Meet Nicole Mikulski, DPT & Shar Buza, MPT
At Ohana Fitness and Wellness, we’re committed to providing a comprehensive approach to health. That’s why we’re excited to offer women specific physical therapy services right here under one roof. With a focus on individualized care, Nicole Mikulski, DPT, and Shar Buza, MPT, bring their specialized expertise to serve both our clients and the local community.
Whether you’re recovering from an injury, managing chronic pain, or seeking to improve your mobility, Nicole and Shar can support your unique needs with hands-on techniques and customized treatment plans. Learn more about their specialties below and how they can help you take the next step in your wellness journey.
Nicole is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and has obtained a fellowship in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (OMPT) as well as multiple certifications in rehabilitation for women and athletes throughout her 15-year career in the outpatient orthopedic setting. Her areas of expertise also include SFMA functional movement assessment and corrective exercise, Sportsmetrics ACL tear prevention and injury recovery, TPI golf fitness, and core stability assessment and correction, and 200-hour yoga teacher certification. She is also finishing up a certification as a Prenatal and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist (PCES).
Throughout her career, despite having a variety of educational experiences, she realized that women experienced orthopedic issues differently than men, and required a different treatments within their physical therapy programs to recover. As time went on, the changing nature of the healthcare system further fueled her desire to create a separate space where she could provide women with the individualized and specialized care they need and deserve throughout their lifespan.
While recovering some challenging prenatal and postpartum journeys of her own, Nicole developed a heightened sense that the care women need isn’t commonly available to them. These experiences inspired her to open Grace In Motion Physical Therapy and Women’s Health in 2023, a physical therapy practice that is fueled by her strong passion to serve women by giving them the treatment, knowledge, and tools needed but not often provided by the traditional healthcare model.
Nicole’s goals are to reconnect each woman with their bodies and guide them towards achieving their highest capabilities in life. Referring back to her educational and personal experiences, she believes body awareness has the power to help women maintain a pain and restriction-free life and limit the occurrence and recurrence of injuries. She encourages them to set goals not only for their current lifestyle, but for the ideal lifestyle they wish to have, and then provides them with the knowledge, tools, and strength, and individualized attention to reach those goals together. Nicole specializes in connecting orthopedic issues (joint and spine) with common female dysfunctions in posture, breathing patterns, core stability, and pelvic floor function to provide a holistic plan of care tailored to each individual woman and their goals. She has further expanded her practice to include personal training, prenatal and postpartum coaching, training programs for female runners, and cycle sync coaching to inform women of the power of their own bodies and how to best work with their bodies for optimum health.
Nicole lives with her husband Derek in Macomb, with her two children Grady (4), Grace (2), and her miniature poodle, Teddy. She enjoys all forms of exercise, spending time with her friends and family, live music, good food, teaching fitness classes at Ohana, and pretty much everything outdoors.
Nicole operates on a cash-based system that is free of restrictions from insurance-based physical therapy models. Forms of payment accepted are cash, credit card, Zelle, Venmo, and HSA/FSA. She provides each patient with a Superbill to submit to their health insurance company for credit toward their deductible. Patients may also receive partial or full reimbursement for cash-based physical therapy from their insurance companies.
Shar is a dedicated Physical Therapist, Personal Trainer and Lifestyle Fitness Coach with a passion for empowering individuals, particularly women, to achieve their best health and wellness. Specializing in Women’s Health, Pelvic Floor and Orthopedic care, she takes a personalized, hands-on approach to therapy and fitness. She works in partnership with each person to transition from pain and dysfunction to a balanced, functional body that enables a more active and fulfilling life.
Over the past twenty-five years, Shar has had the privilege of working in various settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, and fitness and wellness centers. This has enabled her to develop a comprehensive approach to physical therapy, blending both traditional and innovative techniques to address each patient’s specific needs.
Some of the highlights of her career include serving as the Director of the Fitness Testing and Training Program for the Sterling Heights Fire Department, where she had the opportunity to support the health and fitness of our local heroes. She also spearheaded the development and implementation of a Women’s Health Program across multiple locations, providing mentorship, leadership, and education to ensure the highest standards of care.
In addition to her clinical work, Shar has been deeply involved in community education and professional development. She has conducted numerous in-services, workshops and classes, sharing her expertise with both the public and fellow healthcare professionals. Her dedication to ongoing learning is reflected in the over one hundred continuing education courses she has completed, covering a broad spectrum of topics including Functional Dry Needling, Craniosacral Therapy, Spine and Sports Rehab. She is particularly passionate about Women’s Health, with many of her certifications focused on Pelvic Health, Postpartum Recovery, and other specific challenges women encounter throughout their lives.
With a deep dedication to her craft and a wealth of personal experiences in collegiate sports, injuries, surgeries, and the births of her three children, she is exceptionally prepared to meet each person where they are and guide them toward reaching their full potential.
Shar runs a cash-based practice to offer focused, one-on-one care, delivering impactful sessions designed to achieve optimal results in fewer visits. She will provide you with a superbill to submit to the insurance company for potential reimbursement. Shar accepts many forms of payment including: Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, cash, check, credit and FSA/HSA.
