Meet your Physical Therapist
Fellowship-Trained Manual Therapist (FAAOMPT) and Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS)
My career began with massage therapy in 2006. Wanting to learn more, I went back to school and graduated with my Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from the University of Vermont in 2017. Since then, I have pursued extensive post-doctoral education in order to provide the best care possible to my patients, including people with complex cases and chronic pain. When I'm not working, you'll find me outdoors in the beautiful San Juan Mountains with my husband and dog, taking care of my own body, singing, or enjoying quiet time at home.
Many of my patients report that they have not felt heard or understood by the medical system. That stops here. I want to hear your story and understand your experience the best I can, as well as any history that may be contributing to the current problem, either directly or indirectly. After our first interview, I'll have a good idea of what's going on and whether I can help. If you're not ready to schedule a full exam, let's start with a phone or video call to see if we're a good fit.
At our first appointment, I'll take you through a thorough physical examination. The goal is not only to understand what the problem is, but also to identify all of the contributing factors that may have led it to develop. I'll take a whole-body approach, assessing posture, movement, bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and fascia. Though test results and imaging reports are helpful, the clinical exam is of utmost importance in physical therapy as we consider the whole living, moving system!
Nearly all of my patients present with pain and some deficit in mobility. Whether it is a stiff joint, tight muscle, adhesions in the fascia, or a combination of all of these, there are a LOT of tools in my toolbox to address these! With your consent, I may use joint mobilizations or manipulations, massage, trigger point therapy, dry needling, myofascial release, fascial manipulation, neural mobilization, cupping, or instrument-assisted techniques (i.e. Graston, gua sha, "muscle scraping") to improve tissue mobility and give you some much-needed relief.
After we address things at the tissue level, we need to teach your body how to hold onto the work and regain optimal function. That means you'll be getting some homework! First, I'll teach you how to move properly through your new range of motion and access muscles that may not have been working for you for a while. This critical step in neuromuscular retraining is one that often gets missed, causing the body to revert to old patterns and pain when you need it most. Once your muscle recruitment and movement patterns are solid, then we'll move on to strengthening within those patterns until your body is ready for your best life!
All physical therapy sessions are held in this bright, beautiful space, located in the Three Springs neighborhood of Durango, Colorado. Each appointment is an hour long and entirely one-on-one with me. No double booking happens here! Hands-on treatment is performed in a private area for your comfort and safety.
"Dr. Richards... quickly identified the issue and gave me the tools needed to bring relief. She then went further, educating me that this was just a symptom of a larger issue I had been battling for years. Many of the things I wrote off as symptoms of aging have been remedied and I feel amazing! You owe it to yourself to let her work her magic!"
"Christine’s vast knowledge of the anatomy, targeted exercise plans, application techniques, professional guidance, and commitment to improving each patient’s condition is by far superior to most physical therapists I have worked with in the past. Her caring nature along with attention to proper execution is so important to achieving successful outcomes."
"From the start, I felt genuine support and investment from her in my recovery... Her focus on my care and treatment exceeded my expectations. My foot immediately started to improve and feel better with her work. She explained what was happening, why, and how we were going to address it."
"I thought my golfing days were coming to an end due to lower back issues... After two sessions with Christine I am back on the golf course!"
You’ve got questions. I’ve got answers.
As an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, I treat any orthopedic condition (i.e. muscles, bones, joints, nerves, ligaments, tendons). Conditions I treat include, but are not limited to, the following:
Ongoing pain from old injuries
Chronic pain
Low back pain
Neck pain and headaches
Sciatica
Spinal stenosis
Arthritis
Spondylolisthesis
Ligament injuries (e.g. ACL, MCL, sprained ankles, etc.)
Tendinopathy or tendonitis (e.g. Achilles, "tennis elbow", "jumper's knee", etc.)
