Joseph Kiehl

Joseph grew up in Lancaster County with his two sisters, five brothers, two pheasants, a rooster, and countless rabbits. When he was 15 years old, Joseph took the summer and rode his bicycle across the United States (from Eugene,OR to San Francisco, CA to Yorktown, VA) with three of his brothers and mom . . . just for the adventure.

In 2010 Joseph attended Millersville University where he graduated with a degree in biology. During his time in college, Joseph fostered interests in gardening and bird watching and began raising chickens, using a chicken coop he built from dumpster dive materials. He paid his way through college delivering newspapers, working at local a warehouse, and shadowing as an aide at Prana. It was here that Joseph first developed an interest in physical therapy. Prana’s functional manual therapy approach and commitment to providing one-on-one patient care set them apart from other clinics he had experienced.

In the fall of 2014, Joseph began physical therapy school at Widener University. His first full time clinical experience was at Hillside HealthCare International in Punta Gorda, Belize. This clinic not only allowed him to see a five foot tall Jabiru Stork but also provided him the opportunity to practice physical therapy in a resource-limited environment and gain an appreciation for a different culture. While there, he participated in community engagement and health education through teaching disability awareness in schools and presenting an exercise program for local health workers. During his time at Widener, Joseph served as both Class Treasurer and on the student board of the Chester Community Physical Therapy Clinic. The CCPTC is a student-run clinic offering pro bono care to the underserved and underinsured residents of Chester, PA. Upon graduation, Joseph was recognized for having served 144 hours, the most in his class, at the clinic. This provided him with extensive opportunity to learn outside the classroom setting as well as interact with members of the community. As a member of the team at Prana, Joseph is thrilled to be a part of such a skilled group of manual therapists. He enjoys combining his knowledge of biking and physical therapy to provide custom bike fittings as well as identify and treat mechanical and neuromuscular dysfunctions in his patients who are cyclists.

Joseph and his wife, Leslie, married during his final year of PT school and live together in Lancaster City. Although they currently do not have any children, they have successfully raised five hens and roughly 1000 composting worms together. Joseph enjoys reading, gardening, and has also been experimenting with fermenting foods (such as sourdough, pickles, and sauerkraut). Both Joseph and Leslie love the outdoors and take advantage of any opportunity to go for a hike together. Always looking for a new project, Joseph’s list of future endeavors includes getting a couple beehives and planting some fruit trees.