WHAT
WE DO

I've had neck pain for most of my life, and it had gotten to the point that it was disturbing my sleep almost every night. I found the Charlotte Athlete while digging for answers on the internet late one night and decided to give them a chance. Within one session, Dr. Mike was able to pinpoint the source of my pain and show me stretches and movement patterns that eliminated 80-90% of my issues. I have not woken up in neck pain since that day (almost 4 months ago). General practitioners have tried to put me on muscle relaxers and painkillers over the years but I've always refused, because I knew there had to be a better answer. I finally found that answer here. It's well worth a shot to talk to the people at The Charlotte Athlete if you are suffering from neck and/or shoulder pain.

Prior to COVID, I used to do crossfire workouts avidly. When we began to quarantine, I took up running more consistently and once COVID restrictions relaxed, began to train for half-marathons. In the course of training for the first one and preparing to do a second one 6 months later, I started to have sharp pains from my SI joint that initially occurred whenever I went for a run. I was hoping to make it through my next race and then planned to rest and allow it to improve. However, it started occurring even with walking and could often times be present at rest. Once the pain began to radiate around my hip and inhibit my ability to exercise regularly and train effectively, I decided to start coming to Charlotte Athlete. I had come here previously for shoulder pain a few years ago, though stopped coming when COVID ramped up. I started back seeing Aerial and in her assessment recognized the imbalance in the activation of my hip flexors/extensors and need for glute/core strengthening and hip flexor mobility. She has been working with me for 4 months now with exercises centered on this. I was able to run my race 2.5 months ago with only mild pain, though in the time since then, have progressed to be able to run without any recurrence of pain as I have continued to progress in therapy. I have started getting back into crossfit workouts/lifting and can also feel a significant improvement in my form and efficiency with barbell movements as well. It has been a positive experience and am thankful for her help and support. Would highly recommend!

I have always had on/off chronic back issues since I was in middle school, but about a year ago from today I sprained the muscle in my neck so badly I couldn't move it for a week and was on heavy muscle relaxers in order to bear the pain. This was the start of a long, painful journey with a PT in San Diego that made my issues WORSE through over-stretching. After their 16-week program, I was defeated to the point of quitting my job and moving back home to be with family, since my neck pain was still there and I now additionally had chronic shoulder pain that I would say was worse than the original neck issue. I am SO thankful I was able to find a blog post by The Charlotte Athlete that described my exact issues with my shoulders. I immediately reached out, hoping they could work with me even though I live on the other side of the state. Luckily they do telehealth! I was slightly skeptical of how well telehealth would work, but I was more desperate for relief than anything so I decided to go through with it. I knew I needed people that actually know what they're doing AND give me really specialized treatment... since the treatment I got at the facility in San Diego was so cookie-cutter I swear I couldn't done better just YouTubing exercises myself at that point. My experience with Mike at The Charlotte Athlete has been really positive. For starters, he figured out the curvature in my spin that has been causing my issues (I should also mention I have sciatica down my left leg). He has really helped me understand the "why" behind the exercises which not only helps me get into better form and enhance my mind to muscle connection, but it also motivated me to do them! I honestly think that physical therapy has changed my life. When I was in pain initially, I was in the wrong kind of physical therapy and saw a chiropractor, acupuncturist, and massage therapist. Now I have the knowledge to understand why massage therapy was making my shoulders and neck hurt worse-- my neck muscles were OVERstretched and lengthened. I think learning how to retrain your muscles so that they stabilize the spine correctly is so important and the therapy I've received from Mike is already helping significantly. We are still working through my sciatica issues, but my shoulders almost never hurt like they did anymore and that alone is so incredible to me considering I was at the point where my primary care practitioner was recommending that I get routine steroid shots and prescribing me benzos to deal with my muscle spasms. I would recommend this place to anyone and even though it was technically "out of network" for me, I am still able to submit the superbills to my insurance to get it partially covered... even if insurance had denied it, I still would recommend this to anyone with chronic pain because the amount of money/time you might waste elsewhere or on treatments that AREN'T working is crazy. I could have saved over a thousand dollars if I had known about The Charlotte Athlete from the very first day I got injured... so spread the word. Thank you to Mike and the team at The Charlotte Athlete! 🙂

