Expert Physical Therapists in Columbia, SC
We're athletes treating athletes, not clinicians pushing protocols.
We built Salerno Sports Therapy because we were tired of watching active people get stuck in cookie-cutter PT that ignored their training and their goals.
Why We Exist
Most physical therapy is built for people recovering from surgery or learning to move again after an injury. That model does not work for runners chasing PRs, lifters hitting new maxes, or golfers trying to play pain-free rounds into their 60s and beyond. We treat people who do a lot, not people who do nothing. That means your plan is built around your sport, your training, and your life, not around what insurance will pay for or what fits into a 20-minute slot.
The values that guide every session
We built Salerno Sports Therapy on a foundation of principles that put you, your goals, and your long-term success first. These values show up in every eval, every session, and every plan we create.
Strength over quick fixes
We train your body to handle the demands of your sport, not just calm symptoms down for a few days.
Clarity in every step
You always know the plan, the reason behind it, and what comes next. No guessing, no confusion.
Empathy for your goals
We meet you where you are and respect your training. Your sport matters, and we treat it that way.
Excellence in every hour
One-on-one, 60-minute sessions with high standards and pro-grade testing. We do not cut corners.
Meet Our Team
Every PT on our team is an athlete or active person who understands what it feels like to miss workouts, races, or rounds because of pain.
Dr. Jay Salerno is a physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist. As a weekend warrior himself, he sees first hand the stress endured by the body during physical activity and understands many of the aspects that can hinder people and lead to injury or plateaus in performance.
Jay is a graduate of Boston College High School in Massachusetts. He went on to earn his undergraduate degree in Exercise Science from the University of South Carolina in 2016 and graduated with his Doctor of Physical Therapy from USC in 2019. And after many years of faithful service to the University of South Carolina, he became and remains an avid and passionate Gamecock fan.
He loves staying active, whether it be training and running marathons, triathlons, playing golf, throwing weights around at his local CrossFit gym, or just trying to keep up with his dogs and son. Jay loves helping those passionate weekend warriors that seek to be better at what they do.
Originally from Canton, OH, Dr. Nathan Adelman received his undergraduate degree in Exercise Science at UNC Wilmington before moving on to USC to receive his Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree. After graduation, he began his career as a travel PT, where he was able to grow as a clinician while also exploring the US!
Nathan first became interested in PT during his high school soccer career, when he experienced 3 ACL tears and reconstructions, leading to many months of physical therapy. Aside from soccer, Nathan continues to enjoy playing golf, tennis, and volleyball.
In his free time, Nathan enjoys running, weight-lifting, and hiking with friends. He is also a big NE Ohio sports fan (Go Buckeyes and Go Browns!), as well as supporting his Alma Mater on the weekends (Go Cocks!)
Abby Steiner is a former professional sprinter and a certified strength and conditioning specialist. After multiple foot surgeries, she decided to take a step back in her running career and pursue her passions of exercise science, program design, and performance optimization.
A native of Dublin, OH, Abby began her collegiate athletic career at the University of Kentucky, competing in both soccer and track her freshman year before deciding to fully commit to the sport of track and field. During her time at Kentucky, she set the 300m NCAA record, the 200m NCAA/American record (outdoor/indoor), and won 4 NCAA titles. Abby went on to sign a professional contract with Puma, where she won two World Championship gold medals for Team USA in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays. Abby has a deep understanding of what it takes to fully optimize the body to perform at its best after years of competing at the elite level herself.
She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of South Carolina. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her dog, cook, and find joy in the movement of various forms of exercise. Abby is passionate about continuously learning about the body and the ways she can help make you feel your very best – whether that’s sports performance, pursuing an active hobby that brings you happiness, or reaching your training goals
Nila is the Patient Excellence Coordinator for Salerno Sports Therapy! She has over 6 years of experience helping others obtain their fitness goals. She is an avid runner, enjoying both road races and trail runs. She also enjoys CrossFit and lifting more than Dr. Jay!!!! Nila is passionate about her family, dogs, painting, drawing, and helping others.
Salsquatch loves to show off the community by donning various swag and medals from races! He celebrates all our patient wins, no matter how big or small, and can often be found on social media! He helps remind us why we do what we do - to help our community live awesome incredible lives and crush it out in the wild.
What Our Athletes Say
Real results from runners, lifters, and golfers in Columbia.
For people of all ages and skill levels, preparation and recovery are key! Dr. Salerno has provided me with all the pre and post round exercises/stretches I need to keep myself in "playing" shape. I highly recommend giving SST a call!
