In October 2009, PSPT first opened its doors with the philosophy of patient-centered care at the core of all decisions. Owner Orit Hickman wanted the clinic to be a place where patients would feel safe sharing their stories and healing in a warm and caring environment. In the past 3 years, that philosophy has evolved to be more relationship-centered, with a focus on developing strong ties to patients, their families and the community at large.

BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL + HOLISTIC APPROACH

The biopsychosocial model is a broad view that attributes disease outcome to the intricate, variable interaction of biological factors (genetic, biochemical, etc), psychological factors (mood, personality, behavior, etc.), and social factors (cultural, familial, socioeconomic, medical, etc.).

We utilize this approach in the treatment of our patients. This means that we understand that any treatment or diagnosis has more than one factor, and we cannot ignore the interaction of biology, psychology and social factors when treating someone. We spend a long time actively listening to our patients and getting to know them in order to provide the best possible care.

YOU ARE NOT CATTLE!

This is not a clinic in which patients are shuttled through. At PSPT, you are scheduled for one-on-one sessions with your therapist. You spend time with them, and learn about each other. This provides the best possible environment for healing and leads to the best outcome. We developed this model, our own Golden Rule, because this is how we want to treat and be treated.

  • March 23, 2009Welcome to PSPT

    Pain Science Physical Therapy started on March 23, 2009, but it was called Lake Burien Physical Therapy back then. The clinic opened for appointments on September 10, 2009, with Dr. Orit Hickman as the only therapist. From the start, Dr. Orit gave each patient one-on-one care, and that’s still how they help people today.

  • 2010-2012PSPT Starts to Grow

    In 2010, Dr. Orit hired another therapist, and her dream of growing the clinic began to come true. In 2012, she learned about pain science and started teaching patients about it, which made a big difference in how they treated pain.

  • 2015-2018New Offerings Added

    Between 2015 and 2018, the clinic added art, yoga, meditation, Pilates, and SAIL classes to help people manage their pain. The clinic doubled in size in 2016 and began offering private Pilates sessions in 2017. By 2019, they were planning to open more clinics, but COVID-19 paused those plans in 2020.

  • 2020-2023COVID Can't Stop Us

    During the pandemic, they briefly saw patients through telehealth. Soon after, physical therapy was named an essential service, so they could reopen for in-person care. In 2020, the clinic also introduced new systems like EOS, 5S, and DMS to improve how they work.

  • 2021-2023New Brand, New Building

    In 2021, the clinic rebranded to Pain Science Physical Therapy. In May 2023, we moved into a new building. Now, they offer physical therapy, a small private gym with one-on-one fitness training, Pilates, and massage therapy. In the future, they plan to build a larger gym in the lower level.