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Elite Physical Therapy gets community commendation despite being the new kid on the block

3 min read
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Courtesy of Elite Physical Therapy

Elite Physical Therapy’s front desk

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Elite Physical Therapy’s clinic, featuring the hyperbaric oxygen chamber on the left. Courtesy of Elite Physical Therapy.

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Above: The infrared sauna at Elite Physical Therapy. Courtesy of Elite Physical Therapy.

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Courtesy of Elite Physical Therapy

Since Elite Physical Therapy opened in April 2020 at the height of the COVID epidemic, the Belle Vernon service provider has grown by leaps and bounds.

“We made our operation work and have quadrupled our [patient] numbers since we opened,” said owner Emilio Galis, a doctor of physical therapy. “And we accomplished this largely by word of mouth.”

For two of the past three years, Elite received a nomination for the Observer-Reporter’s Best of the Best award for best physical therapy practice. Galis was also one of five people nominated for the 2022 person of the year. Elite also nabbed a nomination for the best Mon Valley business.

“It is certainly an honor to be nominated for the awards, and I am humbled,” Galis said. “Our nomination says to me we’re doing something right and that people appreciate our work.”

Operating with a staff of nine, Elite PT treats various orthopedic issues and chronic pain from head to toe. This includes spinal problems as well as everything from concussions and whiplash from auto accidents, sports and work-related injuries to neuro conditions like stroke and Parkinson’s disease and orthopedic injuries.

With nine treatment rooms, Elite’s menu of services includes passive range of motion, active release techniques, functional dry needling to find trigger points, the Graston Technique and more.

Elite’s wellness program, meant to improve overall health and well-being, includes hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Normatec recovery sleeves and infrared sauna therapy, all of which require special equipment. The hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber alone costs $10,000. To see Elite’s full menu of services, go to eliteptw.com.

“I am pleased to say that all of our staff really puts our patients first,” Galis said. “I believe in providing one-on-one care with the most up-to-date services.”

In the future, Galis said he’d like to grow his practice and add more services, especially float pods which have a high salt content aimed at fostering relaxation.

He’d also like to add a cold cryotherapy chamber, which has been shown to increase dopamine, a chemical released in the brain that makes a person feel good. Cold therapy has also been shown to aid whole-body inflammation and revive muscle tissue after exercise.

Galis received his bachelor of science degree in biology and health sciences from Duquesne University in 2012 and his Doctor of physical therapy degree in 2014, also from Duquesne University. He previously worked in Rockville and Gaithersburg, Md., for three and a half years as a physical therapist and clinic director and has also worked in the Pittsburgh region.

A native of the Mon Valley, Galis credits his success and passion to his upbringing and robust, tight-knit family. He has over five years of experience treating a variety of orthopedic conditions and pathologies and has a definite interest in working with athletes of all levels. He has had a lot of experience working specifically with professional boxers and has also treated various NFL players throughout his career.

Recently, he worked with several football players on the Belle Vernon High School football team, which won the Class 3A championship this December.

Elite PT is at 638 Rostraver Road, Suite 104, in Belle Vernon. Phone 724-243-3728 or visit eliteptw.com for more information.

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