Meet the Team
Founder, Physical Therapist Meredith Franczyk, PT, MPT
Meredith Franczyk, PT, MPT, founded Dynamic Physical Therapy Chicago River North in September 2017 and has been practicing physical therapy since 2002. She earned her Master of Physical Therapy from Northern Illinois University. With more than 20 years of clinical experience, Meredith has treated thousands of patients across nearly every type of orthopedic injury, and that depth of experience allows her to quickly recognize patterns, identify the true source of a problem, and build a plan that works.
Over her career, Meredith has treated patients ranging from teenage athletes to active older adults, and everyone in between. Her caseload includes knee, hip, back, neck, shoulder, and foot and ankle pain, along with sports injuries, overuse injuries, tendinopathies, arthritis, and post surgical rehabilitation following procedures such as ACL reconstruction, meniscus repair, rotator cuff repair, and joint replacement. Her clinical focus areas are manual therapy, neuromuscular re-education, postural dysfunction, and dry needling, and she blends hands on treatment with targeted strength and movement work to get lasting results rather than temporary relief.
Runners and endurance athletes hold a special place in Meredith's practice. She is a long distance runner herself and has spent years volunteering with running groups, races, and running publications across Chicago, giving her a deep connection to the city's running community. She treats the full range of running injuries, including runner's knee, IT band syndrome, shin splints, stress reactions, Achilles and hamstring tendinopathy, hip pain, and plantar fasciitis. Her approach looks beyond symptoms alone, with careful attention to training load, running mechanics, strength deficits, and the reality of a race on the calendar. Whether a patient is training for their first half marathon or their tenth Chicago Marathon, Meredith works with them to stay on track and reach the start line healthy.
As a business owner, Meredith built Dynamic Physical Therapy around the kind of care she always believed patients deserved. She opened the practice after years in clinics where therapists were expected to treat several patients at once, and the one-on-one model at Dynamic is a deliberate response to that. Every patient receives a full hour with their physical therapist, without being handed off to aides or sharing their session with others. Beyond treating patients, Meredith oversees every part of the clinic, from building a team of highly skilled, specialized therapists to managing the day to day operations that keep the practice running smoothly. Her goal has always been a clinic where therapists have the time to do their best work and patients feel truly cared for.
Meredith treats each person as a whole rather than chasing the painful spot, and her aim is for patients to leave understanding their own bodies well enough to stay healthy on their own.
Contact Meredith at meredith@dynamic-pt.com
Physical Therapist Mary Buzzard, PT, DPT, OCS, CMTPT/DN
Dr. Mary Buzzard, PT, DPT, OCS, earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed an orthopedic residency in North Carolina. She is a board certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist, a credential earned through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties that requires thousands of hours of direct patient care and a rigorous specialty exam. Combined with her residency training, it places her among a small minority of physical therapists nationally. With more than 10 years of clinical experience, Mary brings a deep, well rounded understanding of orthopedic care to every patient she treats.
Mary has been with the Dynamic Physical Therapy Chicago River North team since 2019. She treats a wide range of surgical and nonsurgical orthopedic conditions, with particular depth in hip, knee, and back pain. On the surgical side, she guides patients through recovery from hip and knee replacements, hip arthroscopy and labral repair, ACL reconstruction, meniscus repair, rotator cuff repair, shoulder stabilization, spinal surgery, and foot and ankle procedures. Her nonsurgical caseload includes low back and neck pain, disc injuries and sciatica, sacroiliac joint pain, hip impingement and bursitis, patellofemoral pain, IT band syndrome, tendinopathies of the hip, knee, Achilles, and shoulder, arthritis, ankle sprains, and plantar fasciitis. She is certified in dry needling and combines it with hands on manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, gait analysis, and postural and ergonomic modification to address both the source of pain and the patterns that keep it coming back. What she enjoys most is the problem solving: figuring out why a body is doing what it's doing and building a program around that specific person rather than a template.
Hip labral tears are an area of special focus for Mary, both professionally and personally. She has worked extensively with patients managing labral tears conservatively as well as those recovering from arthroscopic labral repair, guiding them from the earliest protected phase of rehab through a full return to running, sport, and everyday life. She understands the subtle ways hip pain can show up, from groin and front of hip pain to clicking, catching, and discomfort with sitting or deep bending, and she knows how important it is to restore hip strength, control, and mobility in the right order.
