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Bryan Carestia is a highly skilled Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with more than a decade of experience helping people overcome pain and safely return to a fulfilling life of sport, activity and wellness. He is the owner and physical therapist at Activcore in Newtown, Pennsylvania.
Bryan goes beyond the symptoms and looks at your whole body from head to toe. With an extensive clinical background and education, he is uniquely qualified to handle more complex pain conditions that other practitioners could not resolve.
Bryan holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Health and Behavior Management from the University of Delaware, as well as a Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy from New York University, ranked among the top 20 physical therapy schools in the country. He is among less than 1% of all physical therapists to learn from the Postural Restoration Institute (PRI). He is also recognized nationally as a leading authority in the application of the Redcord suspension system. Additionally, he has advanced training from the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI).
Bryan started his college career with aspirations to become a medical doctor. But he realized, while taking the MCAT entrance exam during his senior year, that he did not want to attend another decade of school. A few months later he hurt his shoulder while working out and went through a 6-week physical therapy rehab program. He instantly knew that he wanted to become a physical therapist.
Spending the next 3 years at NYU learning physical therapy, Bryan got a rare opportunity at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. He worked with top athletes from the Yankees, Mets, Rangers, and Giants to name a few.
Bryan began his career as a physical therapist in a “high volume” clinic in Midtown Manhattan, seeing 15-20 patients per day. Determined to never stop learning, he continued to refine his skills as best he could. He felt, however, that working in a quantity-over-quality setting did not yield optimal results for his patients. There simply wasn’t enough time available with each person individually to make a meaningful difference in their lives. So Bryan joined Activcore in 2014 and hasn’t looked back. He was finally able to work with each person on a one-on-one basis to get the best clinical outcomes possible.
More recently, Bryan has become increasingly concerned with the growing trend of desk sitting and computer work. He rightly observes postural damage done not only by the use of technology, but additionally from jobs and sports with repetitive motions. In search of methods to treat and reverse life altering postural decline, Bryan found the Postural Restoration Institute (PRI). His passion and interest grew as he realized he could use the PRI approach to treat his own postural function which was declining due to previous injuries and physically intense work as a PT. With his personal interest and passion to learn, Bryan has taken multiple courses from the Postural Restoration Institute. He has practiced, refined and grown his breadth of knowledge to be able to treat more complex issues including those involving the head, cranial bones, and jaw. The result has been many happy clients who were unable to find relief from seeing other medical practitioners.
Outside of work, Bryan is most passionate about spending time with his wife and two beautiful kids. They keep him busy, hungry, and motivated to keep improving all aspects of his life.
Dr. Bryan Carestia is amazing! This is not your typical physical therapy. He finds the root cause of your pain/problems, not just alleviating the present pain.
There are varying degrees of ability, knowledge, and care in every service you pay for but this was particularly apparent when I met Dr. Bryan Carestia at Activcore in Newtown, PA. In contrast to the big chains, he spent every session with me on a 1:1 basis. He spent time understanding my injury and where my pain was. He then educated me on what muscle group was connected to which other groups along the chain and how and why we isolate them during PT. He took the time to video our sessions to remind me of how to practice and get better at home. Also, he made a concerted effort to do some massage and manual therapy to instantly relieve some of the tightness and rigidity I suffered from my splint, cast, and boot. I cannot express enough how strongly I recommend choosing him over anyone else!
Dr. Bryan Carestia is THE best physical therapist I have had the pleasure of working with. He is very knowledgeable and thorough; taking into consideration his patient’s entire body, lifestyle, and goals in order to treat them. Bryan has helped me correct dysfunctional movement patterns, release muscles restricting my full range of motion, and recover from multiple sports injuries. As a sports massage therapist, not only does Bryan help keep me healthy to perform my job, but I also know I can refer my own clients to him whenever they present issues that are out of my scope of practice to resolve.
I reached out to Dr. Bryan Carestia at Activcore to help with my hip and back pain. I overdid it when I was working out. Tried to stretch and rest but still wasn’t feeling right. Dr Carestia got back to me within hours to schedule an appointment. He took the time to listen and do a proper assessment on where my pain was located. Through the assessment he knew where the injury had developed and focused on the area to improve range of motion and reduce pain. He prescribed the correct exercises I could do on my own. In time with his guidance and some hard work on my end, I’m feeling much better and back to working out and golfing. Dr. Carestia took the time to help me feel better and I appreciate his professionalism and expertise.
Dr. Bryan Carestia worked with me several years ago when I had developed really bad lower back and sciatic pain which wasn’t resolved by two other courses of traditional physical therapy, active release technique with a chiropractor, and a back pain workshop I traveled several hours to attend. I was really quite miserable! Bryan’s use of postural restoration technique (among other therapies) was a game changer for me. He also realized that I needed vision therapy because of a misalignment of my eyes, and referred me to an excellent practitioner for that—who knew? So very grateful! Over five years later, I’m still feeling the benefits. The therapy and education I received from Bryan has helped me to keep my lower spine and hips well aligned and I haven’t had further problems.
