Alton Ching, DPT, OMT, MS

Dr. Alton Ching established Advance Physical Therapy, Inc. in 2007 with the goal of building a community of specialized clinicians dedicated to providing the highest level of physical therapy care, education, and outreach to the community.

Dr. Ching has extensive experience in human biomechanics, anatomy, and exercise physiology after earning his Bachelors of Science degree in Exercise Science from UC Davis in 1995 and Masters in Physical Therapy degree from the University of the Pacific in 1998. He continued his advanced training and completed his doctoral residency and board certification in Orthopedic Manual Therapy (OMT) in 2002 from the Ola Grimsby Institute and received his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (DPT) in 2003 from the Ola Grimsby Institute.

Dr. Ching served as a research consultant with the UC Davis Medical Center and the Orthopedic Surgery physicians on improving surgical techniques focused on “Pedicle Screw Salvage and Repair of Lumbar Vertebral Fractures.” He presented the clinical findings at local and regional Orthopedic Surgery consortiums and developed rehabilitation programs to treat patients following lumbar fracture surgery.

He has developed cardiac rehabilitation programs for post-operative care and maintenance programs for Phase I to Phase III patients at the UC Davis Adult Fitness Center and at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.

Dr. Ching has served as the rehabilitation and ergonomics consultant for UCSF Millberry Fitness Center and for their staff of athletic trainers, personal trainers, and administrators.

He has been involved with establishing outpatient physical therapy practices specializing in orthopedic manual therapy in the Bay Area. He has established consultative relationships with biotechnology, sports medicine, nutrition and corporate companies. He continues to provide workshops for preventive injury care and screening for medical groups, physicians, Team in Training, corporations in Silicon Valley, sports teams, school institutions, and the local community.

Deanne Smith, MPT, COMT, MS

Deanne Smith, MPT, COMT, MS, offers a comprehensive approach to physical therapy practice that combines advanced manual therapy training and scientifically-prescribed therapeutic exercise.

Deanne received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Biological Sciences from Wellesley College in 1986 and her Master of Science degree in Physical Education/Exercise Physiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1991.

With her extensive science background in physiology, Deanne implemented research methodology at Stanford Center for Disease Prevention studying “The Effects of Exercise and Erythropoietin In Hemodialysis Patients,” and provided data for maximal exercise testing, muscle strength, muscle biopsies, and lactate analysis for participants. She served as the Clinical Exercise Physiologist in the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Departments for several hospitals including El Camino Hospital. She prescribed exercise programs, provided continuing education on chronic disease management for medical staff, and provided patient counseling on exercise and behavior modification.

Deanne received her Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Samuel Merritt College in 2002.  She continued her advanced orthopedic specialty training in Australian approach to physical therapy evaluation and treatment, and became certified as an Orthopedic Manual Therapist (COMT), one of a few select groups in the U.S. certified with this specialty to treat musculoskeletal injuries at an advanced level of assessment and treatment. She completed the Australian Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy Year-Long program in 2005 and currently serves as an assistant instructor for the course in Redwood City, CA.

More recently, Deanne has been furthering her clinical specialty and interest in pain management. Her understanding of pain physiology and application of cutting-edge research has enabled her to provide patients with more effective treatment outcomes to resolve and minimize pain. She has been successful at identifying factors that cause the “vicious pain cycle” and at providing the necessary interventions to effectively break the pain cycle. By implementing a more scientific, evidence-based approach, she believes that physical therapists are the ideal health professionals to treat the complexities of chronic pain.

Deanne enjoys counseling and guiding her patients with fun exercise strategies to help them reach their specific health goals, whether it is weight reduction, cardiovascular disease risk factor reduction, pain-free living or achieving overall fitness.