About Elizabeth 

Elizabeth H. Tilstra, PT, DPT is a licensed physical therapist, movement specialist, dance medicine educator, and business owner based out of Nashville, TN.  

Elizabeth graduated from Belmont University with a B.S. in Liberal Studies, continuing on to receive her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Prior to completing her college education, Elizabeth danced professionally with Cincinnati Ballet, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, and Nashville Ballet. During her doctoral program, Elizabeth had the opportunity to provide physical therapy services to the professional dancers of the Boston Ballet. Elizabeth’s dance experience gives her a deep understanding of the unique physical demands dancers face and enables her to effectively treat the musculoskeletal injuries they experience.

Photos by: Renee Micheo

Elizabeth serves as the dance medicine consultant for Centennial Youth Ballet, and provides health-related services to dance schools throughout the greater Nashville area. Elizabeth helped create the Nashville Ballet’s Adaptive Dance: New Perspectives program providing universally-accessible dance classes to children with special needs, and she continues to teach in this program. Through her work with Susan Underwood Physical Therapy, Elizabeth is one of the official physical therapy providers for the Nashville Ballet professional company and school.

Elizabeth’s expertise expands beyond dance medicine as she enjoys treating a wide variety of patient populations, including pediatrics, geriatrics, and every age in between.

Some of Elizabeth’s post-doctorate continuing education courses and certifications include Functional Dry Needling through Evidence in Motion, Kinesio Taping Method, The McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy, and Upledger Institute for Craniosacral Therapy.

Outside of work, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her family and friends, getting outdoors, dancing, and traveling.