Here to Keep You Moving.
Our experienced physical therapists treat each patient with compassionate, individualized care.
We offer a team of therapists with specialty training in wound care, hand therapy, geriatrics, orthopedics, and sports medicine.
Our diverse team of specialists is able to bring a variety of expertise to treat you and your specific needs. We are here to help you meet your individual goals and you are our number one priority. You can count on a friendly, encouraging environment in our beautiful new facility.
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INJURY & SURGERY:
Injury & Fall Prevention Therapy | Surgical Rehabilitation | Wound Care | Custom Splinting | Hand Care | Arm & Shoulder (Upper Extremity) Care
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BRAIN & NEUROLOGICAL:
Neurological Rehabilitation | Concussion Therapy | Vertigo Therapy | Cranial-Sacral Therapy | TMJ
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REHABILITATION & MISC. THERAPY:
Pediatric Rehabilitation | Aquatic Therapy | Postural Respiration Therapy | Functional Capacity Evaluations | Visceral Mobilization | Dry Needling | Types of Massage Therapy
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SPORTS:
Personal Training | Sportsmetrics | Running Analysis | Pilates | Baseball and Softball-Specific Training
Meet the Team
Melissa James, PT
Amanda Blackmon, PT, DPT, CWS, CSWS
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Melissa is a Wyoming native who is a graduate of the University of North Dakota Physical Therapy program after completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Wyoming. She has worked in Physical Therapy around Wyoming for almost 30 years now, joined the Premier Bone and Joint team in 2016, and loves it here in Laramie. She loves working with rehab patients of all ages and focuses on functional movements and exercises that will help restore everyday movements. Melissa is passionate about teaching students to promote knowledge and build up the future of the field.
Certified Kinesio Tape Practitioner (CKTP)
Selective Muscle Function Assessment practitioner
Certified in Manual Lymphatic Drainage
High Intensity Gait Training Specialist
Falls Prevention Specialist
Custom Orthotics Certified
Certified in Blood Flow Restriction
Sportsmetrics Certified - Agility, Conditioning, and Injury Prevention
Custom Splinting
Injury Prevention
Vestibular Rehab
Pediatric Physical Therapy Interventionist
When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.
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Amanda is the Senior Director of Premier Clinics and Ancillary Services. She grew up in Laramie and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Wyoming, receiving a B.S. in Kinesiology and Health Promotion. She attended physical therapy school at Creighton University where she received her doctorate. Amanda is passionate about wound care and all aspects of patient care. She also sits on the Board for the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care.
Certified in Dry Needling
LSVT BIG Certified
Certified Wound Specialist
Custom Orthotics Certified
Certified Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist
Sportsmetrics Certified – Agility, Conditioning, and Injury Prevention
Custom Splinting, Neurological Rehab, and TMJ
In her free time, Amanda enjoys spending time with her husband and children, cycling, and supporting Wyoming and High School athletics.
Matthew Harris, CPO
Shelly Watkins, OT, CHT
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Matthew is the Chief Prosthetist and Orthotist at Premier Bone and Joint Centers. He grew up in Chagrin Falls, Ohio and completed his undergraduate degree in Bioengineering at The University of Toledo. Matthew then went on to earn his graduate degree at The University of Pittsburgh in Prosthetics and Orthotics. He followed his wife throughout her Air Force career and joined the Premier Bone & Joint team in 2021.
ABC Certified Prosthetist and Orthotist
Hydraulic Ankle Specialist
Microprocessor System Specialist
Orthotic Wound Care Specialist
Technical Fabrication Specialist
In his spare time, Matthew enjoys riding horseback, shooting at local gun ranges, and building custom guitars.
Matt is available for appointments Monday – Friday from 8am to 5pm.
“My goal is to see every patient walk out my door feeling better than when they entered.”
-Matthew Harris
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Shelly is an Occupational Therapist, with a specialty certification in hand therapy (Certified Hand Therapist, or CHT). She grew up in Fort Collins, CO, and earned her Occupational Therapy Degree from Colorado State University. She began her career in Scottsbluff, NE, then moved on to Cheyenne, WY where she lived for 30 years. She did further her career and increased her proficiencies as a Certified Hand Therapist at fast paced clinics for the Colorado Center for Orthopedic Excellence in Colorado Springs, and at Orthopedic Center of the Rockies in Fort Collins before she joined PBJC in September of 2024.
