Dr. Adam Van Nortwick, PT, DPT, PRC
The education, certifications, and training behind how I treat — and a little about the runner behind the clinician.
Education
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Lynchburg College, 2013
B.S., Athletic Training
Appalachian State University, 2007 — minor in Exercise Science
Professional Experience
Before physical therapy school, I spent three years as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at Longwood University, responsible for the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries for Men's Soccer, Cross Country, Track & Field, Women's Basketball, and Baseball. That experience shaped how I think about return-to-play — I saw firsthand what these sports demand of an athlete's body, and it's part of why building a real return-to-sport plan, not just clearing someone to play, has stayed central to how I practice.
After earning my DPT in 2013, I worked at Appalachian Physical Therapy in Harrisonburg until 2024, when I opened Valley PT & Sports Performance — built around the one-on-one, hour-long treatment model I'd always wanted to offer.
Certifications
Certified Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist (CMTPT)
Myopain Seminars, Bethesda, MD. Dry needling focused directly on the myofascial trigger points that cause pain and limit movement.
Postural Restoration Certified (PRC)
Postural Restoration Institute®, 2013. The framework I use to evaluate nearly every patient who comes through the door.
Fascial Manipulation®
Completed the full certification coursework in the Stecco method of treating fascial restriction.
In-Situ Dry Needling
Structure and Function. A different approach from trigger point needling — needles are placed and left in position, sometimes with electrical stimulation added, to address fascial restriction, tight muscle, and swelling.
Postural Restoration Institute® Coursework
PRI® has fundamentally changed how I evaluate and treat movement dysfunction — I look at nearly every patient through this lens. Here's the specific coursework behind that:
Myokinematic Restoration
Evaluating and treating hip and lower extremity conditions.
Pelvis Restoration
Understanding and treating pelvic conditions.
Postural Respiration
Addressing breathing mechanics and thoracic dysfunction.
Cervical-Cranial Restoration
Neck and cranial base dysfunction.
Cervical Revolution
Advanced neck-region movement patterns.
Occlusal-Cervical Restoration
How jaw function connects to neck and cranial base dysfunction.
Athletic Background
I've been a competitive runner since high school, and it's part of why treating runners is a specialty here, not just a service line.
I graduated from Saranac Lake High School in 2002 as the school record holder in the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m. I started college at St. Lawrence University, where I was runner-up in the men's 1500m and earned Division III All-American honors in 2004, then transferred to Appalachian State, where I earned All-Southeast Region honors in cross country and ran a personal-best 3:47 in the 1500m. After a break from competitive racing, I qualified for and ran the 2024 NYC Marathon in 2:47. I still run and race today — partly because I love it, and partly because it keeps me in touch with exactly what runners' bodies are up against, especially as we age.
Outside the Clinic
I live in Harrisonburg with my family, and I'm generally up for any kind of outdoor adventure — running, hiking, and biking most of all.
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