Meet Your Therapist...

Elaine Duet-Lee, PT

"It is very rewarding to find motivational tools for each individual to get them to achieve their physical goals."

My Beginnings
As a young person, I was not blessed enough to have a career dream or goal. I actually found physical therapy in a career book at the library and thought it sounded interesting. I do not think I really knew what a physical therapist was or what the job entailed at that time. I enrolled in a physical therapist assistant (PTA) associate's program first and got my PTA license. I quickly realized I was ready for my next challenge, so I continued on to physical therapy school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. I graduated from UTHSCSA with a degree in physical therapy in 1989. Shortly afterward, I went to massage therapy school and received a massage therapy license as well.

Licensed in Physical Therapy: Texas State board of Physical Therapy Examiners.

BS: Bachelor of Science, Physical Therapy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX.

Treatment Theories
Despite my uncertain beginnings, I cannot imagine having done anything else with my life. I truly love being a physical therapist because it stimulates both sides of my brain. I call it the hard-touch/soft-touch approach. Working with orthopedic patients, we deal with very didactic, physics-based and biomechanical principles, which is the hard-touch side. The soft-touch part comes in with my experience as a massage therapist. It has helped me appreciate the importance of addressing the soft tissue as well as the joints. I believe this also means addressing the patient as a whole person and not just a "back" or a "knee." It is very rewarding to find motivational tools for each individual to get them to achieve their physical goals.

Life Mission
I believe teaching people how to take care of themselves and having a healing touch is my ministry. I enjoy my time at work each day while working with all the diverse patients and personalities as well as working to achieve each of their physical and biomechanical goals. When IÕm not working, I love to read, take dance lessons and spend time with my family and friends.