About Dr. Sheri Donaldson
Sheri Donaldson, PT, DPT, NCS
Dr. Sheri Donaldson exudes a passion and skill for all things Neurological. She is a Board-Certified Neurologic Specialist, who is internationally trained in both Neuromuscular Facial Retraining and Vestibular Rehabilitation. She earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Creighton University in 1997. Her background in dance and performing arts, specifically Ballet, made Vestibular Physical Therapy a natural fit. She has treated people with balance and vestibular issues, inner ear tumors and injuries for more than 25 years. She developed the Vestibular Physical Therapy program at a Barrow Neurological Institute where she specialized in the treatment of Vestibular Disorders, Movement Disorders, Concussion, and Traumatic Brain Injury for 13 years. She went on to share her gifts in academia as Course Director of Neurological Rehabilitation for multiple Doctor of Physical Therapy programs.
Dr. Donaldson came to the Facial Nerve by way of her first neurological love, the Vestibular System, or the balance portion of the inner ear. The Facial Nerve and the Vestibular Nerve run right together. Dr. Donaldson's interest in the Facial Nerve goes back even farther. In graduate school, she was assigned the Facial Nerve to study and provide a teaching practicum to her doctoral program. Prior to graduate school, her dear grandmother suffered Bell's Palsy with resultant facial paralysis and synkinesis. She regularly visited her grandmother and took her out for breakfast after church. It broke her heart that her grandmother was embarrassed to eat in restaurants due to her facial "spasms' and "crocodile tears" that would occur while chewing her food. She wanted to do more for her patients who had their inner ear tumors removed and had resultant “facial paralysis,” much like her grandmother. Thus, she immersed herself with intensive study with her mentor, a world-renowned specialist in Facial Neuromuscular Retraining, Jackie Diels, OT.
Dr. Donaldson believes in treating the whole person and brings her wealth of Neuro Rehab experience and team of colleagues to support her patients' recovery and achievement of best life goals including: specialty therapists for lymphatic drainage, facial nerve surgeons and other skilled injectors for therapeutic Botox, neurologists/neuro-otologists, licensed professional counselors, audiology, neuropsychology, and internal medicine. Collaboration is key!
Dr. Donaldson continues with international membership and training with specialty groups following advances in treatment. She serves as the Governance Officer for Facial Therapy Specialists International and serves on the Medical Advisory Board for the Acoustic Neuroma Association. She also serves as an onsite reviewer for the Commission for Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE.) Personally, she enjoys the outdoors especially the beach feet first in the ocean, hiking, dance, music, dinner with friends and family, fellowship, serving in the healing ministry, and mission work.
