Tiffany Farrow/The Valdosta Daily Times Ginger Elkin PTA, clinical director of Jerry Mercer Physical Therapy, helps her patient go through balance exercises Monday on the Tetrax Balance Testing and Retraining System.

VALDOSTA — Back pain, neck pain and leg and foot pain could just be pain or symptoms of a larger problem that needs comprehensive therapy. The staff at Jerry Mercer Physical Therapy is dedicated to providing each patient with a total evaluation to determine the underlying problem and appropriate treatment.

Owner Jerry Mercer has 30 years of experience in physical therapy. He previously owned a large practice but decided a smaller practice with comprehensive care was a great opportunity. He was joined by physical therapy assistant Ginger Elkin. Mercer described her as the most skilled manual therapist in the area.

Growth and success have followed the office’s opening two years ago. A recent move, the second in two years, allowed the staff to expand their care and more comfortably serve patients. The new facility is triple the size of the old one with 3,000 square feet, five different treatment rooms and a large open room with a walking track. It is conveniently located on North Oak Street near many other medical offices.

“This location is perfect with all the room we need,” Mercer said, adding his business even had room to grow there.

While Mercer and Elkin can provide all forms of physical and manual therapy, they specialize in diabetic complications, balance and gait problems. The clinic has special equipment to evaluate balance problems and has a 90 percent success rate with peripheral neurotherapy. Consultations are free, and after thorough evaluations, special treatment is designed to treat the problem, not just symptoms. Therapists provide education to patients on self-care and activity modifications, as well as explanations for each treatment, and this method has brought tremendous success.

“We have people come here that have been told they may not be able to walk again because they will always have to deal with the pain,” Mercer said. “I’ve seen those patients become functional again.”

He and Elkin both agree that the move has had a positive effect for their clients. The extra room allows for a more efficient, comfortable therapy experience.



Q: What insurance/payment methods do you accept?



A: We accept all types of insurance and set up payment methods with our clients not covered by insurance. We want patients to get better so money is not our focus. We just try to meet needs.



Q: What makes you unique?



A: Our treatment and analysis. From Day 1, we get to the root of the problem. We also make our patients more aware of their surroundings to prevent future problems. We don’t want lifetime patients, we want them to improve at a satisfactory rate, rehabilitate and function on their own.



Q: How is business?



A: We have seen many patients, but we are not very busy. We like to spend as long as it takes with each patient without being rushed.



Q: Must patients have a physician’s referral?



A: Yes, but we can give anyone a free consultation as well as work with doctors to get the necessary referral.



Q: Describe your average patient.



A: Approximately 65 with multiple problems, not just one. They may have peripheral neurotherapy as well as back pain or another combination of problems. We evaluate them, initiate a plan based on patient goals and provide education on how to modify activities in order to bring the best outcome.



Q: Expectations?



A: We want to stay busy and be successful. We do want to grow and help more patients restore their function, but we don’t want the practice to get too busy that we don’t know each patient’s name. We interact with our patients at a one-on-one, personal level and take as long as we need to treat them. We never want to be at a point where our time is limited.



Q: What should people know?



A: You have an option for physical therapy. We will help you feel at home. We get extreme satisfaction from seeing our patients improve and have functions be restored to what they used to be.