Shelly specializes in the treatment of the upper extremities, most notably the elbow, wrist, and hand. She is passionate about the continuity of care for post operative hand and upper extremity injuries, especially early therapy, and custom upper extremity orthoses. She especially enjoys working closely with surgeons.
Certified Hand Therapist
Certified Kinesiotaping Practitioner
Graston Trained Therapist
Certified in Functional Capacity Examinations
Outside of the hand therapy world, Shelly enjoys hiking, hunting, fishing, singing with her worship teams, and family time; especially with her recent addition of her first grandbaby/grandson.
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Our massage therapist, Jill, has over 20 years of experience and can offer individualized treatment techniques to meet your needs. Jill offers 30, 60, and 90 minute massages.
TYPES OF MASSAGE THERAPY OFFERED:
Deep Tissue Massage
Swedish Massage
Pregnancy/Prenatal Massage
Myofascial Release
Triggerpoint Therapy
Cupping
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I grew up in Farson, WY where I developed a love for outdoors and close-knit communities. I graduated from Salt Lake Community College in 2009 with a degree in Physical Therapist Assistant and became a Certified Lymphedema therapist. Since then, I've focused on providing compassionate, patient centered care to help individuals improve their quality of life. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time outdoors and exploring new places. my favorite activities are photography and traveling.
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Sean has been an ACE Certified Personal for more than 10 years. Before joining Premier Bone and Joint Team, Sean played professional baseball in Mexico, so he is very passionate and knowledgeable about the sport. Sean treats clients of all ages and abilities. He can provide training in a gym setting or a private room for those clients wanting something more comfortable. He can also provide athletic training over Zoom.
Who would benefit from a Personal Trainer?
Anyone interested in increasing their physical activity
Those who need a little extra motivation to keep moving
Those who want to progress their current exercise routine
Areas of Focus:
Strength and Conditioning Training
Cardio Training
Endurance Training
Body Weight Training
Sport-Specific Training
Heavy baseball background
Basic Functional Movement Conditioning
General Fitness
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Teagan was born and raised in Laramie. She attended the University of Wyoming where she was on the dance team and earned her Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology in 2017. She received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Utah in 2020. Teagan values the importance of patient-centered care and evidence based practice, integrating multiple disciplines in order to provide the best outcomes and help patients get back to what they love to do. She is passionate about giving her patients the tools and power to live life with more confidence and decreased pain.
APTA Orthopedic Certified Specialist
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Certified in Trigger Point Dry Needling
Certified in concussion and vestibular rehabilitation
Trained in Blood Flow Restriction Therapy
Trained in Craniosacral Therapy
In her free time, Teagan enjoys hiking/backpacking, camping, and cooking with her boyfriend and their dog Owen.
Stephen Kaiser, PT, DPT
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Steve has been providing therapy services at PBJC since 2005, and has been excelling as the Assistant Director of Physical Therapy since 2020. He was born in Casper, WY, and received his doctoral degree in physical therapy from the University of North Dakota after completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Wyoming. He enjoys working with patients of all ages and all skill levels, loves getting athletes back to performance levels, and appreciates working with patients with sports injuries with an emphasis on knee and shoulder injuries.
Custom Orthotics Certified
Trained in Functional Dry Needling
Certified in Functional Capacity Examinations
Sportsmetrics Certified: Agility, Conditioning, and Injury Prevention
Beyond work, Steve enjoys spending time with his fabulous family, skiing, running, and bike riding.
Taylor While, PT, DPT,
Melanie Attebery, PTA
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Taylor was born and raised in Laramie. For her undergraduate studies she attended the University of Wyoming, earning her Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology and Health Promotion in 2022. She received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in 2025. Taylor is passionate about working with geriatric patients, and also earned a certificate from the University of Colorado in Geriatrics. Taylor enjoys treating a variety of orthopedic conditions with a special passion for post surgical care and joint replacement rehabilitation. Taylor has previously worked for Premier Therapy Services as a physical therapy technician from 2021 to 2023. During this time she gained a passion for and knowledge of wound care. She is pursuing an APTA clinical specialty in wound care and is excited to treat more wound patients in Laramie. More than anything she is excited to help her patients meet their goals and get back to doing what they love.
