Dr. Melissa West, PT, DPT, OCS

Melissa West combines her experience as a 50K trail runner and RRCA certified coach to bridge the gap between rehab and performance. She specializes in individualized, evidence-based care and 2D gait analysis to help endurance athletes overcome injury and build long-term resilience.

Melissa is a native to the area, born and raised in Raleigh, staying in-state to complete her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology and her Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy at East Carolina University. She then went on to complete an online-based residency through Evidence in Motion, which enabled her to become a Board Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist. She had five years of experience in an outpatient orthopedic clinic before joining the team at The Running PTs, giving her a broad base of clinical knowledge in managing post-operative rehabilitation, lower extremity injury, and a variety of musculoskeletal conditions that affect the athlete and non-athlete alike.

Melissa grew up playing soccer competitively but transitioned to become a runner her junior year of college. She has completed races of varying distance (ranging from 5k to 50k) over the past few years, developing a personal and professional passion for long-distance running and endurance sport. This passion spurred Melissa to become an Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) certified run coach, allowing her to further utilize her clinical knowledge to help athletes accomplish their running/racing goals after injury.

Melissa’s strategy to treating the injured athlete is comprised of an individualized, evidence-based approach that includes skilled, hands-on manual techniques, targeted exercise prescription, 2D gait analysis, and education to aide return to sport and to help athletes become stronger and more resilient.

“As a regular runner for many years, it is always disappointing to stop running due to an injury. After coming down with plantar fasciitis, I tried trying all the home remedies with no relief. I became a patient of Melissa’s. Through her expert advice and massage therapy, she was able to get me over the pain hump back to running. As a bonus, it was wonderful to talk to someone who understands the nuances of staying healthy while running. Based on my experience, I highly recommend The Running PTs.”

DREW M.