Cornerstone Physical Therapy dedicated to helping others

SANDPOINT — A hometown girl raised in Sandpoint, Christina “Tina” Rust-Hefley operates Cornerstone Physical Therapy & Aquatic Center, 1301 N. Division.

Cornerstone Physical Therapy was recently welcomed by the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.

An outpatient physical therapy and aquatic center, Cornerstone specializes in orthopedic rehabilitation, injury prevention and management, rehabilitative pain management, medically supervised exercise for weight management.

In addition to preventative care for athletes, Cornerstone also offers rehabilitation services and specializes in advanced orthotics with Foot Maxx Gait Analysis software.

Cornerstone’s aquatic center sets them far apart from the competition, Rust-Hefley said.

“We have a 22-foot by 32-foot warm water therapy pool,” said Rust-Hefley. “The aquatic environment allows patients with ambulatory issues greater range of motion, less pain and various resistance levels due to the unweighting effect of the pool. This is exceptionally helpful for patient’s post-surgery, managing obesity or managing constant pain.”

A Sandpoint High School graduate, Rust-Hefley played on the 1985-86 state championship volleyball teams. She attended Carroll College in Helena, Mont., where she played volleyball and completed a bachelor’s degree in health sciences. In 1993, she was accepted to graduate school at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., and successfully finished in the top 5 percent of her class, achieving one of the first doctorate of physical therapy degrees in the United States.

Rust-Hefley moved quickly back to the Pacific Northwest and worked for several years in the Coeur d’Alene area. Professionally, Tina helped pioneer the introduction of aquatic therapy to the rehabilitation community and developed the Inland Neuroscience and Spine Center in Spokane, Wash., with Sacred Heart and St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Hospitals.

In 2001, she moved home to Sandpoint with her four children. Along with her husband, Sean, the couple have successfully rehabilitated the warm water therapy and re-opened Cornerstone Physical Therapy on North Division. Rust-Hefley continues to specialize in client education and intervention decisions for all orthopedic diagnoses and injuries with an expertise in aquatic therapy and spine rehabilitation. She also is a certified functional capacity examiner.  

“If you are in need of therapy do not feel intimidated,” Rust-Hefley said. “We can find a way to help.”

Information: Cornerstone Physical Therapy & Aquatic Center, phone 265-0610; email, cornerstoneaquatics@gmail.com; online,  www.sandpointpt.com; or Facebook, www.facebook.com/sandpointpt.