Meet The Clinic Owner
Erik Carman
Who Is Erik Carman, Founder of Altamont Physical Therapy?
Erik Carman is a physical therapist and the owner of Altamont Physical Therapy. He is an Albany native, born and raised, and he still lives there today with his wife and two little girls.
His path to physical therapy started in an unlikely place. After graduating from undergrad with a degree in communications, he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. He only knew one thing for certain: he wanted to help people. Around that time, he got serious about running, and it sparked a realization. He loved
running, and he wanted to help other people keep running and keep doing the things that make them happy. Physical therapy was the answer.
When Erik first graduated from PT school, he took a job at a large local practice, a volume-based clinic where therapists were expected to see about 15 patients in an eight-hour day. As someone who has always been a hard worker, he enjoyed the challenge and took pride in handling that volume as a new grad. He gained valuable practice and experience. But something wasn’t sitting right. He wasn’t happy with the quality of care he was able to give his patients.
When Erik shared this with one of his mentors, the response stuck with him. His mentor shrugged and told him that quality had to be sacrificed for quantity, because that was the reality of seeing 15 patients a day. Erik’s reaction was simple: he got into this business to help people. If he wasn’t really helping people, then what was the point?
That was the moment he decided to strike out on his own. His uncle was the original founder of Altamont Physical Therapy, and in 2023, Erik bought the clinic from him.
Every day, Erik sees people who have done PT at a high-volume clinic. The kind of place where the therapist hands you some exercises and walks away, leaving you on a mat or pedaling a bike, thinking you could have just done this at home. Through those experiences, Erik came to understand that the most valuable thing in healthcare is time. That is where he can make the biggest difference.
At Altamont Physical Therapy, Erik and his team take the time to explain every treatment and make sure it is actually addressing your concerns and having a real impact on your life.
One patient’s story captures why. A woman in her 60s came in with low back pain. She had done PT before, and exercising on her own always seemed to make things worse. When Erik suggested starting with core strengthening, she rolled her eyes. She knew pelvic tilts. She had done this before. But when Erik checked whether her muscles were actually contracting, they weren’t. He talked her through it, helped her isolate the right muscles, and her response was one word: “Wow.”
That is the moment Erik loves. When someone who never got proper instruction, because their other PT was too busy, finally feels the relief they should have gotten years ago.