Jay and the team at Salerno Sports Therapy have always provided me great service. Whether it's a small nagging injury or a bigger problem, Jay has the knowledge to not only get me feeling better but make sure it doesn't happen again and I can keep doing the things I love to do
Jay is awesome! He has been instrumental in solving my knee pain and issues while marathon training. He is incredibly knowledgeable and gave me a full strategy to fix my current problems and work to prevent them in the future!
SST was key to my training and prep for my first half marathon. Jay helped me stay injury free as I ramped up the intensity of my runs, and he was willing to help me remotely when I couldn't make in person sessions.
Jay helped me tremendously gain strength and help my shoulder pain feel better. He was helpful with walking us through the process of submitting a super bill to our insurance. His office is clean, new and he has all new equipment! I would see him again for future rehab needs.
I’m a college baseball and was having pain/tightness in my throwing arm shoulder. After working with Jay for only a few weeks my shoulder is feeling way stronger and healthier than before.
Dr. Salerno is a great option for sport injuries!
Jay was fantastic. I was apprehensive about going for therapy but my ability to run and recovery time have dramatically improved. Alot of knowledge and I enjoyed each session in addition, he did not waste my time at all.
Had bad hip/sore back injury from my workout. Thankfully Jay Salerno @ Salerno Sports Therapy was able to take me in and fix my hip and back. Had my tightness in the forearm area also treated a few months ago, A good experience overall.. Wonderful PT. A big thank you to Dr. Jay Salerno..
I have had a fantastic experience working through several injuries with Salerno Sports Therapy. Jay is deeply knowledgable, and is very focused on making sure you understand what you are doing and why you are doing it. With his help, I have made great progress and I am back in the gym on a regular basis.
Dr. Jay helped me strengthen my legs to better support my knee after an injury. He was knowledgeable, resourceful in his repertoire of therapeutic exercises, kind, encouraging, and was able to show me how much progress I had made at the end of the treatment period. I would highly recommend him!
I saw Jay for a few months to address knee pain caused by running and biking. Jay was easy to work with and I saw improvement after just a few sessions. Having one-on-one time and the being able to easily ask questions between appointments was really helpful as well. This is the best PT experience I've had in Columbia!
I tore my ACL recently and was out of work due to the injury. Jay got me back on my feet and back to my job in no time. He worked closely with my personal trainer to make sure I accomplished all of my goals! Highly recommend this place
Jay is the most compassionate and determined person I know. He helped me regain my strength and mobility in just a few sessions after I shattered my whole leg in an accident. He is incredibly knowledgeable and I would recommend him to anyone!
Really enjoyed working with Jay, can’t thank him enough!
Salerno Sports therapy does a great job of getting you comfortable in doing what your used to. Coming off a meniscus tear, Jay was able to get me doing all workouts as quickly as possible with meaningful and thoughtful progressions. Highly recommend them for any pain, large or small.
Jay has helped me go from feeling old with pain in my lower leg, to my legs feeling stronger than ever. He provides great attention and responsiveness to what I need. Highly recommend Salerno Sport Therapy to anyone trying to improve themselves.
Jay was thorough in his assessment of my issues. He gave me a personalized plan to work through back and hip tightness . Very personable, knowledgeable and committed to my recovery.
An outdoor enthusiast Dr. Jay understands the things that we do in pursuit of our sports and the associated injuries that can occur. This knowledge sets him apart in his approach to treatment and wellness to ensure healing and recover to return to the outdoors.
One of the best things about Dr. Salerno is that he not only talks the talk, he walks the walk. His service is matched by his own active lifestyle in the gym, on the water, on the course, and the streets. I know that Dr. Salerno will know exactly how to get me out of whatever rut I get my self into and back in the gym the right way.
Salerno Sports Therapy delivers tailor made therapy in each session. Every visit is different because each visit I am getting stronger. I have not only improved my physical conditioning but gained a better understanding of how to maintain strength and flexibility in the future.
Jay's passion for helping others overcome injuries and accomplishing their goals is infectious. He spends extra time teaching patients so they can gain a better understanding of their body. Give Jay a call today!
Jay was a huge help in strengthening my hips that improved my ability to walk and stand without pain caused by lumbar degenerative disks. I highly recommend him!
I have been in pain pretty much all year. Jay was able to quickly identify the issues, set a plan, and now I am no longer in pain every morning. Its a wonderful feeling. The results speak for themselves.
After participating in a community fitness challenge hosted by Salerno Sports Therapy, I decided to improve my overall well-being becoming a client. I'm pleased with my results and progress in resolving shoulder and hip concerns.
Very responsive and thorough in answering my questions and giving me an overview of services offered and how they cater to the individual goals. A pleasure to speak with!
