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Massage Therapy Session
Professional headshot of the Hope OnBoard founder smiling in a clinical setting.
Sharon Tatum, founder of Hope OnBoard, teaching Anatomy of TMJ

A PHYSICAL THERAPIST WHO DOESN'T GIVE UP

Meet Dr. Sharon Tatum, PT, DPT, MPT, CCTT

Founder of Hope On Board Mobile Physical Therapy. One of only 75 board-certified craniofacial physical therapists in North America. Twenty-eight years of patient experience. A practitioner who doesn't tell her patients that she can’t help. 

Experience:     28+ Years

Expertise:     TMJ, Dance & Rowing

Format:     One-to-One

Craniofacial PT

1 of 75 in North American

Experience 

1 of 75 in North American

Experience 

1 of 75 in North American

Sharon's Story

My Calling, Not Just a Career Choice.

I discovered physical therapy back in high school. My classmates and I were given career compatibility tests, and mine pointed me towards physical therapy. I knew very little about the field so I signed up to volunteer at the Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital in Pennsylvania.

"It hit my heart the moment I walked in. I knew this was what I needed to do. I wanted to be one of those therapists, the ones who help the people nobody else can."

However, the path to getting there was not as straightforward as I expected. The program I first enrolled in turned out not to be accredited. This meant that I had to transfer, take 20 midterm and final exams in one week in order to transfer into a class which began in one week, start again, and sit additional exams. But, I kept going. I earned my Doctoral Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and have been practicing in Pennsylvania since 2008.

Unexpected Illness

Then, came another life experience I did not expect… I developed a Guillain-Barré-like illness that left me barely able to move. I needed surgery and the pain was ten out of ten, every day. I had to step away from full-time clinical work. 

I was in so much pain. I thought, how can I possibly help anybody? I can't even help myself. And then I started working with patients... and I didn't feel any pain. That is when I understood again that this was what I was supposed to do.

I started self-treating, taking additional courses in neck pain and headache treatment, until my pain lessened enough for me to return to full-time clinical work.

Complex Cases

Since then, I have seen many patients with complex cases who felt hopeless:

  • TMJ disorder patients who have seen up to 20 providers without resolution. 

  • People living with chronic pain who had been told their results looked normal. 

  • Dancers who had been given generic exercises that reduced their pain but never got them back to performing on stage.

And, I knew exactly what it felt like to be in pain that nobody could explain, and to wonder if that was simply how life was going to be. It is important to me that no patient of mine feels that way.
 

When you work with me, I will come to you, listen to your whole story, and connect all the pieces. And most importantly, I will not give up on you.

Sharon Tatum with students after leading a physical therapy class.
Dr. Sharon Tatum, PT, DPT, CCTT posing with fellow faculty in DPT Program
Image by Mathyas Kurmann
Hope OnBoard Logo with Half Moon, Face outline and Dancer figure

Sharon's Qualification and Training

The Expertise Behind the Physical Therapy Care.

Sharon's credentials span 28 years of clinical practice, specialist training, and academic teaching across physical therapy, sports medicine, performing arts, and women's health. (Read some of Sharon's suggested educational materials on the Resources Page.) Here is the full picture of what she brings to every patient she sees.

Education

  • Doctoral Degree of Physical Therapy - University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

  • Master's Degree of Physical Therapy - Rutgers University and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

  • Bachelor's Degree in Psychology - Temple University

Image by Toa Heftiba
Hope OnBoard founder using a skull model to support patient education and therapy guidance.
PTBCCT Booth at AAOP Conference 2023 with a group of Physical Therapists

Additional Licenses and Certifications

  • Certified Cervical and Temporomandibular Therapist (CCTT) — Physical Therapy Board of Craniofacial and Cervical Therapeutics

  • Dance PT Certified — The Dance PT Program, Jenna Kantor, PT, DPT

  • Direct Access Provider — Licensed to evaluate and treat for up to 30 days without a physician referral

  • Rowing Crew Coach, Level 1 and 2 — United States Rowing Association

  • IASTM and Dynamic Tape Certification, 2015 — Advanced manual therapy techniques using specialised tools to treat soft tissue restrictions, scar tissue, and support movement and recovery

  • Pre and Post Natal Fitness Certification, 2007 — Trained in the method of Elizabeth Noble, PT

  • APTA Member — Member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

RECOGNITION AND TEACHING

  • Premise Health Champion Award, December 2020 — A peer-nominated award recognising exceptional clinical care and patient outcomes

  • One of Only 75 Board-Certified Craniofacial Physical Therapists in North America — Certified by the Physical Therapy Board of Craniofacial and Cervical Therapeutics, the highest level of specialist recognition in this field

  • Adjunct Faculty, South College — Teaching Human Anatomy and Musculoskeletal Studies to the next generation of physical therapists

  • Clinical Instructor Certification American Physical Therapy Association — Recognised to formally supervise and train physical therapy students in clinical settings

Hope OnBoard founder smiling by the river during an adaptive rowing program day.
Rowing team on the water during a Hope OnBoard adaptive rowing and community movement program.
Old Hope OnBoard Logo with Half Moon, Face outline and Dancer figure

Your Next Step

You Deserve Someone Who Will Not Give Up

You deserve care that is built entirely around you, by someone who will not give up until she has an answer. Reach out today and Sharon will call you back, usually within 48 hours.

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