Trojan Family Q&A with Tina Dimopoulos
Tina (Sehremelis) Dimopoulos ’15, MA ’16, OTD ’17 is the founder of Pulse OT, in New York City.
View/download this article in the USC Chan Magazine as a PDF document (2.92MB).
Can you describe your clinical practice, and what aspects of it you find most meaningful or impactful?
Pulse OT is a private practice in Manhattan where we emphasize evidence-based and client-centered occupational therapy to help clients recover, move better and regain strength. I’m a Certified Hand Therapist and Neuro-IFRAH certified for the treatment of adults with brain injury and stroke. I’m also the only STOTT PILATES® Rehabilitation Mat & Reformer Certified Instructor in the state of New York.
What’s the connection between OT — specifically OT interventions focused on the hand and upper extremity — and Pilates?
Alumna Tina (Sehremelis) Dimopoulos ’15, MA ’16, OTD ’17, founder of Pulse OT (Photo by Angela Wilkens)
While working as a CHT, I noticed a handful of clients with repetitive strain injury returning to my caseload every nine to 12 months. In these chronic cases, treating just the area of injury was not enough, and I knew I needed to expand my treatment to ergonomics and postural control. Many individuals have difficulty understanding the causes of their repetitive stress injury, which can be due to subtle inefficiencies in alignment, timing and/or load transfers, which can then evolve into chronic pain and dysfunction. Emphasizing trunk strength, postural control and ergonomics leads to stronger patient outcomes and overall education to promote increased functional success.
I knew that better postural control meant better upper extremity function. However, I did not fully understand how to address the core in treatment. This led me to pursue the STOTT PILATES Rehab certification in 2022. The knowledge gained from this training allows me to proficiently address posture and abdominal strength as it relates to extremity use.
Demonstrating the role of the pelvis and trunk to extremity movements in functional tasks is often an “aha!” moment for many clients. Once a client understands how important the position of the pelvis or thoracic spine is in relation to arm or leg movements in daily activities, there is often a significant increase in carryover of safe and efficient movement patterns, which leads to overall functional success.
You first discovered Pilates after an injury during OT school — what happened, and how did that impact your education and career?
During the first year of the master’s program I had a bike injury which tore my left ACL. I completed nine months of traditional physical therapy, however I was not at my prior level of functioning, and I knew I wanted to continue to work on my recovery. My mom suggested I try reformer Pilates at a local studio, which introduced me to STOTT Pilates. During the classes, I would often think about how many of the exercises or movement patterns would benefit clients, because I saw firsthand how Pilates-based exercises improved my own functional engagement and participation in daily tasks.
What does a Pilates-focused OT treatment session look like?
First, the client’s occupational goals are central to treatment. I assess posture and analyze movement to identify asymmetries and compensatory movement patterns. Treatment begins with traditional OT interventions, which may include manual therapy and/or stretching as indicated. Then, neuromuscular re-education and/or therapeutic exercise may be introduced using Pilates-based principles. These can be performed on a yoga mat or Pilates reformer, depending on the client’s needs and abilities. Emphasis is placed on developing appropriate control and strength of the pelvis, thoracic spine and shoulder complex, as proximal stability is essential for efficient upper extremity movement.
Once adequate trunk control and strength are demonstrated, exercises may be progressed to include upper extremities. Sessions conclude with interventions addressing specific self-care needs or therapeutic activities directly related to the client’s occupational goals. Pilates-based exercises are an adjunct to, not a replacement for, more traditional OT approaches.
What are you most excited about in the next chapters of your career?
I look forward to demonstrating how Pilates-based rehabilitation can benefit many other patient populations within the scope of OT practice, and to produce research and publications that support this work. I am also excited to connect with other OTs working in this niche practice area. I’m using social media to engage a community that can build this niche practice area. Let’s connect at @ThePilatesOT.
Switching gears slightly — do you remember a favorite instructor or favorite class from USC?
Three professors come to mind. I was the graduate assistant for the adult rehabilitation course taught by Dr. Samia Rafeedie, which helped spark my passion for teaching, which I now do as an adjunct professor. Dr. Julie McLaughlin Gray was my capstone advisor, and she helped guide me in program development, which set foundational skills for building a small business. Dr. Camille Dieterle introduced the importance of health and wellness in OT through her Lifestyle Redesign elective course, and as an OT now specializing in a wellness niche, I am constantly reminded of many key concepts from that course.
Why did you choose USC for your OT education?
USC has consistently maintained a top-ranked OT program nationwide, with strong ties to research. A high-quality, comprehensive and research-focused education was a significant deciding factor, as that prepares graduates to become scholar–clinicians. I was also admitted as one of 10 students in USC’s accelerated undergrad-to-graduate program, which further solidified my decision to attend USC.
How do you think you grew during your time at USC?
I was eager to become a clinician when I began grad school. I wanted to be “hands-on” with patients as soon as possible. But I quickly learned the importance of research and evidence-based practice. It became evident that, to be a strong clinician, I needed to have strong evidence to back my treatments. I also worked in Dr. Shawn Roll’s Musculoskeletal Sonography and Occupational Performance lab on a systematic review focused on repetitive strain injuries in dental professionals. It was published as a cover story for the Journal of the American Dental Association and sparked my interest in the repetitive strain injury population, which my practice now focuses on.
What advice would you give to current USC students or to new grads?
Do not be afraid to try something new or be the first to pave the way! Like I said, I am currently the only STOTT PILATES Rehab Certified Instructor in all of New York. Being the first to do something is not always easy, but if you truly believe in your work, your passion will translate through your therapy and benefit your clients. Believe in yourself, and pursue your interests!
(Photo by Angela Wilkens)
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