Melissa Kolski, PT, DPT

About Me

Melissa Kolski, PT, DPT, is an Associate Professor at Northwestern University in the Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine. Melissa earned her clinical doctorate from AT Still University of Health Sciences, Master’s in Science in Physical Therapy, Certificate in Health Care Administration from Widener University, and BA from the University of Notre Dame. With over 24 years of clinical experience, Melissa practices at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and holds the position of Associate Director of Education. For the past 7 years, she has worked closely with the United States Men’s Paralympic CP 7 v 7 National Soccer team. Additionally, Melissa serves as a National Eligibility Assessor for the sport of golf assisting in classification in the last 3 USGA Adaptive Opens. Melissa is a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and obtained her Diplomate in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy from the McKenzie Institute in 2011. She is an active member of APTA, Orthopedic and Education sections, and serves as a member of the Specialization Academy of Content Experts for Orthopedic Clinical Specialists in the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. She also contributes as an abstract reviewer for the orthopedic section. Melissa is a Mentor, Board Member, and Co-Director of the NU-SRALAB Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency Program. She is involved in teaching at Northwestern University's PTHMS program. Melissa has co-authored the text “A World of Hurt: A Guide to Classifying Pain” and is currently engaged in researching aspects of musculoskeletal pain classification in clinical practice. Her recent contributions include participation in two published systematic reviews in the journal Pain. Melissa has been recognized for her excellence in clinical teaching, receiving awards such as the APTA Signe Brunnstrom Award, the IPTA Award for excellence in clinical teaching, and the IPTE Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award. With an interest in spine care and the treatment of patients with musculoskeletal pain, Melissa continues to practice clinically while contributing to the field through research and educational endeavors.

Textbook Available : Kolski, M, O’Connor, A. A World of Hurt: A Guide to Classifying pain. Birmingham, AL: Thomas Land Publishers, Inc; 2015: 1-310. ISBN: 978-0-615-50763-7