David W. Smith/Daily News Katy Moran, a physical therapist at the Bluegrass Outpatient Center, shows off an ocular physio treatment method she uses on her patients at the Bowling Green facility.

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Katy Moran's career helps patients keep their balance.

As a physical therapist at Bluegrass Outpatient Center - where she has worked since August - the Bowling Green native specializes in vestibular therapy, which is used for inner ear disorders for dizziness and balance problems. The inner ear helps coordinate eye movements.

“The patient comes in with referral from a doctor,” she said. “We determine which ear is involved and the location of the problem. We use gravity for treatment.”

Patients who may receive vestibular therapy can include those with different types of vertigo, the inner ear disorder Meniere's Disease and dizziness after stroke and head injury. To keep abreast of the latest in therapy, Moran took a training course with the American Physical Therapy Association at Emory University.

“I went to my first course in 2003 and expanded from that,” she said. “(The therapy) has been around for more than 10 years. With the right patient, it can work successfully.”

Moran often does community presentations about the therapy.

“We do quick scans to see if they're appropriate (for vestibular therapy),” she said. “It may not always be the best avenue for some people.”

Moran didn't start her college career wanting to be a physical therapist. She had decided to major in engineering. But a volunteer class changed her life.

“I took a class where you could pick the area that most interested you,” she said. “I volunteered at a physical therapy clinic.”

She fell in love with biology and anatomy and later received a bachelor's degree in exercise physiology from Auburn University in Alabama and a master's degree in physical therapy from the University of Louisville. She worked as a physical therapist at Graves-Gilbert Clinic from 2002 to August.

“With physical therapy you can treat so many different things,” she said. “You can work with anything from inner ear problems to working in a hospital or nursing home.”

Moran sees from 12 to 16 patients daily for about 30 minutes to an hour each. When she's not working, she spends time with her husband, Daniel, and their two children - Davis, 3, and Elizabeth, 1.

The part of her career Moran enjoys most is patient care.

“I like interacting with patients and seeing them get better,” she said.