MONTANA SPINE & JOINT REHAB - Key Persons
"I joined Montana Spine & Joint Rehab in July 2020 as the Front Office Manager. For the past 11 years I have worked in a veterinary medical setting with a strong orthopedic background and gained almost 6 years of experience in management. Although my past experience is with animals, I have always known that I enjoy getting to know and working with people the most. I enjoy learning how best to communicate with the people surrounding me and to find the best ways to help clientele get the information or education they need to accomplish their goals.
"I grew up right here in Helena, Montana. I completed my undergraduate degree in Exercise Science at Montana State University. I then went on to complete my Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of Montana. I have completed postdoctoral training in Functional Dry Needling (FDN) and am currently working on credentialing in Mechanical Diagnosis Therapy (MDT). I enjoy working with all types of patients including those with orthopedic and sports injuries, vestibular disorders, and post-operative rehabilitation. My goal is to help people return to all of their daily and recreational activities so they may enjoy all that life has to offer. I ensure that I focus on the whole person, not just the injury, and try to provide each patient with the tools to help prevent a similar injury in the future.
"I am a Helena native, born and raised. At a young age, I hurt my knee and physical therapy is what helped me heal. While I always found medicine interesting, I remember being intrigued with the fact that foot orthotics were actually what helped my knee pain. I find it interesting that each part of the body can affect each other and by fixing one part of the body, I can heal another. This profession allows me to help decrease the pain that people feel so that they can keep doing what they love, just like my first physical therapist did for me. I graduated from University of Montana with a Bachelors of Science in Athletic Training and then moved on to my Doctorate of Physical Therapy from U of M as well. I am a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and earned my Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) in 2014. Additionally, as of 2021, I am credentialed in Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT). With these different types of training, I can find the best treatment option individualized for each patient rather than just treating the diagnosis.
"I grew up in Oahu, Hawaii and got to experience my first physical therapy clinic when I was in high school as a patient. I had always been interested in the medical profession but really enjoyed the environment of a physical therapy clinic and how they based everything off of pain relief through movement. I graduated from the University of Colorado Health Science Center in 2005 with my Physical Therapy degree. I practiced in Oahu, Hawaii for 7 years gaining experience in pediatrics and outpatient orthopedics. In 2012, my family and I moved to my husband's hometown of Helena, MT where I began practicing here at Montana Spine & Joint Rehab, previously known as Nash Rehab. I gained my Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) in 2016 through extensive training to gain my credentialling. I enjoy not only treating various conditions but also getting to know and understand each patient so that I am not just treating their injury but rather treating the patient as a whole.
"I was born and raised in Naperville, IL. I attended St. Ambrose University where I played football and completed my undergraduate degree in Exercise Science. I then moved on to complete my Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from Governors State University. I am currently pursuing post-graduate education on chronic pain and my credentialing in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT). In 2021, I completed my certification in Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT). I enjoy helping to treat patients with various orthopedic, vestibular, and neurological conditions by empowering them with the knowledge to self-assess, self-treat and get back to what they enjoy doing.
In my free time, I enjoy keeping busy and getting outside in any way that I can. I enjoy camping, hiking, mountain biking, reading and learning to speak Spanish with a local group here in Helena."