Working with Leah has changed my life! She took her time to understand not just my pain, but my daily routines, habits, and history. She worked with me to adjust everything from how I workout, to how I sit, and stand. Leah treats you as a true individual, not a case number, or a list of symptoms with prescriptive fixes. The office and gym are clean, welcoming, and always have a good vibe. If you want to make long term progress and learn about how to maintain it, I can’t suggest Leah enough.
My experience at Charlotte Athlete has been amazing. Dr. Michelle is hands down the best PT I've worked with - and I've worked with quite a few over the years! Michelle and team (B-dawg, Ireland and Jonathan) have gotten me out of pain and stronger than ever so I can get back to doing the activities I love without limitations. Thank you!
Katie - you are a funny lady! lol Thank you for this review. It's been awesome working with you.. looking forward to keeping your progress going. Keep it up!
Will Mercer2026.03.26
I injured my back as a freshman in high school lifting with improper form. I never had much trouble with it until about 2 years ago, right as I was entering the workforce post-grad and was starting to live a much more sedentary lifestyle. My back would give me the most trouble on long distance runs, playing golf, and even sitting in the car on road trips. I decided enough was enough!
I tried doing PT through my insurance provider first, but had no luck. No disrespect to the PTs there, but they were more focused on ensuring their patients could go about their regular day without feeling pain, which wasn't really my concern.
That's when I found the Charlotte Athlete. I was initially consulted by Dr. Leah, and felt from the get go that she would be able to provide me with the treatment that I needed. I put my faith in her and decided to commit to a 10 lesson plan. After undergoing 4 months of biweekly PT sessions, my back feels much better and I'm finally able to enjoy the things I wasn't able to before! Dr. Leah was beyond helpful, and always took the time to explain things to me throughout the process. She also made the sessions enjoyable and has an authentic and warm personality.
I'd highly recommend the Charlotte Athlete and Dr. Leah in particular to anyone dealing with sports related injuries that are keeping them from living the lives they want to live.
Wow Will - we super appreciate you being so transparent with your overall experience with pt. We know this will help so many athletes just like you. Thank you again. Keep up the good work!!
jake weil2026.03.19
Staff in very knowledgeable and explains what’s wrong / how they are going to fix it where you can understand. Dry needling and cupping is included. Found everyone is friendly
Dry needling is for the serious! ;) haha Thanks Jake, we appreciate you taking the time to write this review.
Michael2026.03.12
After dealing with a nagging shoulder issue that was holding me back for years, I came to The Charlotte Athlete for support.
The team here is fantastic! I've been working with Dr. Marissa since January, and she immediately demonstrated her knowledge and understanding by diagnosing the root causes of my issue and formulating an efficient, personalized recovery plan to get me back to where I need to be and help me realize my potential.
If you're looking around for physical therapy, I cannot recommend her and The Charlotte Athlete enough!
Dr. Marissa and the team at The Charlotte Athlete are fantastic. Their tailored programming is outstanding. Dr. Marissa did a great job identifying the root cause of my injuries and building a personalized strength program that supports my athletic and fitness goals. I highly recommend them to anyone looking to improve performance and stay healthy!
I started working with Dr. Michelle Case at The Charlotte Athlete last March for a herniated disc. Dr. Michelle helped alleviate the pain and started me on the path to recovery. Through dedicated work with her, I avoided surgery and I’ve overcome my injury. A year later, I’m stronger than I was pre-injury and I’m more confident about my form, my workouts and my day to day movements. I am so grateful for her knowledge and care. I look forward to celebrating my progress with her on every visit. If you are considering PT, definitely book an appointment with Dr. Michelle.
The Charlotte Athlete has been great. I initially got in back in October and have been a repeat customer ever since (: sports for years and being a newish runner keeps me nice and beat up, but Dr. Robb and the team here keep me moving and make sure I don’t miss a beat. I highly recommend them for any PT/Sports needs.
Nick, you rock! Thanks for being a good sport at PT. Keep up the good work. Thank you for taking the time to write us this review.
Hastings Sanford2026.02.03
I’ve had a great experience at The Charlotte Athlete. In all my years of working out, I had never experienced an injury that took me out for more than a week or two. Dr. Michelle has been treating my shoulder for the past couple of months, and I’ve progressively gotten better! As someone who works out 5–6 days a week, this injury really took a toll on my daily routine and mental health.
Dr. Michelle was also very conversational, and I couldn’t believe how quickly the sessions flew by. One of the best parts of the treatment was learning that my form for some workouts needed to be corrected—it truly felt like “learning how to walk again.” I would highly recommend this location!
Hey man - appreciate this review!! We know how tough it is to not be able to workout, glad we could get you back up and rocking.
Mark Hill2026.01.28
I started going to The Charlotte Athlete in November 2025 for physical therapy to help with chronic lower back pain and it is one of the best decisions I have made! I have been dealing with lower back pain for over 10 years and finally decided I couldn’t do this by myself and needed professional help with this issue. Working with Dr. Marissa has been an amazing and life-changing experience. Dr. Marissa and I worked together to develop a plan tailored specifically for me, and it is the first thing that has actually worked! Each visit we work on something new (and challenging 😅) and I learn valuable information that is helping me to progress and strengthen my body. At The Charlotte Athlete I feel heard and a part of the physical therapy process…but most of all, I am back to feeling like an ATHLETE! Thank you so much!
