Performance Plus Physical Therapy

"I can't say enough positive things about my experience with Dr. Danelle Dickson, PT, DPT, OCS. As a performing artist from NYC working eight shows a week, my body is literally my instrument--and keeping it in peak condition is not optional. Dr. Dickson seriously is the best at getting the body right. As a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and Performing Arts Specialist, she truly understands the physical demands that performers face. From our very first session, she took the time to assess not just my injury, but how my performance schedule, choreography, and repetition were impacting my body. She didn't offer generic exercises--she created a targeted, intelligent plan that supported my workload and helped me stay stage-ready. What sets Dr. Dickson apart is her precision and depth of knowledge. She identifies the root cause quickly and treats it with intention. Every adjustment, every exercise, and every cue is purposeful. She helped me restore strength, alignment, and confidence in my movement while working a demanding eight-show week schedule--something that felt nearly impossible before I started seeing her."

"I cannot recommend Dr. D highly enough!! I found her after a frustrating few months of misdiagnoses and snowballing minor injuries, during which most of the medical professionals I met basically advised me to take NSAIDs and wear more supportive shoes. Danelle took a totally different approach. She took my pain seriously and immediately worked to alleviate it using a variety of (very cool) techniques. She deeply understands the mechanics of the body and was able to explain to me in a way that made sense how I had become so injury-prone. The strengthening exercises she set me were manageable, and I appreciated that we didn't spend a ton of time in session doing the same exercises I was doing on my own. Maybe most importantly, she was realistic and optimistic about my recovery. I genuinely think the biggest difference in my return to an active lifestyle was someone as smart and experienced as Danelle explaining to me how I'd get there. I really cannot thank her enough! If you were a competitive dancer in your younger years and suspect that training might have thrown your body mechanics off a bit, I really recommend visiting Dr. D - even if you aren't currently recovering from an injury. If you have a sports injury of ANY kind, I highly recommend visiting Dr. D."

"Dr. Danelle is perhaps the best and most thorough PT I've ever worked with (and as a performer who has done both shows on national tour and broadway, I've been treated by many wonderful PTs). Dr. D is so intentional about working not only areas of pain, but the surrounding areas that may not receive the necessary attention otherwise and that are impacting the area that is giving trouble. Also she has helped me form a warm up that really prepares my body for all that I ask it to do in an intense dance show. I began a recent production with very intense knee pain, that had me feeling discouraged about how I would make it through the run of the show that was very physically demanding. With the help of Dr. D's treatment I made it through the entire run of the show healthy and without having to call out for any physical reason. I am so grateful to her care and expertise."

"Dr. Dickson is an extraordinarily skilled clinician, and my life has dramatically improved with her care! She is a top-notch physical therapist and has an exceptionally detailed understanding of the body- more than any physical therapist I have ever had. She understands how body systems are connected, and works to address problems through a thoughtful and integrated approach. What I appreciate most is that her work is extremely science-based; she keeps up with the literature, contributes to the professional community, and applies the most up-to-date science to her practice. Dr. Dickson has helped me understand the mind-body connection in a concrete and tangible way. I realize now, after starting to heal under her care, that my pain was affecting my mood and personality! I wasn't myself, decision making was harder, and my overall mood was lowered. Suffering with chronic tension made me emotionally tense. In recent sessions, I've noticed an immediate improvement in mood when she's helped me release tension in my back and shoulders. Similarly, Dr. Dickson has helped me better understand and control neural signals in the other direction- Just as muscle tension can affect my mood (body to brain connection), I can also control and "wake-up" dormant stabilizer muscles with guided practice (brain to body connection). She's helped me reignite the neural connection with those smaller and less-used muscles so that I'm actually able to recruit them in movement. It is really incredible what a difference that connection makes on both my mood and my pain levels! Dr.Dickson has helped me root-cause my pain more than any other clinician I've seen. She has a great gift, backed by extensive study and practice, for uncovering origin points of pain and dysfunction. She helped me realize that my migraines were jaw-tension pain, the jaw tension was from a tense neck, that was from tense shoulders, those tense shoulders were from weak back-stabilizer muscles due to sitting 8 hours a day at work, and gut issues were adding tension to the whole system. I never would have figured that out on my own. Her physical manipulation work, exercises, and ergonomic recommendations have significantly lowered my pain and improved my life. Now I am equipped with targeted exercises and I know what systems I need to work on. I would strongly recommend her practice to anyone in need of physical therapy! She's awesome."

"I am really grateful for my time with Dr. D. She worked to treat my immediate issues (back and knee pain), and also gave me exercises to support real reinforcement and healing. As a dancer, I also really appreciate working with PTs that have a knowledgeable about dance and the demands it puts on the body. Dr. D understood that there were things I couldn't simply stop doing because they were part of my job, so she always worked with me rather than against my reality. We altered warm up routines so that I could both protect my body and perform at my best. She would always remind me the to advocate for myself and my body, especially when it came to managing pain. I'm leaving with a better understanding of my pain, the confidence to care for it, and even recommendations to continue my care now that I'm back in NYC. Very very grateful!!"

"Dr. Danelle is superb. Her ability to assess quickly and provide intricate and thoughtful care is astounding. She kept me and my whole company on our feet for an entire 3 month run of a really hard show. Thank you Dr. D!!!!"

"Dr. Danelle provided a thorough evaluation of my daughter. I appreciate how intricate and detailed she was in understanding my daughter's pain and limitations. We left feeling confident about the next steps in her treatment."

"Dr. Danelle Dickson is simply the BEST! As a mom to an aspiring ballerina, I've watched my daughter transform under her care--physically, mentally, and emotionally. Dr. Dickson's rare blend of deep dance experience, orthopedic expertise, and genuine compassion is unmatched. She's outcome-focused, truly listens, and understands the demands of a dancer's body and mind. If you want the gold standard in dance physical therapy, look no further!"