Joel Rolefson, PT

My interest in Physical Therapy developed from my own personal experience. I injured my lower back at the age of 18 while doing a squat lift during college track and field practice. After 2 years of misdiagnosis followed by traditional physical therapy that made no change, an MRI showed that I had a ruptured L5-S1 disc with a loose disc fragment. My surgery was "successful" but I continued to have the same severe back and left leg pain. Injections, chiropractic treatment, and further traditional physical therapy all made no change. During this time, since I could no longer compete as an athlete, I coached track & field at a local high school and college. My love for working one on one with athletes and my frustration with my continued problems led me to go back to school to become a Physical Therapist. Approximately a year after graduation I attended a Strain and Counterstrain course and was the beneficiary of treatment by the instructor as a demonstration (over 10 years after the initial injury). After 15 minutes of treatment my pain and mobility improved dramatically. I sought further treatment after that which resolved my leg pain and reduced my back pain by 95%. This led me on my journey to be a "Counterstrainer" which I have found to be extremely rewarding since I am able to help people avoid the chronic pain life I was living. In addition, over that time I have utilized an innovative exercise concept known as “Total Motion Release.” This has been a tremendous addition to my treatment approach since I find it consistently correlates with what I find with the Counterstrain assessment and can allow the patient to assist in self-treatment My philosophy of treatment is to correct as much dysfunction as possible and provide exercise training to help prevent or self-treat future dysfunction. I look forward to working with you! ​