Glad it was challenging!! haha Great to work with you Mark.
David M Celekli2026.01.22
I injured my back and was not able to properly walk for months. Previous PT created a generic program and recovery was slow.
Then a colleague recommended The Charlotte Athlete. Dr. Marissa and team were amazing. After a few sessions and a personalized program I'm recovering fast and even started working out again!
Strongly recommend!
Hey David - thanks for taking the time to write this review. We really appreciate it.. Glad your back is feeling better and you're working out.
KnightResplendent2026.01.21
This place saved my quality of life. It has been over a year since I worked with Dr. Z for a knee injury which kept me out of fencing and martial arts and his exercises and manual techniques such as dry needling got me out of pain. Continuing his exercises I have returned to my sports and am now completely pain free in all range of motion on my knee. My doctor doubted I could ever be pain free again and diagnosed me with chondromalacia, a degenerative condition. But not only am I not degenerating, I am even better than I was before.
Thankful for The Charlotte Athlete and Dr. Z.
Thank you so much for the review! You’ve done an incredible job and I look forward to reaching new heights! - TCA Team
Colby Grant2026.01.01
After dealing with multiple compounded injuries for over six years, I finally went to The Charlotte Athlete in June, and I’m so glad I did. Dr. Kiley Robb identified my most pressing issue as nerve-related and within just a few weeks of targeted exercises, the inside leg pain I’d had for over a year was gone.
Dr. Kiley is incredibly knowledgeable, thorough, and genuinely invested in her patients. She understands my goals, listens to my concerns, and takes the time to get to know me as a person throughout every visit. The model of physical therapy at The Charlotte Athlete allows her to seamlessly address multiple injuries in a single session, and the personalized, high-quality care she and the team provide makes me feel fully supported throughout the recovery process.
As a lifelong athlete who hasn’t been able to do the sports I love for years, this care has had a massive impact on my physical and mental health. I can’t recommend Dr. Kiley Robb and The Charlotte Athlete enough to anyone in pain or looking to take their performance to the next level.
Colby with a C! Thank you so much! Have had a blast working with you and can’t wait to see you run that under 60 sec 400m.
ashley gravely2025.12.30
I’ve been going to see Dr. Marissa for IT band issues since October and I am more than pleased with the outcome. I’ve never done PT before and Marissa was very knowledgeable about my diagnosis and extremely helpful with showing me the movements to help build my glute strength back up. My issues have subsided and I now have the confidence to continue my regular workout routine. I enjoy how they thoroughly teach you the tools to help the issue if it happens again in the future. I highly recommend Charlotte Athlete and Dr. Marissa!!
Thanks so much for the review Ashley! We love seeing you get after it in the gym, keep up all the hard work💪
Mercy Whipple2025.12.28
I’ve been seeing Dr. Kiley since September and she truly is the best!! She addressed my pain, running form, and made a strength plan that I feel comfortable with and can put into action! Not only that, but I’d say we’ve become friends too :) couldn’t recommend her and the Charlotte Athlete enough!
Mercy! My girl! Have had a blast working with you, and can’t wait to see all the races you crush in this year!
Trey Mask2025.12.26
I came to the Charlotte Athlete because their mission matched what I was looking for. I wanted individualized care from professionals who were used to working with athletes. When I started in October I had been experiencing lower back stiffness. I have always exercised pretty regularly, including power lifting and wanted an assessment to help my pain and confirm things like technique. Dr. Kiley spotted a few inefficiencies in my form and we worked out a plan to get my core stronger. I feel significantly more stable and my pain has largely receded. I have learned a ton about where I can get better and I’m looking forward to phase 2 where we continue working new areas to give me well rounded strength and fitness. I would highly recommend, even if you aren’t aching. You will get expert advice and probably come away a better athlete and more prepared to maintain your health.
Highly recommend for runners
I’m a runner who’d been dealing with a series of problems for the last two years, and had been in and out of other PTs without ever feeling fully healed or satisfied. Been working with Dr Andrew Zabala for 6 months and now I’m feeling stronger than ever. The staff at TCA is lovely and the process is thorough- i appreciate the focus on the root cause of pain and holistic approach to movement. It’s also nice to get the full hour with Dr Z (vs being handed off to someone else to work me out). This has been a game changer for me. Highly recommend for any athlete focused on longevity!
Date of experience: 16 December, 2025
Thanks so much, Mike! Can't wait to see Bella crush it this upcoming softball season!
Sam Herr2025.12.10
I had been dealing with pain in my right foot for 3 months (been training for a fall marathon and took the approach of running through the pain). It had progressed to the point where walking was extremely painful too and I decided to seek PT help. Multiple runners in Charlotte recommended the Charlotte Athlete. I’ve been working with Dr Andrew Zabala now for 2 months and am back running with no pain. It’s been a great process focused on addressing the root issues impacting my foot and working now to come back stronger and faster. Would recommend the Charlotte Athlete and Dr Andrew Zabala to anyone who needs to PT - absolutely fantastic group!!
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