Lori von Alten, PT, ATC-L, CSCI, CPI

Lori is the owner of Progress Physical Therapy. She is a licensed physical therapist and certified/licensed athletic trainer practicing in the field of orthopedics and sports medicine since 1988. She received her B.S. in Physical Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1987 and completed the curriculum for her athletic training certification at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1993. She has been a physical therapist with the Carolina Ballet since 1999, and has served as the team physical therapist for the Carolina Hurricanes since the 2001-2002 season. She also serves as a consultant for the NCSU athletics program. She is a certified strength and conditioning instructor, as well as a certified Pilates instructor for mat based exercises. She has a strong interest in analyzing and improving walking and running biomechanics in the orthopedic and sports populations and in determining when custom foot orthotics can be of benefit in improving function. She has taught courses on gait analysis and re-education of gait. Her coursework has focused a great deal on utilization of functional manual therapy and movement re-education to treat painful orthopedic conditions. Lori heads the Swing Fit Performance Enhancement Program for golfers at the clinic, and has also worked with elite athletes in swimming, tennis and track and field.

Matthew Harwood, PT, DPT

Matthew Harwood has practiced physical therapy for 6 years. He earned his Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from Ohio University in 2003 and his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2008. Passionate about learning and teaching, Matthew says, “Every patient I touch provides a new opportunity to understand how the body works.” He will be pursuing his Orthopedic Clinical Specialist certification in March 2011. “I have had the privilege of training under several experienced physical therapists, totaling 90 plus years of physical therapy practice,” says Matthew. For 5 years he practiced in the Washington DC region working at The Jackson Clinics, specializing in treating musculoskeletal pathology of the spine and pelvis. Matthew views the human body as a complex system of moving parts and understands that when these parts don't work properly injury and pain can result. A thorough evaluation is critical to identifying the dysfunction. “I take the time understand what is and isn’t working properly, how the dysfunction is affecting the person’s life and then assist in creating a plan of care to promote healing and return to function.” His particular interests are in treating biomechanical disorders of the spine and lower extremities as well as the neck and shoulder complex. Matthew is pursuing training in the areas of orthopedic manual physical therapy through the Canadian based North American Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy (NAIOMT). Additional course work in sports injuries, injury prevention, orthotic fabrication and casting, movement analysis and biomechanics has prepared him to successfully treat and train dancers, tennis players, runners and other athletes.

Matthew recently moved to Durham from Arlington, Virginia with his wife and their dog. When not busy reading books on anatomy or human biomechanics, he enjoys mountain biking and running. “A big goal for the coming year is to complete my first road marathon!”