Dalton resident thankful for 'monumental' help from physical therapy clinic - Daily Citizen

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Dalton resident Tim Brooks said one of his largest passions for 45 years was scuba diving. But in May 2023, that passion was halted due to a “severe blood infection,” he said.

“I was rushed to the hospital and I had two surgeries on my hand and one on my hip,” Brooks said. “I kept going back for checkups. Thirteen visits to in-office therapy, two six-week sessions of at-home therapy. Months and months later, no improvement.”

While using a cane or walker to get around due to swelling in his legs and the loss of mobility on a large part of the left side of his body, Brooks said he “lost faith” in physical therapy treatments.

Looking for any sign of relief, Brooks said he heard about local physical therapist Zac Cooper who owns and operates Enhanced Family Physio, a physical therapy clinic that opened in Dalton in February, with his wife Hollie.

At 1401 Applewood Drive #4, Enhanced Family Physio “prioritizes well-being, mobility and overall quality of life” through specialized treatment options, Zac Cooper said, including joint mobilization, soft/deep tissue mobilization, spinal decompression and post-operation lymphatic massage, which helps with leg swelling.

“In April, I had to have a full hip replacement,” Brooks said. “About six weeks after I started with (Zac Cooper), I was able to walk into my surgeon’s office with no cane. After visiting (Enhanced Family Physio) three days a week for three months, there’s no cane, no walker. I can just about do what I want again.”

While Brooks has not been able to get back to full-on scuba diving, he said Cooper’s treatments have gradually helped him in an “incredibly short amount of time.”

“Just a couple of months ago, I went snorkeling in the Dominican Republic, and I went snorkeling at Jekyll Island (in late August),” he said. “He told me the best therapy you can do is to get out there and swim. Next spring, I hope to be healthy enough to go scuba diving again.”

Brooks said he is used to wearing special compression garments at the clinic that help with edema, or leg swelling, which he refers to as “dive suits” due to their similarity to scuba equipment.

“That’s helped out a ton,” he said. “I was getting varicose veins and I was whiny about it. Now, no varicose veins. There’s been no medications, no painkillers.”

Brooks, who Cooper said was one of his first patients at the clinic, said he has been able to get back to enjoying other hobbies.



“I also enjoy hunting and fishing,” he said. “Since I’ve been coming here, I’ve been able to walk a mile out into the woods and a mile back with no help to find a good place to hunt. As far as-day-to day life, (Cooper) has improved my general health, flexibility and strength a hundred fold.”

Other therapy treatments Cooper provides are cupping, where suction is created on the skin through cups to draw blood away from parts of the body to help with pain and inflammation, and dry needling, a technique that uses thin, flexible needles to stimulate trigger points in muscles and connective tissue for movement and pain improvement.

“I’m trying to break the whole mindset that people come to physical therapy only when they’re hurt,” Cooper said. “If they came to see me first, there’s a good chance they probably wouldn’t have got hurt in the first place.”

Enhanced Family Physio is “more than just a clinic,” Cooper said, with the practice offering a traditional sauna, cold plunge tank, shower and a gym with equipment.

Cooper said some of the conditions treated at the clinic include lower back pain, sports injuries, temporomandibular joint disorders that affect the jaw, sprains and strains, and carpal tunnel syndrome, which he sometimes refers to as “carpet tunnel syndrome,” due to hand injuries and sprains from working in the local carpet industry.

Cooper, who describes himself as “a mesh between a chiropractor, personal trainer and nutritionist,” runs the clinic with Hollie, who serves as practice manager and secretary.

Other employees include office coordinator Dolores Martinez and massage therapist Kinsey Cook, who joined the practice in late August. The clinic has a dedicated massage room adjacent to the sauna.

After 15 years as a medical assistant, Cook said she began in massage therapy to “help people.”

“When I got here, I knew that I could learn a lot from Zac, because he’s kind of like a silent genius,” Cook said. “This place is very inviting, very family-oriented. I’ve already learned a ton. Zac has shown me new skills with cupping, and Dolores and Hollie are just top-notch. They make everything flow very well and I feel good knowing that I’ve made a great decision.”

Brooks said the improvements in his life the last four months have been “monumental.”

“He’s (Zac Cooper) done more for me in four months than anyone else combined. Words can not say enough.”