Dr. Bryan Carestia was able to rid me of headaches that I had for over 6 months on my first visit. I was totally impressed! He gave me stretches to do at home. Very professional.
To Dr. Bryan Carestia, Just wanted to thank you for your help years ago at Activcore. I live in Massachusetts now and wish I had access to a therapist like you here! I often think about the postural restoration work you did with me, the way you figured out I needed vision therapy. It made such a difference! So grateful for your work.
Dr. Bryan Carestia is my go-to physical therapist. He has helped me through injuries sustained as a pedestrian in a motor vehicle crash, and the physical imbalances that occur to a woman's body during pregnancy. Bryan has a keen eye for subtle imbalances that can cause pain in unexpected places. His therapy focuses on reducing the pain, realigning the body and strengthening the body to stay better in alignment. I find his exercises and therapy challenging and effective and I'm happy to recommend Bryan to anyone.
I went to Dr. Bryan Carestia recently for some shoulder and lat pain I've been dealing with for quite some time. I was experiencing severe tightness, limited range of motion, and sharp pain when doing more extended reaches and movements. Even before the visit, Bryan took the time to hear my symptoms over the phone and genuinely was interested in what I was dealing with before even coming in. He's extremely knowledgeable. My onsite visit lasted an hour and Bryan was engaged with me the entire time (talking, rehabbing, stretching, exercising etc.). He really was working on me and not just checking the boxes. He truly understands that everyone's body responds differently and treatment needs to be different for everyone. By the end of the visit, not only did I feel comfortable with him personally but my body was already responding. My range of motion improved dramatically after just one session. Bryan also set up a plan I can do at home, to help further my progress. I would absolutely recommend Dr. Bryan Carestia. Exceptional professionalism and overall visit.
Dr. Bryan Carestia has helped me with numerous injuries, sprains, and aches and pains. He is exceedingly knowledgeable and intuitive, understanding exactly what it is that has been bothering me, sometimes from just seeing my stride. He takes the time to explain to me why I’m tight or hurting, and shows me how to correct and strengthen. His care is exceptional, he is personable, kind, funny, and professional. Wonderful doctor!
Dr. Bryan is amazing. He has a great knowledge base to help you recover from injuries or just improve sports performance. He guides you through the entire session and gives you great exercises to do at home. When I started seeing him I didn't necessarily have any serious injuries, but I did have aches and pains in my hip and shoulder that he has helped me to resolve. I would highly recommend making an appointment with him. Also, he's a great guy too!
I had progressive pain across my low back and got to the point that the only way I was pain free was standing up straight. As a mom of 2 little kids working a demanding computer based job, I couldn’t function. Dr. Bryan Carestia evaluated me and got me moving on the first visit. His approach to the body isn’t to only address the symptom, but the underlying problem. I can’t thank him enough (although it was nice to be off laundry duty for a while).
Dr. Bryan Carestia is the absolute best! Knowledgeable, personable, and caring. After years of suffering from neck, back, and shoulder pain with no help from other physical therapists and sports medicine doctors, I finally have relief. Dr. Carestia was able to figure out the source of my problems and work with me to alleviate the pain and strengthen my body. I feel much better and was able to stop taking Advil daily. Cannot recommend him enough!
I highly recommend choosing Dr. Bryan Carestia for any physical therapy needs. He is very knowledgeable, professional, and effective.
Just finished an evaluation and treatment with Dr. Bryan Carestia, more than impressed. As an Acupuncturist who works within a similar paradigm of fascia and movement, his approach was eye opening. I just took my first full breath in 5 years since taking on a traumatic soccer injury that was complicated by broken ribs. He taught me how to reconnect and integrate my back, hip and diaphragm in ways I hadn’t seen before. I highly recommend! The whole clinic had a great atmosphere and pleasant staff as well.
I have nothing but the highest praise for Bryan’s outstanding physical therapy knowledge and expertise. Throughout the years, I have had different injuries that have plagued me and every time I go to Bryan, he quickly diagnoses the cause and works effectively to get me on the road to recovery. His one-on-one therapy and tailored exercises are effective, address my needs and yield outstanding results. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to family and friends!
I saw Dr. Bryan Carestia for acute, muscular back pain. He fit me in at the last minute and immediately pinpointed where my body was uneven and tight, which was exacerbating my back strain. He really listened to me and worked patiently to ease the tension around my lower back. He followed up our session with special exercises for me to do on my own. I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Bryan Carestia and recommend him for any PT needs.
