Kaite Van Laanen, PT, DPT
Kaite graduated from Chicago's Northwestern University Medical School in 2000 with a master's degree in physical therapy and then went on to complete her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree through the University of St. Augustine in Florida in 2003. After several years of living in Chicago, she decided to return to her hometown of Mequon, as she knew it would be a perfect place to raise her family and begin her career. After a few years of working in other practice settings, Kaite had a clear vision of what she wanted her patient’s physical therapy experience to be and this drove her to open Health In Balance Physical Therapy in Mequon in 2004. She has since been able to provide the highest quality physical therapy experience for every client with the model she has designed: treatment of the whole person, one patient at a time.
Kaite has experience treating orthopedic patients with specialties in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain; sports-related shoulder, hip and knee injuries; and running injuries including foot and ankle pain. She uses a manual approach as well as functional strengthening, and believes treating the whole body, not just the injury, is what allows patients to achieve a full recovery and return to the active lifestyle they deserve.
Kaite and her husband Chad live in Mequon with their four children, Olivia, Will, Julia and Jameson.
Questions and Answers with Kaite:
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What have been the highlights along your professional journey thus far?
I cannot believe it has been 15 years since I graduated from PT school! There have been many highlights along the way, but the most important one would definitely be the year I opened my own practice and realized my dream of being able to treat my patients exactly the way I felt they deserved to be treated. While every year poses new challenges, I am so grateful every day to be able to work in an independently owned PT clinic that allows me and my staff to provide the very best physical therapy care possible. I am so fulfilled by my work and being the guide to a patient’s recovery from pain and injury is an incredibly rewarding and humbling profession. Really, every patient’s life I touch is a highlight on my journey.
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What can a patient expect from a physical therapy session with you?
A patient can expect that they will have plenty of time to talk and I will listen. They can expect a thorough top to bottom evaluation of their body and all of the systems involved so that I am sure to get to the root cause of their pain or dysfunction. Their time spent with me in the clinic will involve primarily manual work and then careful, thorough instruction in exercises and activities to build on the manual work I have performed outside of the clinic. I will be in contact with their primary care physician and/or specialty physician with any concerns or recommendations I have throughout their PT care. I will be available to them for concerns or questions and if I do not have the answer, I will do my best to find it. My patients can expect to develop a long lasting relationship with me and come to see me as “their” physical therapist. My patients do not need to fear PT. They will see improvements in their pain, mobility, strength and function and will enjoy their experience as they do.
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What do you do to stay healthy and well?
The most therapeutic part, both physical and mental, of my day is my workouts…often my best thinking is done while I exercise (no music or tv during my workouts!) After the end of my college basketball career I took up distance running but found after a few short years that it was taking a toll on my hips and knees, so I decided to try triathalons and I fell in love. The cross training of swimming, biking and running is a perfect balance for my body and I add in strength training and yoga throughout the week as well. Racing gives me a goal to work towards, keeps me committed to my programs, and gives me the adrenaline rush and competition I need to keep me motivated to get up every morning at 5AM to exercise!
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What are your favorite hobbies/things to do?
My most favorite hobbies and activities outside of work are times spent with my family. We spend much of our time attending sporting events, as everyone in my house is involved in sports year round. Chad and I love being at every game if possible. When we finally get to take a break, we love to travel and I have four very adventurous children that enjoy experiencing new places every year. We are very blessed to have such a beautiful family.