I competed in a Crossfit competition in November, during it, I seemed to have injured my knee doing the last workout. It didn’t seem too bad immediately after the workout, it was sore, but I assumed it was the accumulated fatigue and stubbornness. The next morning, I woke up with a lot of pain and stiffness in my leg and was unable to bend it. Considering it was nearing the holidays, it was tough getting immediate treatment. However, a good friend referred me to a sports chiro. After a handful of visits, I still had the recurring pain when I squatted. I had a pinching pain behind my knee that occurred when I squatted too much, or if I squatted too deeply. As a person who liked to compete, it was devastating. I ended up at The Charlotte Athlete, after Aerial (one of the PT that make up the team) notified me that there was availability. Even though I enjoyed who I was seeing currently, I was not seeing results. I decided to amicably part ways and see Dr. Mike. At that point I was a little skeptical, but at the second visit, Dr. Mike was able to recreate the pain that I was experiencing and give me an explanation for it. He took time to research my slightly unique injury, as most dealt with pain in front of the knee. It surprised me that he took the time to research my case, instead of having an immediate diagnosis. I felt humbled and I felt hopeful again. After 6 visits, I was given education, compassion, and exercises (homework) to expand my knowledge and get me back to being able to squat painlessly to depth again (and as many times as I’d like hahah). I would refer him to any low-key fitness fanatic who has recently injured or is enduring a recurring injury - or if I could drag my retired parents to see him, I would!! Thank you, Dr. Mike, for being an awesome PT and human!

Best PT in CLT. Helped me through pain and mobility in the hips and took my lifts (squat / deadlift) up 20+%

The Charlotte Athlete has been the most successful treatment I've received! I've experienced constant pain in my back & shoulder for more than a year. Back pain so severe I was unable to roll over in bed, let alone complete my regular exercise program. After xrays, MRIs, and many costly rounds of outpatient physical therapy, I had not seen marked improvement. Since beginning sessions with TCA, I no longer have such extreme pain and Dr. Aerial has helped improve my form & understanding of how the body moves. Highly recommend!!

The Charlotte Athlete has been amazing to help me progress in the right direction and learn about my strengths and weaknesses and what to work on. I’ve had lower back issues and they have helped me identify what causes the majority of the issues. Ever since starting, Dr. Mike has been great and my mobility has increased immensely, which has helped in all my lifts and to reduce back pain. In the past I have gone to chiropractors which has been a good quick fix but i always ended up back in the same position. I feel now that I am progressing towards a goal to be more mobile and fit and understand my body, vs just going through the motions. Their approach to PT is different than you will see elsewhere, and will definitely help you progress towards whatever goals you have, I can promise you that.

I first visited Dr. Andrew Kenas @ the Charlotte Athlete about 10 months ago when I dislocated my 2nd shoulder playing soccer. I enjoy playing competitively and desired to perform at a decent level without risk of reinjury and Dr. Andrew really came through with great exercises and advice on how/what I can do in order to avoid subsequent injuries. Currently, I'm feeling great with the level of mobility in my shoulder, and able to pursue my hobbies without any fear of reinjury. Charlotte Athlete offers a service where I can go 1x/month for routine maintenance and it also comes with other benefits (my personal favorite is the normatec boots to help accelerate recovery). The best part is the flexibility - I'd go weekly if I didn't have other commitments e.g., work, school, hobbies, social life, etc. but Dr. Andrew and his team have been incredibly accommodating. If you're an athlete or just someone that wants to maintain a quality of life with a decent level of physical activity, I'd highly recommend The Charlotte Athlete. I'll be going back without any hesitation if I were to reinjure my shoulders or, God forbid, something else.

My back has always been tight from sports and sitting a lot. I then hurt it working out and was out for several weeks. After a year of dealing with a few minor flair ups, I finally saw the Charlotte Athlete. I thought The problem would go away, but it kept coming back and keeping me from coaching wrestling and working out. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Aerial at the Charlotte Athlete, and I’ve felt that it is her goal to get me out of her office and back to doing activities I enjoy. She has helped me understand why my back is hurting and what I need to do to prevent it, as well as things I need to do in my everyday life to help strengthen my affected areas. I’ve learned new things each session that I can incorporate to my daily routine. I would highly recommend to anyone.

I have struggled with hip pain for the past several years. It would come and go as my running increased or decreased, and I figured it wasn't anything to worry about. But then my mom -- a lifetime runner -- had her hip replaced at the age of 62. She'd been in pain for years and hadn't done anything about it, and I knew then I didn't want the same thing to happen to me. I was referred to the Charlotte Athlete by a colleague and was immediately drawn to the 1-on-1 sessions and just their whole vibe. Dr. Andrew took my initial call and asked me a ton of questions (and really listened). Then, I started working with Dr. Aerial, and she's been fantastic! I've been for three sessions now, and I'm already noticing dramatic improvement in my hip. I've been able to start running again, after about six months off, and it feels incredible. She's also giving me a better understanding of how I can ensure my body stays strong and pain-free for years to come, which is huge. With this practice, there's such a respect for people who love to workout, be active, move their bodies, and you can feel that in their work with you. They want you to get back to doing what you love and to be able to do it for the long haul. I love that.