Chris Estafanous
PT, DPT
Orthopedics
Sports Medicine
POTS
Chronic Pain
Certified Trigger Point Dry Needling
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In 2013, Chris joined Set Physical Therapy and partnered with Stacy Hund to grow SetPT in the DC Metro Area. Since then, they have grown SetDC to two locations (Metro Center, West End) with the amazing efforts of the wonderful group of physical therapists at SetPT.
Chris’ journey to Physical Therapy began as a high school athlete. Through hard training and putting a tremendous load on his body, Chris experienced thoracic bulging discs. This insight led Chris to see a world of inspiring and life-changing healthcare. He enrolled in a competitive combined 6-year Bachelor of Science and Doctorate of Physical Therapy program at the New York Institute of Technology. While there, Chris fueled his passion for PT by learning extensively about Osteopathic Medicine and Manual Therapy.
Chris interned at the New York University Hospital for Joint Disease, where he learned some of the most advanced manual physical therapy techniques. Chris then went on to work at Peak Performance Physical Therapy in NYC where he worked with a variety of professional athletes and worked very closely with a team of Orthopedic Physicians and Athletic Trainers. It was there that his love for Sports Medicine and high-level athletes emerged.
Chris enjoys the patient-focused care that SetPT provides and especially believes in the meaning of SET: Service, Expertise and Time. He understands the importance of building a strong relationship with his patients to earn their trust and help them return to their healthy lifestyle. Due to Chris’s injuries, he uses empathy and compassion to foster his treatment approach. Chris believes that behind every person’s pain is a story. And often, clues can lead you right to the source of the problem. The key is listening.
Chris specializes in manual therapy, spine and sports rehabilitation, and has specialized training in diagnosing abnormal movement patterns using video analysis. Chris is trained to perform Trigger Point Dry Needling and has been trained in the Osteopathic approach (muscle energy, strain-counterstain, HVLA techniques) to manual therapy for spine, ribs and extremities. Chris has a particular interest in complex chronic pain and has extensive training in the biopsychosocial model of pain, having helped many patients throughout his career with the focused approach he learned while at NYU. Chris also has specialized training in the care of POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), where he implements an exercise and rehab program produced by Dr. Benjamin Levine at Texas Health.
Chris is devoted to making a difference in his field, but he is also a medical missionary in Africa. Chris has led mission trips to Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania. He is a proud Washingtonian and is very involved in local DC youth initiatives and community outreach programs. He is fluent in Arabic and is married to his lovely wife Heba, who he met in Nigeria in 2010. They are the proud parents of boy/girl twins Micah and Cecilia.
Patient Testimonial
For the first time, I am addressing physical issues that I have not before, am getting stronger and experiencing less pain.
I began going to Chris Estafanous for physical therapy after spinal fusion surgery. I cannot speak highly enough of his abilities and wish I would have found him years ago. Ten years ago, I was in a car accident and found that I could not move without pain: no more dancing, running, sailing, etc.
Eventually, depression and chronic, debilitating pain became normal. But during my fourth pregnancy two years ago, the pain intensified. There were days and weeks where I could not stand up straight, or move my head more than slightly, and the numbness in my arms and hands prevented me from functioning normally. With four young children and worsening pain and numbness, my primary doctor said I absolutely needed the surgery.
I am confident in saying that my life would have been very different had Chris been practicing as a physical therapist here at the time of my accident. I am equally confident that I would have been able to avoid having so intense a surgery – if any at all – because of Chris’s skill, intuition, knowledge, dedication, and ability to treat a patient as a whole person rather than as a carrier of individual, unrelated aches and pains.
I also have seen Chris give 110% to each of his patients and inspire confidence and loyalty. He is a gifted, intuitive healer who is equally helpful and inspiring to high school athletes as he is to elderly folks dealing with chronic conditions.
Chris doesn’t guilt you into doing your home exercise routine either. He encourages you in a way that makes you feel like you have a partner who cares about your recovery as much as you do. It is sincere. He is a motivating coach. In fact, he has worked successfully with professional sports teams before moving to VA. See the pictures hanging in his office. He is professional, engaged and personable. From my experience, his demeanor has also created a sense of camaraderie among his patients like I have not seen in ten years of going to physical therapy. That is not only because of his good-natured personality but also because of the results he achieves.
Just before Christmas, Chris sent me to a wonderful pain management doctor in DC, whose use of adult stem cells has led to diseased discs rejuvenating themselves. In my case, the doctor removed a small amount of scar tissue and osteoarthritis in a five-minute procedure. Right away I had full range motion in my neck. I am incredibly thankful for Chris’ recommendation and his ability to zero-in on the problem that no other physical therapist or doctor did: even those with the benefit of x-rays and MRIs. That alone was enough to show me there is something special and different about his work. And I am forever grateful for his help and insight.
For the first time, I am addressing physical issues that I have not before, am getting stronger and experiencing less pain. I have complete confidence in him as a practitioner of physical therapy (Chris has a doctorate in his field). I know that he has me on the right path. So much so that I wrote my first yelp review about his work. Chris Estafanous is an excellent, dedicated and extremely well-trained physical therapist. Highly, highly recommend!
J.M