Dr. Michelle Feairheller, MPT
I decided to become a Physical Therapist partly due to the large number of hours I spent in various Physical Therapy clinics as a patient throughout my high school and college sports careers. I somehow managed to have ankle, knee, and hip surgery before graduating college so the understanding of what it feels like to be a patient is certainly present. During my senior year of high school, I was hit head-on by a drunk driver and sustained a hip injury. Over the next 6 months, no one was able to diagnose my hip problem until my Physical Therapist suspected a labral tear. The constant hard work and encouragement of my Physical Therapist contributed to my desire to do the same for my future patients. I also spent many hours observing school and outpatient Physical Therapy on children with disabilities and found it encouraging and rewarding to see the strides that the young children made.
I love being a Physical Therapist because of the ability to help patients achieve all their functional and sports goals. I love the diversity of my patients as well as all the settings in which I can work as a Physical Therapist. I value the differences in the personality of my patients and love to learn from both them and my co-workers. As a Physical Therapist, you have the ability to constantly meet new people and learn from everyone’s life experience. It is very rewarding to see your patient take their first steps without a walker after a total hip replacement or to help your young athlete get back on to the field.
Outside of work, I love to spend time with my husband Jason. We like to spend our free time kayaking, hiking, reading, or doing anything outdoors. We have traveled to numerous countries including Costa Rica, Italy, Peru, Spain, France, and Canada. I played collegiate softball at the University of Scranton where I received numerous athletic awards including All-American Honors by ESPN the Magazine and the Peter A. Carlesimo award for the top female student-athlete. One major interest of mine is both ice and dek hockey, which I have played at numerous levels, including international travel teams, and I hope to one day coach a team of my own. I also spend time volunteering at varying capacities. I enjoy school and would be a life-long student if I could afford it. I graduated summa cum laude with a BS and MPT from the University of Scranton, receiving the excellence in Physical Therapy award in both 2007 and 2008. I have completed research in the area of fall risk prediction and prevention in both the hospital and home care settings as well as designing and implementing an exercise program for the elderly. I hope to one day become an orthopedic certified specialist and specialize in the area of pediatric sports injuries. If you would like to schedule an appointment with Michelle, please call our Chester Springs location at (610) 458-6464 or email her at michellef@kineticptpa.com.
