Dr. Mary Pezzella, DPT

Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Dr. Pezzella graduated with her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Northern Arizona University in 2023. Her clinical background spans outpatient orthopedics, sports and concussion rehabilitation, neurorehabilitation, acute care, and pediatrics, giving her a well-rounded understanding of how various pathologies impact recovery. Mary combines evidence-based exercise prescription and manual therapy techniques — including joint mobilization, soft tissue mobilization, dry needling, return-to-sport testing, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation — with individualized home exercise programming to help patients recover faster, move better, and perform at their highest level. She is currently pursuing both her Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certifications.

As an avid climber, skier, and mountain biker, Mary is passionate about treating mountain athletes of all ages — whether recovering from surgery, a traumatic event, or the overuse injuries that come with a life spent adventuring in the mountains. Her work with this population includes post-operative rehabilitation following ACL reconstruction, meniscus repair, rotator cuff repair, and joint replacements, as well as common overuse and traumatic injuries such as tendinopathies, shoulder impingement, low back pain, fractures, and joint sprains or dislocations. Mary is committed to taking the time to understand each patient’s goals, sport, and lifestyle rather than applying a one-size-fits-all protocol and she brings a creative, patient-centered approach that keeps treatment engaging.

Mary brings a unique background in music to her clinical practice, holding a degree in Music Therapy and having performed cello at the collegiate level. This gives her firsthand insight into the physical and repetitive demands placed on musicians and performing artists. She has a particular interest in treating injuries and pain involving the upper extremities and spine — postural pain, repetitive stress, and overuse — and enjoys helping musicians address the physical demands of performance through rehabilitation, injury prevention, movement and postural strategies, and return-to-performance planning. Her goal is to help musicians not only recover, but return to performing with confidence and build a healthy, sustainable relationship with their instrument.

Additionally, Mary has a strong interest in women’s health, advocacy, and empowering women to reach their full potential. She believes many women (herself included) carry quiet doubts about their own strength and capabilities, and she sees it as her job to help patients challenge those limits — whether returning to sport, recovering from surgery, or simply learning to trust their body again. This drives her particular interest in strength training for bone health and osteoporosis prevention, pelvic health, and supporting female athletes through injury and surgery. Mary pushes her patients to explore their edges and find their “hard” that builds real strength: the confidence to find out exactly what you’re capable of.

Playing in the mountains is where Mary feels most at home, so when she’s not in the clinic you’ll likely find her outside with her husband and friends splitting her time between climbing, scrambling the Flatirons, mountain biking, skiing, running, or serenading her dog Nalah on the guitar at the park.