, go to www.crcrehab.com or call 803-728-0421. The office is located at 428-3 McNulty Road in Blythewood. Hours are Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.