No private equity. No shortcuts. Just one clinic at a time, done right.
Aaron opens the first clinic alone on August 4th, bringing patients he’d been treating in their homes since June. Busy from day one.
Second clinic opens. DPT begins offering onsite PT at employer worksites, one of the first PT companies to do so.
DPT pioneers direct contracts with large self-insured employers, aligned incentives, better outcomes, lower cost. The model proves itself immediately.
Organic growth across Illinois and Wisconsin. Every clinic built by hand, backfilled with great people, and run by a licensed PT.
DPT begins acquiring legacy, community-rooted clinics, small mom and pop shops with great reputations and no infrastructure. The formula works.
DPT acquires Empower Clinics, adding 55 locations and significantly expanding its Midwest and national footprint.
Still founder-led. Still clinician-run at every level. Still building it the right way.
Every operational role, from CEO to clinic director, is held by a licensed physical therapist. No business people making clinical calls.
Every treatment decision is grounded in current clinical research. We don't chase trends. We do what works, and we can show you the outcomes to prove it.
Trust is earned, not assumed. We're upfront about cost, coverage, and your plan before we start. No surprises. No pressure.
Most PT companies are owned by private equity groups or hospital systems. DPT is owned and operated by the person who built it, a licensed physical therapist who has held every job in this company, from folding towels to the boardroom.
That matters to patients. It matters to the clinicians who work here. And it means every decision made at DPT is made by someone who understands what happens inside the treatment room.
Straightforward answers about who we are, how we started, and how we operate.
Doctors of Physical Therapy was founded by Aaron Kraai, PT, DPT on August 4, 2005. Aaron opened the first clinic in Lyle, Illinois after earning his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California, ranked the #1 PT program in the country at the time, and working for one year at Edward Hospital in Naperville, Illinois.
Doctors of Physical Therapy operates 140+ clinic locations across 10 states, making it one of the largest physical therapy companies in the United States and the largest founder-led PT company in the country. DPT has treated more than 100,000 patients since its founding in 2005.
Two things set DPT apart. First, every operational role, from CEO to clinic director, is held by a licensed physical therapist. No other physical therapy company of DPT’s size can say that. Second, DPT is founder-led: Aaron Kraai, who started the company alone in 2005, still leads it today. Most competitors of similar size are owned by private equity groups or hospital systems.
No. DPT is not a franchise. It is a privately held, founder-led company. DPT grows through a combination of organic clinic development and strategic acquisitions of established, community-rooted physical therapy practices, typically small, single-owner clinics with strong local reputations.
No referral is required in 48 states. Patients can schedule directly with any DPT clinic without a physician referral. This is called Direct Access Physical Therapy. Simply call 800-974-4378 or schedule online to get started. DPT accepts most major insurance plans.
DPT partners with physicians, orthopedic surgeons, and employer groups who demand the highest standard of care for their patients and employees. Let’s talk.
