We were lucky to catch up with Kelli Schneider recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kelli, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

I always thought I’d end up creating my own physical therapy practice for dancers. In fact, I even completed a project in physical therapy school where I built out a fictious performing arts physical therapy clinic from the ground up. However, this thought remained in the background. I assumed starting my own clinic was something I would do after years and years of practicing. That it would be the natural next step in maybe 15 years or so.

After graduating as a Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Cincinnati, I moved to Chicago to pursue treating performing artists. As a lifelong dancer, I was passionate about helping dancers recover from injuries and optimize their performance. I joined Athletico Physical Therapy’s performing arts program which allowed me to immediately start treating dancers in the clinic and backstage due to their contracts with the major performing arts companies in the city. During my time in Chicago, I was also promoted to open a new clinic location as the clinic manager where I took on responsibilities related to the clinic operations, marketing efforts, and staff mentorship.

In 2020, my husband and I moved to Los Angeles where I took a position as a staff physical therapist at Evolution Physical Therapy. Like the clinics in Chicago, I saw a wide variety of patients at this clinic – ranging from a 75-year-old after a total knee replacement to a 10-year-old soccer player with an ankle sprain and everything in between. As time progressed, it became increasingly clear to me that I received the most energy from treating dancers and those with hypermobility spectrum disorder – a group of conditions where joints move into unusually large ranges of movement due to lack of support by the ligaments.

After I completed my mat Pilates certification through Polestar Pilates in early 2021, I played around with the idea of creating a small Pilates practice on the side specifically for dancers and those with hypermobility. One thing quickly led to another and my own full-time physical therapy practice – Electric Edge – became a reality by the end of that year. Looking back, it all made sense. My own experience as a hypermobile dancer, the clinical skills I gained working with these populations throughout my career, and my clinic management history all prepared me for this next adventure.

The next step after determining my specialty populations was tackling the legal aspect. I worked closely with Jackson LLP, a law firm that specializes in healthcare startups, to file the necessary paperwork to form the legal entities and to create important documents such as patient intake forms. From there, I vetted several electronic medical record systems that would not only allow for easy documentation and scheduling but also have a good patient interface for scheduling and billing. Once all of this was set up, I was able to start seeing patients!
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A key challenge for me was creating a business structure that allowed for optimal patient accessibility. There aren’t many physical therapists who specialize in performing artists and joint hypermobility. For people in a city without a specialist, I wanted to have a virtual option to treat them from afar. Many people with joint hypermobility have pain and fatigue with daily activities, such as driving, so I also wanted to have an in-home option to eliminate their commute. Dancers require a space large enough to leap and turn as part of their rehabilitation. Therefore, I also wanted a clinic space that allowed for those movements. While successfully creating more accessibility for patients, treating in three different ways – virtually, in-clinic, and in-home – creates many logistical challenges. As this business structure is very unique compared to the traditional physical therapy setting, there isn’t a blueprint to follow. Each week is a giant Tetris puzzle and I love it!

When reflecting on my first year, I wish I would have reached out to other physical therapist entrepreneurs earlier on in the planning process rather than waiting until I had everything set up. While their exact business models may be different, learning from the experience of other physical therapists starting their own practice may have helped prevent some inefficiencies early on.

For those considering starting their own physical therapy practice, I would highly recommend taking on a leadership role within your current company. Whether you assist your manager with rehab aide training, take initiative with building out community relationships in a particular specialty population, or help coach the front desk staff, gaining this exposure will help determine if owning your own practice is the right next step for you. My previous experience as a clinic manager was invaluable to prepare me to build Electric Edge!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’ve always connected with movement. My mom tells stories of me constantly dancing in my car seat as a young kid leading her to sign me up for my first dance class at 3 years old. I went on to dance competitively my whole life including on the University of Cincinnati dance team and as a part of Team USA. After an amazing experience working with a dance-specific physical therapist for an injury I experienced during high school, I knew this was the perfect career path for me.

From Chicago to Los Angeles, I’ve dedicated my physical therapy career to helping dancers and people with hypermobility optimize their performance in life and achieve their full potential. I pride myself on the ability to problem solve through complex cases, make progress measurable, celebrate the small victories, and address the source – not just the symptoms – by seeing the body holistically.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I’ve built my reputation on providing a consistently high-level quality of care. From the discovery call to the onboarding process to the first visit and beyond, I strive to make the patient experience simple and personalized. I truly get to know each patient as a person first and enjoy being a part of their long-term health journey. By providing one-on-one care and maintaining a small caseload, I can give my full energy to each patient at every visit so that they achieve optimal outcomes.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Staying curious is crucial for success as a physical therapist. This shows up in two ways – patient communication and treatment effectiveness. By maintaining curiosity when interacting with a patient, the physical therapist will naturally be a better active listener. Through these more open conversations, greater trust is established. The physical therapist can uncover past experiences that impact the patient’s relationship with movement and better understand what motivates the patient so communication can be adapted to match. In terms of treatment effectiveness, curiosity leads to seeking out the underlying source of dysfunction rather than just addressing the symptoms as well as consideration of the less common diagnosis instead of assuming a patient’s symptoms fit a more common pathology. By simply staying curious, a physical therapist can have a dramatic impact on the patient’s long-term outcomes and quality of life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.electricedgemovement.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/electricedgemovement/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/electricedgemovement
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelli-schneider/