Peter Modera

Peter Modera

Movement | PT, DPT

South Florida

Performance & Movement

Peter Modera is a physical therapist and board-certified orthopedic specialist who brings his experiences in athletics and neuroscience research to help patients with their movement goals. He has particular expertise in treating concussions, vestibular issues, vertigo, and Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) disorders, and he focuses on using manual therapy to help get people moving well over time.

Modera began his academic career studying biology at Wesleyan University, where he also played football and lacrosse. His experience caring for his own body as a college athlete led to his interest in the physical side of health care. “I wanted to heal people and help them live better,” Modera says.

After graduating, Modera initially pursued neuroscience research to understand better where pain came from. He worked for a neuropathologist at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, completed a research fellowship with medical students in Turkey, and then worked for several years at the Brain Trauma Foundation. Modera and his colleagues at the Brain Trauma Foundation worked to develop an objective measure for concussions using eye tracking and other technology so that clinicians could intervene earlier when someone experienced a brain injury.

Modera decided he wanted to complement his neuroscience background with a hands-on approach. “I love the science of the brain, but when it came to the day-to-day work of helping people, I realized I love the orthopedic components,” he says. “Everyone has a nervous system and the better you understand it, the better you can treat an orthopedic condition.”

Modera earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy from University of Miami, where he also completed a year-long orthopedic residency program.

Modera then worked at and led multiple physical therapy practices in Florida, where he got to help patients reach their goals and learn about the mechanisms that were allowing them to get there. Educating people on the strategies they’re using to improve their performance is crucial, Modera says.

“If you understand why you’re doing something, you are going to be much more motivated and that’s going to help you in the long run,” he says. “I always tell people, ‘I’m going to show your body how to heal itself. I’ll show you the path, but you have to walk it.’ That gives them a locus of control and helps them to heal themselves.”

Modera has seen patients who come from a diverse array of ages and backgrounds. He enjoys listening to each person to find the difficulties they are dealing with and then recommending a personalized course of action appropriate to their situation. Often, it’s the seemingly small milestones that can make the biggest difference. “For me, the most rewarding part is when someone comes in excited about something you taught them to do. It could be something as simple as someone with a rotator cuff problem being able to brush their hair with their injured arm that morning,” he says.

Atria’s preventive focus allows Modera to combine his personalized attention with proactive guidance. Modera enjoys using cutting-edge technology to examine each patient’s movement and establish a baseline from which they can work together.

“Being able to use some of the most up-to-date technology with AI motion capture, force plates, dynamometers, and more lets us see how you move and then ask how we can improve on that,” Modera says. “We’re proactive, not reactive.”

In addition to his physical therapy training, Modera is certified in dry needling, a treatment used to address muscle issues and chronic pain. He and his wife maintain a very active lifestyle, regularly competing in beach volleyball tournaments and going on hikes with their two children and their Border Collie, Dunia.

Credentials

Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist

The American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists

Former Clinical Director

Athlete Restoration Company

Former Lead Physical Therapist

Athlete Restoration Company

Former Clinical Director

Aries Physical Therapy

Former Physical Therapist

Aries Physical Therapy

Former Physical Therapy Resident

University of Miami Orthopedic Residency

Former Graduate Assistant

University of Miami Neuroscience Department

Former Senior Research Associate

Brain Trauma Foundation

Former Neurotrama Fellowship

Brain Trauma Foundation

Former Neuropathology Research Assistant

UCSF Medical Center

Former Visiting Research Fellow

Dokuz Eylül University Hospital in Turkey

Affiliations

Member

American Physical Therapy Association

Member

Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy

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