Salisbury Maryland Physical Therapy, Dance Medicine
Aquacare Salisbury – Milford Street is the region’s only provider of Dance Medicine. We work directly with your dance studios and instructors to create a personalized program targeting each dancer to improve skills, mobility, and reduce injuries.
Aquacare Physical Therapy in Salisbury features two warm-water pools for pain relief – perfect for patients recovering from orthopedic injuries or surgeries, patients with fibromyalgia, and others experiencing pain.
Our Salisbury – Milford Street location opened its doors as the first Aquacare in 1998. There are many people in our community who remember the caring touch of qualified and professional physical therapists at Aquacare who through the years have helped them recover from injuries. This site offers a variety of unique physical therapy services both in the gym and in the pool!
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Maryland’s Best Dance Medicine Team
Aquacare’s Dance Medicine Program offers a unique experience for athletes and performing artists providing individualized physical therapy tailored to all dance backgrounds. Certified dance medicine specialists provide one-on-one care to properly diagnose and return dancers safely to their activities. The dance medicine team at Aquacare Physical Therapy is dedicated to providing expertise in dance and performing arts, many of our dance specialists being former or current dancers themselves. Aquacare Dance Medicine is dedicated to the health and wellness of dancers and athletes of all levels.
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy for All Genders
Pelvic floor physical therapy is a specialty form of therapy for all genders. This therapy addressed dysfunction/pain throughout the pelvic/abdomen and the surrounding area: muscles, joints, nerves, organs, connective tissue, etc. Pelvic floor physical therapy focuses on the strengthening/relaxation and increasing the support of the pelvic floor musculature, which enhances the function of the pelvic floor organs such as the bladder, uterus, prostate, and rectum. Our pelvic floor therapists can assist all individuals, regardless of agenda in eliminating such issues as urinary/fecal incontinence, pelvic pain, urinary frequency/urgency, and pelvic organ prolapse in women.
Balance and Vestibular Therapies
Dizziness and vertigo can be debilitating and cause your world to “spin” and be out of control. Dizziness (including vertigo) affects about 15% to over 20% of adults. 35% of US adults age 40 years and older had evidence of balance dysfunction. BPPV (Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) is the most common vestibular disorder. BPPV accounts for up to one-third of vertigo presentations, can occur at any age. Our certified balance/vestibular therapists are trained to evaluate and develop treatment plans to quickly help you to recover from dizziness or long term balance issues.
Lymphedema Services in Salisbury
Our Lymphedema Certified Therapists Are Here for You!
Your lymphedema therapist at Aquacare/Fitness Forum will tailor a program to meet your needs and goals. You will be treated using Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT). CDT is the approach recommended by the International Society of Lymphology (ISL) gold standard for treating lymphedema and includes manual lymphatic drainage, compression bandaging, therapeutic lymphedema exercises, compression garments, and self-care activities.
What Is Lymphedema?
Lymphedema is the buildup of fluid in the body that causes swelling and usually happens in the arms or legs. It can happen after surgery, during cancer treatment, or after an injury. Obesity or circulation problems can also cause lymphedema.
What Symptoms Might I Have With Lymphedema?
- A feeling of tight, hard, or heavy skin.
- Frequent infections
- Numbness
- Pain
- Reduced strength, mobility, or range of motion.
- Swelling of the limbs, abdomen, head or neck.
Katie Oakley, PTA graduated from Wor-Wic Community College with an Associate of Applied Science – Physical Therapist Assistant degree. In addition to this, Katie also has a Bachelor of Science – Exercise Science degree from Salisbury University. Katie has worked for Aquacare Physical Therapy in various positions, for the last six years while completing her degrees. More recently, Katie has gone on to receive her Dance Medicine Certification. Katie has danced competitively for 16 years where she trained at the Broadway Dance Center in New York City, performed at Disney, and the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Katie then transitioned into teaching and choreography. She has choreographed for James M. Bennett’s Rock n’ Roll Revival, Community Players, and the Theatre Department at Salisbury University. Katie believes the need for Dance Medicine Physical Therapy is imperative in our area with multiple dance studios, pre-professional ballet studios, theatre companies and universities. 
