Photo Provided Physical therapist David Edwards works with Brennan Stout, a student-athlete at St. Clairsville High School.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — David Edwards has been busy within his profession over the past 10 years, treating patients and growing his credentials.

The 35-year-old physical therapist and physical therapy professor has a list of accomplishments that is only rivaled by the long list of Ohio Valley athletes and active people who have benefited from the treatment they get at Edwards’ Absolute Kinetics, an orthopedic and sports physical therapy practice that Edwards started just weeks after completing his second doctorate degree.

“I don’t do well with breaks. I like to be busy and always challenging myself,” Edwards said.

He had already earned his orthopedic certified specialty from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties in 2012, a certification that less than 8% of PTs can claim.

So, when the world slowed down due to COVID-19 last spring, he set a goal to achieve something that fewer than 1% of physical therapists have accomplished, obtaining a sport specialty certification to go along with his board certification in orthopedics and bringing a new tier of specialization to the area.

Edwards has always felt most at home in his career when he was working in the sports field. “When I think about the parts of my career as a physical therapist where I have found the most joy, it is when I have been working with athletes and helping them get back to the sports that are so important to them,” he said.

Edwards provides sports medicine coverage to both the Martins Ferry and St. Clairsville school districts. He has treated athletes in nearly every sport from high school to the professional level and really enjoys treating active adults. He was also selected to complete a rotation providing therapy to Team USA as members prepare for the upcoming summer Olympics, which have been rescheduled to later this year.

A board certification in sports entails being specialized in acute on-field management of athletic injuries, injury prevention and management of sport-related injuries and requires the highest level of knowledge base and training in the field.

“This certification required years of sideline coverage, patient care and an extremely challenging study prep and exam, but I truly enjoy my work in sports and I feel that the knowledge and experience I bring as a sports specialist will allow me to just get better and better in helping athletes prevent injury and rehab quickly and safely when injury occurs,” he said.

He credits a strong support system and commitment to lifelong learning for his success.

“My wife is a saint for putting up with all the late night patient visits and study sessions, and we are so lucky to have both of our families nearby who are always willing to help us make it all work,” Edwards added.

David and his wife, Chelsea, are both natives of Martins Ferry and live in St. Clairsville with their three children.

Edwards received his doctorate of physical therapy from Wheeling Jesuit University in 2009 and his educational doctorate from St. Augustine University in Florida in 2018. In addition to his orthopedic and sports specialties, Edwards is also a certified personal trainer through the National Association of Sports Medicine and has been published several times in the topics of orthopedic and sports rehab.

Edwards’ Absolute Kinetics is located at 145 E. Main St. in downtown St. Clairsville.