My name is Micki, Dr. Michaela O'Neill PT, DPT, ATC, CWcHP if you want to be official. I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy who specializes in orthopedics and sports medicine. After working in Chicago for 5 years I am excited to bring my passion to Erie Pennsylvania to help people doing the thing I love the most. I have been very fortunate to have built a career that combines my love of science and a
natomy with helping others in need. Outpatient Physical Therapy/Orthopedics
Orthopedic physical therapy focuses on improving the function of our orthopedic system which is bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints. It is important to not just treat the area that is injured, but take the whole body into account and strives to find the root cause of the dysfunction by treating the neuromuscular, mechanical, and motor control components. Manual Therapy
A vital role in successful physical therapy is taking a hands on approach to provide individualized one on one care. A key part in retraining your body to move better is to improve on the mobility of your muscles and joints. Sometime your muscles and joints need a little assistance to get moving that they will not get from traditional exercise. Dry Needling
Dry needling is an innovative therapeutic technique that involves inserting a small, thin, monofilament needle into a muscle to create a local twitch response, release shortened bands of muscles, and decrease trigger point activity. This technique has been shown to improve and normalize the biochemical, mechanical, and electrical components of the muscles with myofascial dysfunction. The normalization of those components helps with decreasing pain, decreasing muscle tension, improving range of motion, promoting healing, and restoring function. Post-Operative Rehabilitation
Exercise and movement are a key point in recovering from surgery. Micki is trained in post-operative protocols to help you restore your range of motion, strength, and functional movements to get back to everyday living and the hobbies you enjoy. Headaches & Migraines
Headaches and migraines are often caused by posture, muscle tension/trigger points, and muscle weakness. Physical therapy can help improve those imbalances to correct posture and decrease trigger points that cause headaches. Physical therapy can provide a lasting effect that does not require you to continue to take medications. Functional Movement Retraining/Performance Enhancement/Return to Sport
It is important to find the root cause of the dysfunction which often times lies within our posture and how we move. To not only recover from an injury but prevent the injury from re-occurring we have to retrain how our bodies move with our day to day activities. Also when we use proper posture and form, we can enhance our overall performance for exercise and sport related activities. Gait Analysis & Running Evaluation
Gait analysis for walking and running looks to identify movement asymmetries, muscle strength and flexibility imbalances, and joint mobility restrictions. I will put together an individualized treatment program to address these dysfunctions to improve performance and decrease risk of future injury. Workers' Compensation Injuries
I am a Certified Worker's Compensation Healthcare Professional (CWcHP). In Chicago, I was the lead clinician for worker's compensation injuries and has a wide variety of experience of working with individuals with different job types. I am able to cater my treatment plan to the individual and their type of work to ensure safe return to work with ability to complete all job tasks required.
