Dr. Suzanne Clements Martin, DPT, CLT is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, a Certified Lymphatic Therapist, a Certified Schroth Scoliosis Physiotherapist, a Certified Manual Therapist, and Pelvic Health Specialist practicing in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area, where she maintains a private practice, Total Body Development. Suzanne has a deep love for the human body and strongly believes in lifelong learning. Her qualifications include manual therapy training with the Barnes Institute/ Myofascial Release, Jones Institute/ Strain-Counterstrain, Chikly/ Cranio-sacral and Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Barral Institute/ Visceral Manipulation, Stecco/ Fascial Manipulation/ Decompression, and Myopain Dry Needling.
Dr. Martin has an extensive background in the dance world. After receiving a BFA and MA in fine arts dance, she performed, choreographed, and honed her dance, fitness and Pilates teaching through the Dance Medicine Division at the Center for Sports Medicine in the San Francisco Bay Area. As part of completing her MPT from Samuel Merritt University and DPT from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, she and her research colleages published (JMDS) and received an award for Functional Hip Range of Motion in Elite Female Ballet Dancers. She has written other peer-reviewed scholarly articles on the use of Pilates for Scoliosis and Breast Cancer Restoration. Her 27- year PT career includes Lead PT/ Wellness Program for SF-based Smuin Contemporary Ballet, nutrition lectures for the School of the San Francisco Ballet, lectures at SFSU (Issues in Dance Medicine and Qualitative Analysis of Movement) and LEAP (Liberal Education for Arts Professionals)- St. Mary’s College. Her backstage work also includes coverage for Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, ODC-SF, Oakland Ballet, visiting artists of the New York City Ballet, Cirque du Soleil and musicals such as Motown, Kinky Boots, Dear Evan Hansen, High School Musical and Book of Mormon. Her private PT clientele included Ballroom competitors and Pre-professional Cirque performers as well as the first US students admitted to the Bolshoi Academy in Moscow. An avid writer, she contributed regular columns to Dance Magazine and Dance Studio life for a decade along with authoring 4 Dorling-Kindersley titles. She has presented multiple times internationally with PAMA, IADMS, the APTA among other organizations and international hosts. She is educational director for Pilates Therapeutics LLC through which she presents worldwide on the special population subjects of scoliosis, cancer survivorship, performing arts, women’s pelvic health and foot issues. Her recent publication Spinal Asymmetry and Scoliosis is the subject of the Handspring Publishing series, Moved to Learn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gc5jFW5-eE. This book has a Korean translation and offers a certification through Elpilates in Seoul, ROK.
Now in collaboration with co-author Elizabeth Larkam, a new title for Handspring Publishing, Movement practices for hypermobility and connective tissue spectrum disorders: “Optimising support, protection and structure”, is due out in 2024.
She is gratefully married for 41 years to Thomas Martin. Her hobbies include guinea pig guardianship, dancing, gardening, studying French, spending time with family and traveling.
