Dr. Lee Welch, PT, DPT, OCS

Lee Welch is a co-owner of The Running PTs, BYoung Physical Therapy, and 8ctane Baseball. He leads the operations, growth, and clinical development of the organizations, with a focus on building high performing teams and delivering a consistently high level of care across all locations.

Lee began his career with specializing in the evaluation and treatment of runners and lower extremity injuries. His philosophy is built on a simple principle: identify what hurts and why. The “what” is the injured structure and must be treated appropriately. The “why” is the underlying root cause, whether related to training load, movement patterns, anatomy, footwear, or strength. While evidence-based treatment and manual therapy are used to improve symptoms, long term success depends on identifying and addressing the underlying cause.

While his work began with runners, he has applied the same approach more broadly to lower extremity injuries across active individuals. Running places repetitive and high demands on the body, making it one of the most effective ways to identify and correct movement limitations. This foundation has shaped care delivery across the organizations for a wide range of lower extremity conditions.

As the organizations have grown, Lee has transitioned out of a full time clinical role. He now focuses on leading the business and developing the people within it. His work spans hiring, operations, and organizational development, with an emphasis on creating accountability, structure, and performance across teams to drive strong patient outcomes and a consistently high level of patient experience.

A key part of his role is clinical education. Lee works directly with each clinic team on a consistent basis, helping to refine treatment strategies, develop clinical reasoning, and ensure consistency in how patients are evaluated and treated across all locations.

He no longer maintains a regular caseload but remains involved clinically through oversight, consultation, and patient care when appropriate.

• Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy
• Certified in Functional Dry Needling
• Running Injuries
• Running Biomechanics Specialist
• 2D & 3D Gait Analysis
• Manual Therapy
• Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization
• Sports Medicine
• Back pain and SI Joint Dysfunction
• Injury Prevention
• Comprehensive Lower Extremity Evaluation and Treatment

• Student Academic Award
• Outstanding Research Award
• Quality Assurance Award
• George Hamilton Scholarship for Academic Achievement

• Research on the effect of six-week static and dynamic hamstring stretching programs on hamstring flexibility and lower extremity biomechanics.
• Male and female runners demonstrate different sagittal plane mechanics as a function of static hamstring flexibility.
• Research on utilization of the intrinsic foot muscles during shod and barefoot running using MRI analysis.
• The Delicate Balance of Running
• Breathing Awareness for Runners

• American Physical Therapy Association, Member of the Orthopaedic Section