Passionate wound care practitioner, pursuing specialty certification.
Certificate in Geriatrics
Trained in trigger point dry needling
Trained in Pain Neuroscience Education
Trained in Functional Movement Screening
In her free time Taylor enjoys camping, running, baking yummy treats, and spending time with her fiancé, family, and kitten Mittens.
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Melanie was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. She received her training as a physical therapist assistant from LCCC in Cheyenne and has worked at PBJC since 2011. She is a passionate provider who works well with all injury types, but her skill set shines while working with runners. She has received special training to assess runners’ techniques and create drills to increase their overall running capabilities.
Sportmetrics Certified- Agility, Conditioning, and Injury Prevention
Run Technique Video Analysis
Spinal Rehab
Trained in Barral Institute Visceral Manipulation
Outside of work, Melanie likes running, kayaking, cross-country skiing, and biking.
Jill Rettinger, PTA
Jordan Smith, PTA
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Jill grew up in Montana and has called Laramie home for over 20 years. She played collegiate golf at Washington State University and moved to Laramie to serve as the UW Women’s Golf Coach while being an active member of the LPGA. Looking for a career change, she pursued training as a physical therapist assistant at LCCC in Cheyenne, and has been a valued PTA at PBJC since 2020. Jill is passionate about fitness and dedicated to helping others improve their movement. Her goal is to support people in achieving long, healthy, and active lives.
ICE Certified Specialist: Fitness Athlete
Sportmetrics Certified - Agility, Conditioning, and Injury Prevention
Gray’s Functional Golf Specialist
In her free time, Jill likes CrossFit, fishing with her husband, Dave, and creating in her wood shop.
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Jordan is a Laramie native. In 2016, Jordan earned his PTA degree from LCCC in Cheyenne WY. While he enjoys working with all patients, he is passionate when it comes to his elderly patients. Away from work, Jordan had his hands full with his greatest accomplishments, Luka and Ryan. The twins keep him and his beautiful and supporting wife, Jessica, on their toes
He also has a passion for Football, Golf, Hunting, Motocross, camping.
Cody Harvick, PTA
Gary Zappa, PTA
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Cody Was born in Midland, TX but was raised in Cheyenne, Wy. He recently moved to Laramie to pursue his BS in Kinesiology at the University of Wyoming. Cody is passionate about Neuro rehab and any number of sports injuries.
LSVT Big Certified
When he isn't at work, he enjoys listening to and playing music, hiking, camping, and spending time with his loved ones.
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Gary was born in Wisconsin, but has been a long-term Laramie resident. He received his education as a PT Assistant with the US Army in Houston, TX (thank you for your service Gary!). Gary’s strong point is instructing patients during strengthening activities and is especially thorough when fitting and adjusting durable medical equipment. He also works hard to keep our clinic stocked with our many braces.
Sportsmetrics Certified- Agility, Conditioning and Injury Prevention
Aquatic Therapy
Biking background
Manual Lymphatic Therapy
Brace application, adjustment and customization
In his free time, Gary loves to mountain bike, bike, camp, ski, and snowshoe.
Becky Stout, PTA, CLT, LMT
Jill Edwards, CMT
Teagan Young, PT, DPT, OCS, CMTPT, CSCS, AIB-VRC
Sean O’Neal
Taylor Cannefax, PT, DPT
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Taylor was born in New Orleans, LA, but spent several years in Iowa before heading to Missouri for school. She attended Missouri State University while earning her Bachelors in Exercise Science and was apart of the swim and dive team for 4 years. She then went on to attend the University of Missouri for her Doctorate of Physical Therapy graduating in 2025. She then moved to Laramie in July of 2025. She loves working with all patients and tailoring each treatment session to their specific needs. She gets just as, if not more, excited when a patient meets their goals of returning back to what they love than they do. She has a passion for athletes and vestibular patients, but she love working with everyone! Outside of work she enjoys trying new sourdough recipes, new places to eat, and hiking with her husband and two labs!