If you’re a competitive athlete, you’ll get injured.
Mitchell Gilbertie was, and did.
A 4-year Staples High School baseball player, he graduated in 2010 and went on to play at Western Connecticut State University.
But he tore his labrum. Despite grueling physical therapy, Gilbertie fell in love with the process.
He changed his major from public relations to physical therapy. He went on to earn a doctorate at the University of Hartford.
His goal: to help people do whatever they can to avoid surgery.
Mitchell Gilbertie, at work.
Gilbertie spent the past 5 years with Elevate Physical Therapy, a clinician-owned group with offices in Fairfield, Darien, Stamford and Trumbull.
In March they opened in Westport at 276 Post Road West, opposite Via Sforza restaurant. Gilbertie heads up the practice.
It’s a homecoming of sorts — and his roots are deep. His great-grandfather started Gilbertie’s construction and excavation company. His grandfather still lives here.
Gilbertie deals with a wide array of patients — not just athletes. They range in age from 7 to 95.
They suffer from athletic injuries, back pain, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis. Some are recovering from strokes. He’s also seen new mothers with post-partum back pain.
“Every person is so different,” Gilbertie says. “I need to have a different mindset for each one.”
But Gilbertie manages to build a relationship with every patient.
A 79-year-old woman with a degenerative nerve disease had a knee replacement. When the muscles did not recover, Gilbertie taught her how to walk again.
Last week, she came in without a cane for the first time in 3 months. “She was so excited,” he says. “That made my day.”
Gilbertie also worked with a high school baseball player, whose Tommy John elbow surgery was followed by an infection. After missing an entire season, the physical therapist helped him get his confidence back — including going to the field, and throwing with him.
In both his professional and personal lives, Gilbertie knows many area orthopedists. He’s also networking with high school athletic directors, letting them know how he can help their teams.
“Pre-conditioning can help prevent injuries like ACLs, especially in girls sports,” Gilbertie says.
Elevate’s new Westport office includes another physical therapist, Erin Redding. A third will be added soon. Westporter Ernie Grever is a familiar face, at the front desk.
From left: Mitchell Gilbertie, Ernie Grever, Erin Redding.
“The field changes every year,” Gilbertie notes. “I always try to learn and grow.”
He speaks with doctors, to learn the latest surgical innovations. He also studies functional dry needling, cupping and headache management, among others.
In other words: Mitchell Gilbertie always tries to elevate his game.
(Elevate Physical Therapy takes nearly all major insurance providers. Click here for their website.)
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I’ve known Mitchell since he was in middle school and watched him work hard and then harder to make his passion a reality. Anyone with PT needs will benefit from his listening skills and genuine interest in their issues, BUT if I had a child or teen with PT issues, Mitchell would be my choice. Aside from looking 14 himself, he relates and listens to kids as humans and earns their trust.