The people who own Lake Erie Physical Therapy are physical therapists, and they treat patients themselves. Dr. Ryan Mitchell, PT, DPT, and Dr. Will Tso, PT, DPT, Cert. MDT, run this outpatient orthopedic clinic on Virginia Street in Buffalo, a short walk from the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, together with physical therapist assistant Evan Johnston, PTA.
Owner-led, with a small team
Dr. Ryan Mitchell, PT, DPT, co-owner. Ryan earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Daemen College (now Daemen University) in 2014 and has treated patients at this Buffalo clinic since July 2017. His practice is orthopedic. He primarily uses the McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT), combined with manual therapy, exercise and education. Ryan ran cross country at Daemen, and he brings a runner’s perspective to rehab.
Dr. Will Tso, PT, DPT, Cert. MDT, co-owner. Will also earned his DPT from Daemen in 2014. Originally from Toronto, he practiced in Virginia and West Virginia before returning to Buffalo. He is certified in McKenzie Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy and is Level 1 certified in blood flow restriction training.
Evan Johnston, PTA. Evan earned his physical therapist assistant degree from SUNY Niagara in 2023, after a physical education degree from SUNY Brockport and a career as an educator. He coaches wrestling at Frontier High School and football in Grand Island. As a PTA, he provides treatment under the plan of care and supervision of our physical therapists.
You can read more about each of them on our team page.
How Lake Erie Physical Therapy works with you
Five habits shape every plan of care here:
- We listen first. Your history, your goals and what makes your symptoms better or worse guide the exam.
- We examine thoroughly. Your first visit is a one-on-one evaluation with a physical therapist.
- We explain what we find. We use joint models and pictures so you understand what is going on and why each exercise matters.
- You take an active role. Much of the progress happens between visits, through a personalized home exercise program and changes to posture and daily activities.
- We plan for the long run. Prevention is part of the plan, and after discharge our Keep It Going program lets you keep exercising with healthcare professionals on staff.
Why we lean on the McKenzie Method
MDT is an assessment approach for problems in the back, neck and extremities, including the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle. It moves through four steps: assessment, classification, treatment and prevention. The assessment uses repeated movements rather than a single movement, and how your symptoms and range of motion change tells your therapist which movements or positions may help. The aim is to teach you to manage your own symptoms and to help prevent them from coming back.
We pair it with hands-on manual therapy, therapeutic exercise and stabilization, and, when indicated, mechanical traction or pain-relieving modalities. Will is certified in MDT, and Ryan uses it as his primary approach. Learn more about the McKenzie Method at our clinic.
We also offer blood flow restriction training, post-surgical rehabilitation and sports injury rehab. Our focus is outpatient orthopedic care, so if you need something outside that area, such as vestibular or pelvic floor therapy, talk with your physician or call us to ask.
Where to find us
We are at 531 Virginia Street, Suite 1, Buffalo, NY 14202, on Virginia Street between Allentown and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The Allen/Medical Campus Metro Rail station is about a 4-minute walk (0.2 miles) away, and there is street parking nearby. See directions, parking and transit.
Hours: Monday 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM; Tuesday to Thursday 7 AM to 6:30 PM; Friday 7 AM to 4 PM; closed Saturday and Sunday. Phone: (716) 332-4838. Fax: (716) 882-1200.
Want to see whether we are a good fit for your problem? Call (716) 332-4838 or request an appointment. With most plans, you can start without a referral in New York.