Lenexa

Kirstin Carpenter was born and raised in Olathe, KS. She knew in high school that physical therapy was the right career choice for her. Kirstin has always had a interest in anatomy and staying active through exercise. Physical therapy blended these two interests together perfectly.

Kirstin loves treating the orthopedic population, but found another love for pelvic floor rehab 7 years into her career. Experiencing her own pelvic floor dysfunction after the birth of her two daughters Kirstin pursued education in pelvic floor rehab so she could fix herself. Her first pelvic floor class in 2009 opened her eyes to the depth of information available, but that this information was not widely known. Kirstin returned to the clinic with a new passion to help women who suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction and began the pelvic floor specialty for Preferred Physical Therapy.

Since 2009 Kirstin has expanded pelvic floor treatment to include men and the pediatric population. Kirstin loves learning and developing new skills to help her patients overcome the many challenges that come with musculoskeletal dysfunctions. In 2014 she became certified in Lymphedema therapy and in 2017 became certified in dry needling. In 2020 Kirstin also became an ASTYM provider.

In 2017 Kirstin accepted the role of Regional Manager for all of Preferred Physical Therapy. She enjoys working with all Preferred PT employees and helping the new generation of physical therapists develop their own skills and specialties.

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Education in Health, Sport and Exercise Science, Unversity of Kansas, 2000.
• Master of Science in Physical Therapy, University of Kansas Medical Center, 2002

Additional Training

• Training in Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation from the section on women’s health through American Physical Therapy Association, 2009
• Certified Lymphedema Therapist through the Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy, 2014
• Dry Needling Certification through Myopain Seminars, 2017
• LSVT Big Certified, 2019
• ASTYM Certified Provider, 2020

Focus

• Orthopedic Conditions
• Prenatal & Postpartum Rehab
• Pelvic Floor Rehab – Women, Men, Pediatrics
• Lymphedema Therapy
• Dry Needling
• LSVT Big
• ASTYM

Alexa was born and raised in Russell, KS. Growing up, Alexa was always very active, participating in multiple sports, such as golf, basketball, and softball. When she was in high school, Alexa sustained a knee injury which required her to have surgery. Though she did not receive physical therapy, she felt that it would have been beneficial, not only to ensure that she would not become injured again but to give her the right attitude and provide positive reinforcement to get her back to sports. This is what led Alexa to pursue a career in physical therapy. She strives to educate patients about their injuries and why they happen so that they can prevent future injuries. Also, to motivate patients to get back to activities of daily living, recreational sports, and/or any hobbies they have, so that they may have the highest quality of life possible.

Alexa is certified in ASTYM. ASTYM is a form of soft tissue therapy that can be used for a number of conditions including, chronic tendinopathies, post-operative scarring, repetitive use injuries, and injuries that have been previously treated but the pain has returned. ASTYM essentially “jump starts” the healing process by inducing the body to regenerate areas of dysfunctional tissue and reabsorb inappropriate scar tissue and fibrosis. it has been proven to be a safe and effective way to treat the source of the problem while allowing patients to continue to be active.

Education

• Bachelors of Science in Education in Health, Sports, and Exercise Science from the University of Kansas in 2011
• Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Kansas in 2015

Additional Training

• ASTYM Certified
• Vestibular Therapy
• Dry Needling – Level I and II

Focus

• Orthopedics

Jessica was born and raised in Lawrence, Kansas. She knew early on that she wanted to be a Physical Therapist that worked with children. After being raised with 2 foster sisters that were both disabled she had a strong desire to always help children develop and improve their function the best they could. During undergraduate school, she completed volunteer and internships in pediatrics and then continued working with kids during her graduate school internships. Her passion to see children do the best they can and succeed in the world drives her practice daily. She is learning now more on orthotics and bracing for children to help improve their gait and balance while learning gross motor skills.

