Physical Therapists' Profiles
Dr. Michele Kehrer
Dr. Kehrer, President of LifeStyle Physical Therapy & Balance Center, is a pioneer in neurological dizziness and balance disorders.
Dr. Kehrer played a key role in developing the protocols and equipment used by the few specialists working with neurological dizziness and balance disorders today. The Doctor's success rates, contributions and ongoing innovations to this emerging field have built her reputation throughout the medical community.
As an athlete herself, Kehrer discovered her calling and began on her career path as a result of sustaining a serious sports-related injury in high school. After working in a variety of settings with numerous sports teams while earning her undergraduate degree, she served as athletic trainer for Highland Park High School's LaCrosse team while simultaneously treating patients at Peak Therapeutics, a clinic specializing in sports rehabilitation.
It was during this time Kehrer's attention was first drawn to dizziness and balance issues by the high number of students sustaining concussions and patients presenting with dizziness disorders at the clinic. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Kehrer worked with Peak's neurology specialists to develop protocols to get their patients back to normal activities as soon as possible. These early successes were later acknowledged by the United States government when Dr. Kehrer was asked to assist in research conducted by NASA and the Department of Defense.
While laying the groundwork for her exemplary career, Dr. Kehrer also studied extensively in other areas of specialization. She worked in several clinical rotations in the acute and sub-acute inpatient and outpatient settings. Her clinical focus also included prosthetics fittings, gait training and pediatric high-risk physical therapy.
While Dr. Kehrer still works in a consultative capacity from time to time, her primary focus is her own clinic, LifeStyle Physical Therapy & Balance Center. She is happy to provide a resource for patients who previously had nowhere to turn, and to help them reclaim their daily routines in comfort. She also sees patients with difficult-to-diagnose issues, and enjoys the challenge of investigating until she finds a solution.
If you have been struggling with a dizziness, balance or orthopedic issue that has defied resolution, Dr. Kehrer would like to help.
Timeline:
1995: Graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Sports Medicine, Physical Education with emphasis in Athletic Training from Western Illinois University
1998-2002: Collaborated with the Balance Therapy and Research Foundation to develop groundbreaking protocols and equipment utilized in head injury and vestibular research throughout the country today.
2000-2002: Assisted NASA and the Department of Defense with a number of balance and dizziness research projects as Director of Research at Balance Therapy Research Foundation
2004:Earned Doctorate in Physical Therapy from University of Illinois at Chicago
2005:Earned National Certifications in Vestibular Rehabilitation and Cervicogenic Dizziness
2006:Opened LifeStyle Physical Therapy & Balance Center
