Physical therapist opens on U.S. 211

Anne Williams is in the business of making people feel better, and she recently brought her business to Rappahannock County.

Williams opened Mountainside Physical Therapy earlier this month in the former Oasis CD building on U.S. 211.

She has been a professional physical therapist for 15 years and has operated her own office in Unionville in Orange County for the past seven years.

Williams and her husband moved to Rappahannock in January 2006. They came to the county for its quiet, its mountains and the space to have horses.

"It made sense to bring what I do to this community, and I also felt it was important to serve the community I'm living in," she said. "It gives me a way to give back to this community and get to know the people here."

Williams plans to spend half the week at her Unionville office and the other half of the week in Rappahannock. She said many doctors in Culpeper and Madison counties are already familiar with her work, which might be convenient for Rappahannock residents who visit doctors in those counties.

Williams is also starting an equine physical therapy service called Healing Hands for Horses. As a horse lover, she can also suggest tips for riders to adjust their methods and avoid aches and pains.

She has dedicated her life to sports and helping people with disabilities.

Williams grew up working with disabled people. Her father was a minister and she and her mother worked with the mentally retarded and children with cerebral palsy.

"I was exposed to people with disabilities from a very young age, so I'm very comfortable around people with disabilities of all kinds," she said.

Williams' sports background is in dance and gymnastics. She attended Radford University, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in physical education and sports medicine. She then continued her education at the University of Delaware, where she earned a master's degree in physical therapy.

After her schooling was complete, Williams worked at University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville for two years.

Her educational, professional and volunteer experiences have provided exposure to inpatient and outpatient care, wound care and treatment for infants and children.

"Whether you're 0 or 85, I can work with you," she said with a laugh. "Now you don't even have to be a person – you can be a horse."

Those varied experiences have given Williams the ability to take people through transitions, from acute care to rehabilitation centers to home health care to outpatient facilities.

"I have the unique experience of serving all those different stages and it gives me a clear picture of everything the person has been through," she said.

A shining example of Williams' work is Theresa, her office assistant. Theresa had been trying to recover from a back injury for 18 months when she first came to Williams' office in Unionville. Williams rehabilitated her to a full recovery.

Williams also hopes to offer general fitness programs and other healing arts, including yoga, tai chi and pilates, at the studio. Contractors in the community may want to offer their services there, she said.

People are living longer these days and many have been impacted from old injuries, even though they may not realize it. Williams said it is very important address those issues before they become bigger problems.

"I believe really strongly in preventative health care," she said.

Mountainside Physical Therapy is located at 12625 A Lee Highway between the Town of Washington and Sperryville. Call 987-9390 for more information.

E-mail the reporter at kallen@timespapers.com.