Jessica has worked in a variety of pediatric settings including clinic, school, home, and daycare. She enjoys working with babies all the way to up to teenagers. She has worked the last 4 years with birth to 3-year-olds with Missouri First Steps. She focuses on developmental delay, torticollis, gait abnormalities and orthotics. She enjoys learning more about disorders such as autism, cerebral palsy, downs syndrome, and many more unique diagnoses.

She is married with 3 children and lives in Olathe Kansas. Being born and raised in Lawrence she is a loyal KU fan, while her husband is a K-state graduate so they have a split household!!

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Education in Health, Sport and Exercise Science, Unversity of Kansas, 2004
• Doctor of Physical Therapy, Rockhurst University, 2007

Focus

• Pediatric Physical Therapy
• Torticollis
• Developmental Delays

Dr. Elise was very active in sports throughout high school and eventually went on to the University of Kansas where she was a member of the Kansas track and field team, participating as a hammer thrower. She has always been interested in human movement and anatomy and taught cadaver lab for seven semesters in college. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Exercise Science, Dr. Elise moved to the University of Kansas Medical Center to pursue her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. During that time, she received extra training in Parkinson’s Disease outside of her coursework and assists in teaching healthcare providers continuing education courses. Additionally, Dr. Elise has pursued becoming certified in Balance Wear® fitting. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her husband Austin pursuing active outdoor activities such as golf, biking, hunting, and spending time at the lake.

Education

• Bachelors of Exercise Science and Psychology from the University of Kansas in 2011
• Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Kansas Medical Center in 2015

Additional Training

• Balance Wear Certified

Focus

• Balance
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Women’s Pelvic Health
• Orthopedics

Growing up, Angie was very active and played all kinds of sports. She saw many of her teammates sustain injuries and became very intrigued with how some injuries could be treated with therapy and the patient would return to complete functionality while others could not. Angie loves working with people and always knew she wanted a career which involved helping people.

Angie is married with two stepchildren. She also has a full-time job taking care of her superhero, Kaden, who has SMA type 1.

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Management, Bethany College 2007
• Associate in Allied Health PTA, KCKCC 2008

Additional Training

• Certified ASTYM Therapist
• LSVT BIG
• Ergonomics

Focus

• Sports Rehabilitation
• Pediatric Physical Therapy (Age 8 and up)
• Orthopedic
• Ergonomic Certified

Sidney is originally from Kansas City, KS. She has always been active with sports, especially running. She greatly enjoys running 5Ks, 10Ks, and half marathons. She has her group fitness certification through ACE and has experience teaching Kickboxing and Boxing 101. She went through classes to be instructed through certain therapeutic devices such as kettlebell workouts and the TRX. Sidney attended the University of Kansas and received her degree in exercise science, where she was a Rehab Technician for four years. This experience allowed her to learn the ins and outs of a rehabilitation center. She then went on to the University of Saint Mary to receive her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. She has plans to get several new certifications in the next few years.

Education

• Doctor of Physical Therapy, University of Saint Mary – 2019
• B.S. in Exercise Science, University of Kansas – 2015

Additional Training

• Astym Certification
• Pelvic Floor Herman Wallace Level I, IIA, IIB and Capstone

Focus

• Orthopedics
• Pelvic Floor
• Pelvic Rehabilitation for Athletes

Kelly is originally from Lawrence, KS and grew up playing sports, including soccer, cross country, and track. Although she is a diehard Jayhawk fan, Kelly decided to attend the University of South Carolina where she received her B.S. in Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology. Kelly’s experience at South Carolina gave her the opportunity to work with young children on developing motor skills and to work with adults that wanted to lead a healthier and more physically active lifestyle. Through these experiences, Kelly discovered her passion for working with people on developing and reaching their goals and decided to pursue Physical Therapy school after completing her degree. Kelly attended the Universtiy of Kansas Medical Center where she received her Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2016.

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Exercise Science from The University of South Carolina
• Doctor of Physical Therapy from The University of Kansas Medical Center 2016

Additional Training

• Vestibular Rehabilitation
• Dry Needling

Focus

• General Orthopedics Rehabilitation
• Sports Rehabilitation