Meet the Team
Our Story
Dr. Rachel DeRocher and Dr. Rachel Nielsen met at a prosthetic conference, and instantly identified a gap in accessible, outdoor therapy for individuals with limb loss and neurologic injury. Then their vision expanded to reach all individuals with outdoor recreational goals.
Combining expertise in prosthetic/orthotic care, neurologic rehabilitation, and outdoor therapeutic practice, we created R&R Physical Therapy to provide care that helps people reclaim movement, confidence, and connection to the activities they love.
Founder
Rachel DeRocher, PT, DPT
Rachel holds active physical therapy licenses in Minnesota and Wisconsin. She earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (CO) following her education in Prosthetic and Orthotic Fitting and Fabrication from Century College (MN). Her professional goal is to integrate both disciplines to enhance patient outcomes through interdisciplinary, collaborative decision-making.
She is actively pursuing her Doctor of Educational Leadership through the College of St. Scholastica (est. 2029). Her professional interests include improving continuity of care across the rehabilitation continuum and advancing team-based approaches to optimize outcomes for individuals with limb loss.
Outside of being a physical therapist and teacher, Rachel enjoys being a trapshooting coach for Duluth East High School and enjoying God’s great outdoors with her husband and golden retriever.
Rachel Nielsen, PT, DPT
Rachel graduated in 2016 with her Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. She then completed a residency program focused on neurologic rehabilitation at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Aside from her passion for working with those impacted by neurologic impairments, she loves to cook, hike with her dog, and forage for mushrooms.