Katie Weber, PT, DPT, CMTPT, COMT, earned a bachelor’s degree in biology in 2009 from Mount St. Mary’s University and doctorate of physical therapy in 2012 from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. Since finishing school, she continues to strive to better serve her patients by obtaining certification in manual trigger point therapy that incorporates therapeutic dry needling and a certification in orthopedics manual therapy. She enjoys working with a diverse patient population ranging from sports injuries, geriatrics, joint replacements, and workers' compensation patients. She is an avid runner, triathlete, and former college swimmer with special interest in the marathon and full triathlon distances. She strives to provide the highest quality of care to get all patients back to living their normal lives and back to participation in sports or recreational activities.
Training: Graduated with a BS in biology from Mount Saint Mary’s University in 2009 and with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2012 from University of Maryland at Baltimore.
Specialties :
Susan Conklin, MPT, CLT, joins Aquacare with 17 years of experience. She is a graduate of Richard Stockton College (now Stockton University) where she earned a bachelor's degree in 2004, followed by a master's degree in 2006. She then became a Certified Lymphedema Therapist in 2011, specializing in treating this often-undiagnosed condition. Her background is in acute care, working with patients who have had strokes and illnesses, joint replacements, and fracture repairs. Her mantra is, "All gains, no matter how small they seem, are good gains" on the road to recovery. She is passionate about continuing to learn new skills in order to help her patients regain their independence and function so they can live their best lives. 
Shannon Arnie, PT, DPT, has more than 13 years of experience with physical therapy for a variety of orthopedic conditions and dance medicine. She is certified in 
Mel Blankensop, PTA, has more than 20 years of experience. She prides herself on providing patients with a positive and educational environment to assist them in healing and being able to self-manage symptoms. She provides aquatic physical therapy, hands-on manual therapy, pediatrics, lymphedema, vestibular rehabilitation, pediatrics, general orthopedic rehabilitation and geriatrics.
She graduated magna cum laude from Delaware Technical Community College with an Associate Degree in Applied Health and obtained by MD and DE PTA license in 2014. She has taken several Great Lakes courses, including Myofascial Release, Functional Strength, Treatment of Common Extremities, The Foot and Ankles, The Lumbar Complex, Cervical, Thoracic and Rib Mobilizations, The Basics of SI Mobilization and Functional Anatomy. She also has taken several aquatic courses through The Aquatic Therapy Institute AND Aquatic University. She is a trained lymphedema therapist and has experience rehabbing and preventing injuries in the young athlete, and balance and vestibular training. She is also a credentialed clinical instructor. 
Megan Moss, PTA, CLT, spent the first nine years of her career as a massage therapist. After seeing the way that manual therapy benefitted her massage clients, Megan felt inspired to pursue something greater and decided to return to school to obtain her associates of Applied Science from Carroll Community College. She loves being able to see her patients progress and return to function through the direct interventions provided in physical therapy. She has worked in both acute care and outpatient settings, and in 2021 became a certified 
Melinda O’Bier, PTA, earned her associate's degree in Applied Science - Physical Therapist Assistant from Delaware Technical Community College. Melinda has worked for Aquacare Physical Therapy for less than one year but has been a PTA for nine years in various settings, including Outpatient, Acute Rehab at Beebe Healthcare, various Nursing Homes in the area and at the Assisted Living level. Melinda specializes in working with the geriatric population and more recently has gone on to receive her Falls Prevention Specialist Certification and has developed a Falls Prevention and Treatment Program. Melinda believes the need for Fall Prevention Physical Therapy is imperative in our community and wants to bring her vast knowledge on the topic to you or your loved ones nearby! 
Total Years’ Experience: 5
Philosophy of Care and Areas of Interest: To increase the function and well-being of our patients in a caring manner. Areas of interest include aquatics, vestibular rehabilitation, balance training and orthopedic treatment.
Training: Delaware Technical Community College, Physical Therapist Assistant Program (2011). Completed continuing education courses include cervical, thoracic, lumbar and extremity mobilization as well as myofascial release and functional strengthening. Member of Wor-Wic Community College PTA program advisory committee and serves as clinical instructor to PTA students.
Vision: To further pursue continuing education opportunities and training in new treatment techniques for improved patient quality of care. 