I am a 36 year old former high school and college football player who is very active and still plays in Sunday rec football leagues. To say I’ve had many physical issues with the years of wear and tear on my body is an understatement. I came to Bryan at Activcore because I finally conceded that the ailments were too much and I had to get my body right. I knew this wasn’t going to be a one and done type of visit and I made it clear to Bryan I needed quite a bit of help. He asked lots of questions and “peeled back the onion” as he likes to say, of all my ailments and also taught me about the root causes of many of my issues. These included back, knee, neck and hip issues, many of which I didn’t even know we’re causing the pain I had. He helped me get back on track to where I was walking better, having more effective workouts, sleeping better and overall feeling better. I can’t thank him enough for all the help he has given and continues to give me to get back into peak shape. Or at least as peak as any 36 year old former athlete can be. If you choose Bryan and Activcore, I can guarantee you will feel better walking out then when you walked in and if you do your part of following through on the exorcises needed between sessions, you will be back to normal in no time. He is the best Physical Therapist I’ve worked with (and I’ve worked with many over the years playing football) and I recommend him to any and all looking for a PT in the Philadelphia area. You will not be disappointed!!
I have become a far smoother athlete as a result of consistent physical therapy at Activcore. I am an Olympic hopeful training to qualify for the men's javelin throw, and I have seen distinct progress as a result of working with Activcore. My therapist is Dr. Bryan Carestia. He is incredibly knowledgeable, skilled at giving helpful movement cues, and passionate about advancing his expertise. I have only ever heard positive feedback from clients at Activcore, and the positive feeling is palpable upon walking in. This is a professional organization using superior methodology, and I highly recommend them.
I highly recommend Activcore if you are committed to your recovery and looking for an excellent experience each appointment. While the cost is higher compared to other PT, it's worth it for a full one hour, one-on-one session. I cannot say enough good things about Bryan Carestia. He is extremely patient and creative in his treatment approach. I've had a very challenging surgery recovery, but Bryan has kept my rehab program on track. The Client Engagement Leaders are also super helpful and pleasant to work with.
Professional, friendly and very competent staff. Bryan Carestia (my therapist) and Alison make coming to Activcore a pleasure. I am very satisfied with my results as well. Thank you Activcore!
I give Activcore 5 stars and huge appreciation and thanks to Bryan Carestia for figuring out how to make my body work again. Osteoarthritis increases with each year and makes it hard for me to exercise at all for the pain in my joints. Moving/exercising only made my pain worse. I understand now why my father would groan and complain. Even though this disability is in my genes, I now can do something about it. Redcord is a completely different approach. The harness gives my pelvis support while being lifted off the table takes away the strain of gravity. The specific ergonomic lifts, points, movements, all supervised by the trained therapist (in my case Bryan, but all the therapists are great) wake up my muscles and make my whole body strong. When I started I could barely hold or repeat the motions. Now I am a 72 year old whizz. Bryan is a genius at knowing how to direct me. Something else - these exercises are not boring. They never take more than an hour to do. You can count on that. We always do a "before and after" climbing the stairs test. Seeing my progress after each hour of "work"makes is gratifying. There are people here older and much younger than I. I would say this system has potential for all! Go for it!!!
Activcore is the only place I will now go to for Physical therapy. I injured my hamstring badly a few months ago. After not making any progress at another PT place, I was referred to Activcore which has helped me in only 5 sessions! Bryan spent an entire hour with me each time, focused on specific stretches and exercises for my hamstrings - and my core and glutes, which had some strength imbalances & weren't working together as they should when my injury happened.
I’m a 68 year old active, athletic senior. Brian C. is a pro at identifying, treating, and repairing body aches and pains. I can’t say enough about the Activcore method. In recent years, Brian has helped me with knee pain, a recurring upper back car accident injury and currently, a hip that is showing signs of wear. Brian works with you and you alone for 60 minute sessions. Undivided attention. From experience the source of pain is not where you think it is. Make an appointment, spend 60 minutes one on one with Brian and decide for yourself.
Dr. Bryan Carestia is amazing! I came to see him after having 15 years of shoulder pain, frozen shoulders, and additional back pain. He found the issue that no other doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist could figure out. I am free of pain and stronger than ever. I can do push ups for the first time in over 15 years!
Bryan is smart, compassionate, and a brilliant physical therapist. Every bit of time and money I spent was worth it 10 times over. He works with you "one-on-one" and gives 100% attention during the appointment and for any questions I had afterward. In the past, I had dozens of visits with other PTs which seemed to help at first but then as soon as I stopped the pain and issues returned. One key factor was that the pain in my shoulders wasn't completely related to my shoulder. Bryan figured out the root issue, treating my whole body. I left without shoulder problems but even better, I am stronger and have mobility and stability I have never had.
Go see him!
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