As a runner herself, Mary has a special interest in working with runners of all levels, from beginners building up to their first 5K to experienced marathoners chasing a personal best. She treats common running injuries such as runner's knee, IT band pain, shin splints, stress reactions, Achilles and hamstring tendinopathy, hip and glute pain, and plantar fasciitis. Using gait analysis, she looks closely at running mechanics, cadence, and how forces move through the body, then pairs that with targeted strength work and smart training load guidance. Her goal is not only to resolve the current injury but to help runners build the strength and resilience to train consistently and reduce the risk of the next one.
She has also been the patient. Mary underwent a hip labral repair herself and has worked through a series of running injuries, so she knows the long middle stretch of rehab where progress feels invisible. That experience gives her real empathy for the frustration, patience, and trust that recovery requires, along with practical insight into what actually helps. Her goal is for patients to leave not just pain free but equipped, with the knowledge and confidence to get back to what they love and stay there.
Mary also brings extensive knowledge of yoga to her practice. She understands the demands that different poses and transitions place on the hips, spine, and shoulders, and she uses that background to help yoga practitioners modify safely, build strength alongside flexibility, and return to their practice with confidence. For all of her patients, she draws on yoga principles of breath, body awareness, and mindful movement to improve mobility, control, and long term resilience.
Outside the clinic, Mary stays active with soccer, yoga, and running.
Contact Mary at mary@dynamic-pt.com
Physical Therapist Sarah Kemmerer, PT, DPT, OCS
Dr. Sarah Kemmerer, PT, DPT, OCS
Dr. Sarah Kemmerer earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Saint Louis University and completed an orthopedic residency at the University of Illinois Chicago. She is a board-certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist, a credential earned through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties that requires thousands of hours of direct patient care and a rigorous specialty exam. Only a small fraction of physical therapists hold it.
Sarah treats the full range of orthopedic conditions, including shoulder, knee, hip, ankle, foot, back, and neck. She has particular focus in sports-related injuries, TMJ dysfunction, and vestibular and balance disorders, along with several areas where she has built deep expertise:
Achilles injuries and repairs. Sarah specializes in Achilles tendinopathy, partial tears, and full ruptures, whether managed surgically or non-surgically. She guides patients through every phase, from protecting the healing tendon early on to rebuilding calf strength, restoring a normal gait, and returning safely to running, jumping, and sport. She ruptured her own Achilles, so she knows firsthand how long and frustrating that recovery can feel.
Low back pain. Sarah has extensive experience treating low back pain, especially facet joint dysfunction, disc-related problems such as bulges and herniations, and scoliosis. She looks beyond the area that hurts to how you move, sit, lift, and train, then builds a plan to reduce pain and keep it from coming back.
Hypermobility disorders. Sarah has extensive experience working with patients who have hypermobility spectrum disorders and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). She understands that loose, unstable joints need a different approach than standard orthopedic care. Her focus is on building stability, strength, and body awareness at a pace that respects how these patients' tissues respond.
Athletes. Sarah has conducted research on, and worked directly with, college athletes recovering from a wide range of orthopedic injuries. She brings that same performance-minded approach to every active patient, whether they are training for a marathon or getting back to weekend pickup games.
Her treatment blends manual therapy, dry needling, individualized therapeutic exercise, gait analysis and retraining, and patient education, so you leave understanding your own body rather than depending on someone else to fix it.
She has also been on the other side of it. Years of sports and athletics brought her a ruptured Achilles, a dislocated shoulder, and knee, hip, and back injuries, so she knows what a long rehab actually asks of a person. That experience shows up in how she listens. Sarah wants every patient to feel genuinely heard, to have their full story and goals understood, and to walk out feeling physically better than when they came in.
Outside the clinic, Sarah hikes, travels, practices yoga, lifts, and explores the city with friends.
Contact Sarah at sarah@dynamic-pt.com
Physical Therapist Luis Sanchez, PT, DPT
Dr. Luis Sanchez, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist, former professional Irish dancer, and current dance teacher who brings a rare depth of expertise to dance medicine. Having spent years training, performing, and now teaching, Luis understands the physical and artistic demands dancers face because he has lived them. He treats dancers across every style, including ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, tap, hip hop, Irish, and musical theater, and at every stage, from young students and pre-professionals to collegiate, professional, and adult recreational dancers.
Luis knows what goes into turnout, pointe readiness, extension, repetitive jumping and landing, partnering, and long rehearsal and performance schedules, and he recognizes how those demands contribute to common dance injuries like hip and ankle impingement, stress reactions, tendinopathies, and overuse pain. Most importantly, he speaks the language of the studio. Rather than simply telling a dancer to stop dancing, he works with them to modify training, rebuild strength and control, and return to class, rehearsal, and the stage safely and with confidence.
