Nate Felton

Therapist

I have always felt a strong connection to both movement and education. While I was considering careers, I had no idea what a physical therapist was or what they did. Reading through course catalogs and talking with career counselors led me down the path to becoming a PT, and I have never looked back.

The real world experiences I gained prior to, during, and after my professional education have served to strengthen and improve upon that passion I initially had for the work I love to do.

I had been fortunate to work for Orthopaedics Plus as a Rehab Tech from 2010-2014. Being exposed to the kind of treatment the therapists provided, the goals they helped their patients achieve, and the camaraderie the staff shared gave me a framework for the kind of place I wanted to work once I became a PT. In spite of the years apart, those relationships with the core group have endured.

When I began the PT program at UMass Lowell in 2014, it was a fresh start with a new group of people who held the same passion I do. During our first year together, I solidified my place as a resource to my peers with respect to anatomy. I spent extra time with classmates in the lab going over the details, connections, and tricks to remember the enormous amount of information that we would have to call upon not only for exams, but because it is a cornerstone of the work we would all be doing. It never felt like work to teach, and I loved both asking and fielding questions from the group. I was voted to be our class president the second semester, and coordinated with my class to host several events over our 3 year DPT program, including yoga on the quad, a blood drive, fundraising events, and wheelchair basketball with the Boston Blazers.

Upon graduation, I continued beyond my final internship with Emerson Hospital in their outpatient clinic. The work I did with them taught me how formal education meshes with the realities that patients experience. I treated mostly orthopedic cases, and as the needs of the department grew, gained practical experience with neurological patients with MS, stroke, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries. Neuro Nate was born, and found the similarities between patients with neurological and/or orthopedic issues too close to ignore. I continue to
integrate the techniques I learned from these experiences into my current practice.
I have sought continuing education that helps to enhance my skills, teach me something new, or integrate what I already know into a cohesive, systematic approach to help my patients. The best tools I have gained over time, however, are not interventions. The ability to listen carefully, ask good questions, and observe with a critical eye has made me a better clinician than any individual course or technique can cover.

Understanding the approach Orthopaedics Plus utilizes has brought me back full circle to where I started as a rehab tech. Having been in professional practice since 2017, I chose to come back because the philosophy of the whole team is geared towards doing what is best for the patient. I am grateful that mentality has stood the test of time.

I am an inherently curious person with a wide array of interests. I love both playing and listening to music, table top and computer gaming, trivia, cooking, baking, gardening, and DIY projects. As far as athletics, I really enjoy yoga, hiking, weight training, rowing, and snow sports. I will happily share pictures of my cat, if
you ask about Bubs. I’m an open book, so feel free to ask me anything.