More Than a Diagnosis: Rachael Medow’s Patient-First Approach to Chronic Pain
For Rachael Medow, PTA, TPS, physical therapy is more than a profession; it’s a calling rooted in connection, compassion, and a belief that treating pain requires looking at the whole person, not just a diagnosis.
Born and raised in Riverton, Rachael graduated from Riverton High School in 2010, then went on to earn her associate degree from Central Wyoming College in 2012.
By 2014, she had completed a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Chadron State. Though education seemed like a natural fit at first, she found herself pulled in a different direction.
“I liked the foundations of teaching,” Medow explains, “but as I grew, I realized it didn’t quite align with who I was becoming.”
Her growing interest in bodybuilding led her to study anatomy and movement in more depth, and in 2016, she began working as a tech with Teton, where she was introduced to the physical therapy field firsthand. That experience sparked a career change, and, in May 2020, she graduated with a Physical Therapist Assistant degree from Laramie County Community College. Just a few months later, she returned to Riverton and joined the team she still works with today.
Rachael has since become a cornerstone of the clinic, known not only for her clinical skill but also for her patient-centered philosophy and her commitment to advancing how chronic pain is understood and treated.
“Chronic pain is never just about the body part that hurts,” she says. “It’s about the person and their story, their life, their challenges. Our job is to meet people on some of the hardest days of their lives and help them through it, with dignity and compassion.”
Throughout her time with the organization, Rachael has been a strong advocate for collaborative, interdisciplinary care. She believes the best outcomes happen when providers work together, across specialties and disciplines, to address the full scope of what a patient is experiencing.
“It takes a village,” she says. “Sometimes that means bringing in a dry needling expert, a pelvic floor specialist, a massage therapist, or even working with mental health providers or nutritionists. We’re not here to do it alone and we don’t expect our patients to, either.”
Outside of the clinic, Rachael has deep ties to the local sports community. As a student, she swam and played soccer at RHS, competed on the US Energy Travel Softball Team and in city leagues, and later coached both softball and the Riverton Swim Club. Her energy and leadership continue to serve her well in her professional life, where she helps patients overcome setbacks and rediscover their strength.
At the heart of her work is a desire to challenge the status quo in healthcare, particularly in how chronic pain is treated.
“We don’t have an opioid problem, we have a pain problem,” she says. “And we can’t keep throwing prescriptions at people and hoping for the best. We need ethical, humane, long-term solutions. We need to be better. And that starts with us, as clinicians.”
Rachael brings that mindset into everything she does: working closely with colleagues to problem-solve, encouraging patients to use their voice, and helping the clinic remain a place where trust, respect, and communication drive care forward.
“We’re still a young team,” she says, “but we lean on each other and learn from each other. No one is afraid to say, ‘Hey, what’s your take on this?’ That kind of humility and collaboration, that’s what makes us strong.”
With her deep community roots and unwavering dedication to compassionate care, Rachael Medow continues to make a lasting impact on the lives of her patients and the future of physical therapy in Riverton.
