ABOUT ME
Arlette Godges
MS, PT, MBA.
Board Certified in Orthopaedic and Geriatric Physical Therapy.
Certified Lymphedema Specialist.
In my 35-year career as a Physical Therapist, I have been motivated to grow as a professional to bring the best, and most up-to-date, care to my clients.
After starting a family I found the fun in Masters Swimming and have been a member with USMS since 2003. I have over 100 USMS top ten times, and am often spotted on the FINA top ten listings. I have been a member of multiple National and World record relays. I now give back to USMS by volunteering at the LMSC and National level in leadership roles. I am currently a Level 2 USMS Coach, but will be Level 4 certified soon. I am excited to bring USMS Stroke clinics to Santa Barbara as a certified instructor and am looking forward to exploring the ALTS (adult learn to swim program) in Santa Barbara as a certified instructor.
As a lifelong competitive athlete, it has been a special interest of mine to prevent impairments and pain, and optimize function and performance. As I grew as a Physical Therapist, it became apparent that movement and function without pain was not a given for most clients; young and more mature. Some of this musculoskeletal pain was due to disease processes, some due to overuse injuries, and some due to motor patterns adapted to life styles and habitual movement patterns.
Twenty-five years ago, I became a board certified clinical specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy. The training to gain this specialty certification enabled me to provide the best care for my clients with musculoskeletal conditions, it added it to my skills in neurological physical therapy I gained early in my career and blended with my belief in treating the entire person and not just one impairment or dysfunction.
I also had the opportunity to work at one of the regional hospitals that treated hemophilia. It allowed me to learn about HIV, Cancer, and the rehabilitation of other systemic disease processes, becoming certified in lymphedema therapy, and serving as the President of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Academy of Oncologic Physical Therapy.
Having built a strong foundation of combining evaluation and treatment of systemic impairments with neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction, I came to realize that our health care system treats age itself as an impairment. This led me to train for, and become board certified in, geriatric physical therapy.
I am determined to help clients Age Up Well™ and be able to move, function, perform at their best in order to live healthy, high quality and pain free lives.
In 2021, I finished a Neuroplasticity Certification from MIT. This training program has helped me pull all of my knowledge of the most inner circuits that drive us as humans, allow us to either thrive, or become the pitfalls of aging.
I look forward to empowering you to Age Up Well™.