Jay kept me running when I thought I was going to have to quit. I never had to stop and have been able to get back to my mileage way faster than I thought. Jay is professional and super easy to work with. He sets reasonable objectives and helps figure out ways to keep you working at home where you maybe don’t have the same equipment. I am so glad I went to see him!!
Jay is awesome. Great with communication and makes the session fun. Before Jay, I’d been working on an IT band injury for a few years now with little to no improvement. Now I’m finally on the right track and back to running regularly!!
Jay is the best physical therapist I’ve ever worked with, and I have had severe back issues since early childhood, and he has changed my life . At 67 years old I’m in the best shape I’ve been in in 25 years. I have great balance, flexibility and my back doctor was very impressed how much better I am... He is the best!
I can’t recommend Jay enough. He’s extremely knowledgeable, thorough and committed to his patients recovery. He’s helped me through multiple injuries and works with me for ongoing maintenance. You won’t find better!!
Been going for about about a month after stopping by for a screening at strictly running and have been working with Nathan ever since. This has been and will be extremely helpful for my running goals
Can not recommend enough! I worked with another physical therapist for four months. I spent the same amount of money, with little to no progress. Within three visits with Jay, My pain had drastically minimized, strength and range of motion increased, and just like that, I was back to lifting. Nala is also so kind and helpful with scheduling.
I highly recommend this place! They have helped significantly with my running injuries, and I was able to get back on the road super fast!
Jay is the man! Extremely knowledgeable and personable with all of his clients. If you are ever in need of a PT, cannot recommend enough.
Awesome place and awesome people. Definitely worth your time to check them out. They'll get you on the track to healthy movement for sure
Salerno Sports Therapy was the best when I was experiencing IT band problems throughout marathon training. Their personalized treatment plan enabled me to run on race day with no pain! Besides the physical therapy, the staff was always so positive and helpful; it was a great way to start my mornings! If I'm ever hurt again, I'm going back to Salerno.
The top team of sports PT professionals in Columbia. Trust me, I've tried most of them. Couldn't recommend Jay and the team enough.
Choosing them was the best decision I’ve made for my golf game. I saw noticeable improvements within just three rounds.”
I came to Salerno sports therapy with 2 separate issues (knee pain and pulled hamstring) and after working with Jay for a few weeks I forgot I even had an injury! Sessions were enjoyable, I highly recommend.
Dr Nathan has helped me immensely with my neck and shoulder pain. He is kind, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with. He is committed to every patient he sees, and it shows in his high level of care. Definitely recommend Nathan, or any therapist at Salerno Sports Therapy!
Highly recommend Salerno Sports Therapy! They provide a one on one session to assure you receive the best treatment possible! Their communication is clear and transparent. Nathan is very knowledgeable, professional, and personable. You won’t find a better PT in the midlands!
Dr. Nathan Adelman did a great job with me getting a long term back problem under control that no one else could quite figure out for long term results. Highest recommendation.
Before Salerno, I had been going to PT for years with not much changed; however, as soon as I started with Nathan at Salerno, i saw immediate progress! Everyone there is so knowledgeable and friendly and truly have your best interest! Always a pleasure being in there.
Facing some challenges of the hardest experiences in injury as an athlete was so much easier thanks to Jay! He made it possible for me to go on to play collegiate softball after tearing my ACL twice. He not only helped me build strength, but confidence in my athletic ability.
Working with Dr. Nathan Adelman at Salerno Sports Therapy has been the best decision to help me recover from injuries and learn about preventing them from reoccurring. If you are looking for a truly patient-centered approach to physical therapy, with a PT who actually cares about your recovery and wellbeing, I can't recommend Nathan at Salerno Sports Therapy enough.
Jay and Nathan are truly such amazing people. I love coming to physical therapy to get stronger while also chitchatting the entire time. I always leave feeling awesome and happy. Love this place!
So glad I found Salerno Sports Therapy. Nathan has been so helpful on my path to getting back into a more active life.
Nate and Jay are great! My husband and I both go to see them and they have helped tremendously with our mobility, strength, and recovery. You can tell they truly care and are extremely knowledgeable.
I have an amazing experience every time i step into Salerno for my PT. The people are so welcoming and Dr. Nathan does a great job.🏋️
My 13 year old began working with Dr Nathan after a stress fracture while running cross country. Since coming back, she has PR’ed twice and her body is much happier post race.
Dr. Nathan at Salerno Sports Therapy did an outstanding job creating a personalized program that improved my flexibility, strength, and overall movement for golf. I’ve seen noticeable improvements in my posture, mobility, and consistency, and I couldn’t recommend him and the team more.
Ready to train without pain holding you back?
Schedule a free discovery call and find out how we can help you get back to running, lifting, or playing golf stronger than before.