Luis earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Universidad Del Valle de México, and holds a B.A. and Master of Arts in Irish Dance Performance from the University of Limerick, Ireland. He performed professionally in Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance, so he brings firsthand knowledge of elite performance demands, rehearsal loads, and performing through a season to every patient he treats.
As a former professional performer, Luis knows firsthand what it means to train and compete at an elite level, and that perspective shapes how he treats every athlete. Throughout his career, he has worked with athletes at every level for a wide range of orthopedic conditions, from recreational runners and weekend warriors to high school and collegiate competitors managing a full season. He has also worked with professional soccer players and boxers, giving him direct experience with the sprinting, cutting, kicking, and contact of elite soccer, and the explosive rotation, punching power, footwork, and grueling fight camps that boxing demands. He has a particular passion for knee, shoulder, ankle, and hip injuries, including ACL reconstruction and nonsurgical ACL rehab, rotator cuff and labral injuries, shoulder instability, ankle sprains and chronic ankle instability, Achilles tendinopathy, and hip impingement. Because he has been through the physical grind of high level performance himself, he understands the pressure to get back quickly and the importance of getting back right. Every plan he builds is shaped around the specific demands of your sport and a clear path back to it.
His treatment approach goes well beyond a sheet of exercises. Luis is trained in dry needling to release stubborn trigger points and reduce pain, and in blood flow restriction (BFR) training, which lets patients build real strength using lighter loads. BFR is especially valuable early after ACL surgery or any time an injured joint can’t yet tolerate heavy weight. He also uses objective return to sport testing, measuring strength, hop performance, and movement quality, so the decision to get back on the field, court, ring, or stage is based on data rather than guesswork. All of this is paired with hands on manual therapy and progressive strength work to get you back to what you actually need to be doing.
Luis treats patients in both English and Spanish.
Contact Luis at luis@dynamic-pt.com
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Sarah Wancowicz, PT, DPT, earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Boston University and brings more than five years of experience in both pelvic health and orthopedic physical therapy. She has completed advanced pelvic floor training through the Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute, one of the most respected names in pelvic health education for physical therapists. As a pelvic floor physical therapist at Dynamic Physical Therapy in River North, Chicago, Sarah specializes in pelvic floor rehabilitation, including prenatal and postpartum care, urinary and bowel incontinence, acute and chronic pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction. She helps patients through every stage of pregnancy and recovery, from managing back and pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy to safely rebuilding core and pelvic floor strength after delivery, including diastasis recti and the return to exercise and running.
Alongside her pelvic health work, Sarah has spent the last five plus years treating a wide variety of orthopedic patients, both surgical and nonsurgical. She works with people recovering from joint replacements, ligament and tendon repairs, and other orthopedic surgeries, as well as those managing back and neck pain, sports injuries, tendinopathies, and chronic joint pain. That orthopedic foundation gives her a whole body perspective that makes her pelvic floor care stronger. She understands how the hips, spine, and core work together with the pelvic floor, and she looks at the full picture rather than treating any one area in isolation.
Sarah believes exceptional care starts with truly listening. She takes the time to understand each patient's goals, lifestyle, and concerns, and builds individualized, evidence based treatment plans that reduce pain, restore function, and help patients return to the activities they love most. Pelvic health concerns can feel personal and difficult to talk about, and Sarah creates a comfortable, private, and judgment free setting where patients can speak openly. Through personalized, one on one physical therapy, her approach is collaborative and compassionate, ensuring every patient feels heard and supported throughout their recovery.
Outside the clinic, Sarah enjoys strength training, traveling, and spending time at home with her cat.
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Contact Sarah W at sarahw@dynamic-pt.com
Patient Care Coordinator Joni Modaff
Joni has been with Dynamic Physical Therapy Chicago since 2019 and is usually the first person you'll talk to. She handles scheduling, insurance verification, and billing questions, and she is the one who will chase down an answer from your insurance company so you don't have to.
She has a gift for clear communication and for keeping track of the details that tend to slip, which means patients can focus on getting better rather than on paperwork. If something about your appointment, your benefits, or your bill is unclear, Joni is who to ask.
Joni splits her time between Chicago and Florida. Outside the clinic you'll find her walking on the beach, traveling, playing pool, or catching a live concert.
Contact Joni at info@dynamic-pt.com