Diane Kottakis, P.T., DPT, CMDT

Diane Kottakis, PT, DPT, CMDT

Diane is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and has been a licensed physical therapist for over 30
years. She received her undergraduate degree in nutritional sciences from Cornell University
and then continued on to Drexel University for her degree in physical therapy. She is passionate
about meeting people where they are and helping them achieve personal and lifestyle goals as
it relates to physical health and abilities.

Diane enjoys learning about the body from many different perspectives so that she can meet
the needs of different people. She is certified in the McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis
and Therapy (CMDT), has been to Stuart McGill’s full series of courses related to the spine, as
well as other favorite courses such as Neurodynamic Solutions with Michael Shacklock, and
Movement System Impairments (MSI) with PT pioneer Shirley Sahrmann. In addition, Diane is
currently enrolled in a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training that meets the Yoga Alliance standards.
When Diane decided to specialize in pelvic health, she received advanced training from the
Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute which entailed learning about pelvic floor
function, dysfunction and treatment interventions for various populations. In May 2023, Diane
was recognized by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) with a scholarship from
the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy.

Diane is particularly excited to join Sana because this caring and compassionate clinical
environment will support her values of spending one-on-one time with patients, as well as
provide the leadership, opportunity, and camaraderie necessary to continue her professional
development – In Diane’s world, one is never finished learning!

On a personal note, Diane is married and has four adult children, two dogs and a cat. She enjoys
the theatre, grooming her dogs, being outside and has always enjoyed swimming. In 2021 she
fell in love with open water swimming and completed a 2-mile race in Lake Placid. She swims
regularly with Nickel City Splash Master’s swim team at University at Buffalo.
“I am a teacher as much as I am a physical therapist. My goal for every patient is to help them
understand why they are hurting and to empower them with knowledge, tools, and strategies
to overcome their pain and difficulty so that they can resume whatever brings them joy and
fulfillment.”

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Diane is currently accepting and treating Pelvic Health physical therapy patients. 

Please call to schedule your physical therapy session.