Taking the Road Less Traveled

Many roads are open to physical therapists (PTs) looking to start their own practices. While generalist clinics certainly are beneficial, some PTs have chosen to specialize in sports medicine, neurology, or a multitude of other practice areas. Even fewer physical therapists drill down to more narrow, often untapped patient niches that focus on specific populations or conditions. Here are a few examples.

People With Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

For some PTs, choosing their niche is highly personal. Susan Chalela, PT, MPT, owns FYZICAL Charleston, a private practice in Daniel Island, South Carolina, that focuses heavily on people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). "I have EDS myself," she notes.

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Ehlers-Danlos Society. EDS Types. Classical EDS. https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/eds-types/#cEDS. Accessed February 26, 2018.
Ehlers-Danlos Society. What are the Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes? webpage. https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-eds/ Accessed January 16, 2018.
Ericson Jr. WB, Wolman R. 2017. Orthopaedic management of the Ehlers–Danlos syndromes. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet. 175C:188–194.
Questions and Answers: Accessibility Requirements for Existing Swimming Pools at Hotels and Other Public Accommodations. US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. https://www.ada.gov/qa_existingpools_titleIII.htm. Accessed February 19, 2018.