Nerve entrapment or impingement
Radiculopathy
Shoulder impingement
Bursitis
TMJ dysfunction
Postural dysfunction
Scoliosis
Balance problems
Vertigo
Body parts I treat include:
Spine, including cervical (neck), thoracic (mid back), lumbar (low back), sacrum and coccyx (tailbone)
Head and jaw
Shoulders
Elbows
Wrists
Hands
Pelvis
Hips
Knees
Ankles
Feet
My specialty isn't one body part or another, but rather how the whole system works together. Physical therapists are movement specialists, and in order to move well, we need to make sure each area of the body is doing its part. Once one area becomes dysfunctional, compensations follow that often affect other parts of the chain. I enjoy the puzzle of figuring out the different components and "unwinding" the body's compensatory patterns piece by piece, to optimize the whole.
Body parts I treat include:
Spine, including cervical (neck), thoracic (mid back), lumbar (low back), sacrum and coccyx (tailbone)
Head and jaw
Shoulders
Elbows
Wrists
Hands
Pelvis
Hips
Knees
Ankles
Feet
The equipment in the PT office includes but is not limited to:
Pilates reformer and tower
Squat rack
Stationary bikes (upright and recumbent)
Exercise mat (suitable for yoga as well)
Weight bench
Barbells
Dumbbells
Kettlebells
Exercise bands
Pull-up bar
Physioballs
Bosu ball
Balance discs
Plyo boxes (suitable for stair training & box jumps)
Yes! I've worked with many recreational athletes and even professionals in my career. My strong suit with this population is identifying the root of the problem. I can't tell you how many times an athlete will say they "just need to strengthen" something, when the real problem is not strength but neuromuscular patterns. I'll help you zero in on the dysfunction and build a new foundation for performance that may even leave you in a better place than you were before you were injured. That said, I freely admit that I am not an athletic trainer (or even a great athlete myself) and may not be the the best person to take you through the end stages of high-performance rehab. Once your body is back to working the way it was meant to, I'll refer you to someone who can help you level up from there.
Yes. While I am not a pediatric specialist and most of my patients are adults, I do work with children and feel confident treating orthopedic conditions in this population.
While I have not undergone training as a Certified Hand Therapist, I have completed advanced training in the wrist and hand as part of my orthopedic manual therapy fellowship. My areas of expertise are improving joint and soft tissue mobility (including scar tissue) in the wrist and hand to restore movement, addressing any contributing factors in the rest of the upper extremity and spine, and helping you strengthen your hand to maximize function. I am not trained or equipped to fashion splints or custom braces that you may require after surgery.
While I do not have advanced training in the pelvic floor or women's health, I do treat some pelvic floor conditions and regularly incorporate this area into treatment of the pelvis and lumbar spine. I have worked with many people with pelvic pain, incontinence, entrapment of nerves in the pelvis, scar tissue from abdominal or pelvic surgery, and more. All of my work is external; I am not trained to do internal exams or treatment. If you're not sure whether I'm the right person for your condition, schedule a free consultation and tell me about what you're experiencing. After we chat, I can let you know if I can help or direct you to someone who can.
San Juan Therapeutics is a cash-based physical therapy practice and does not bill insurance directly. However, we do our best to make high-quality care accessible. You can request a superbill to submit to your insurance for reimbursement, use your HSA, or take advantage of our sliding scale if you have financial hardship.
Insurance premiums and copays are rising, and reimbursement (what the insurance company pays your providers) is stagnant or falling. Because of this, most traditional PT clinics focus on increasing volume, resulting in shorter appointments and less provider consistency. At San Juan Therapeutics, you may pay more per visit, but you will receive a full hour of uninterrupted, one-on-one attention from an expert in the field who is well-equipped to handle even the toughest cases. Because of this, we get a LOT done in at each visit, progress is faster, and total out-of-pocket costs are often comparable or less in the long run.
The decision to go out of network with insurance companies was a difficult one. In an effort to make physical therapy services more accessible, I offer a sliding scale for people with financial hardship. The full price of a one-hour session with me is $200, but there are options to pay less (or more) depending on your situation. This offering is presented on the basis of mutual respect; I will never ask to see your financials, but rather trust that you will choose the appropriate level of payment to honor your own needs, as well as honoring the value of the service provided.
To date, San Juan Therapeutics has provided discounted care for 177 visits for people in need (145 visits in 2026).
Supporters have contributed enough to cover 76 of those visits (60 visits in 2026), while the rest has been donated by San Juan Therapeutics.