Sean MacLaughlin PT, DPT, OCS

CLINICAL EXPERTISE
-Board-certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS)
-Extensive training in manual therapy, including the Institute of Physical Art (IPA)
-Orthopedic rehabilitation and complex musculoskeletal conditions
-Sports rehabilitation, from youth athletics to collegiate and professional sports
-Golf and racquet sport injury rehabilitation and performance
-Integrative health and lifestyle medicine
-Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and the mind-body connection
-Movement assessment, injury recovery, and prevention

MEET SEAN
Sean MacLaughlin combines advanced orthopedic training, extensive manual therapy education, and a thoughtful, whole-person approach to physical therapy. As an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, Sean has developed a strong foundation in evaluating and treating musculoskeletal conditions, helping patients recover from injury, move more efficiently, and return to the activities that matter most to them.
Sean’s approach integrates skilled hands-on treatment with individualized exercise and movement retraining. Through continuing education in multiple manual therapy approaches, including the Institute of Physical Art, he has developed a broad clinical toolkit for addressing movement restrictions, pain, and dysfunction. He works to understand the factors contributing to each patient’s symptoms and tailors treatment to their individual needs, goals, and activity demands.
With a background in competitive sports and years of experience treating athletes, Sean understands the physical demands of returning to sport after injury. His experience spans youth athletics, recreational and weekend athletes, Division I collegiate competitors, and professional athletes. He has a particular interest in working with golfers and racquet sport athletes, helping them address physical limitations, recover from injury, and improve the movement capabilities needed for their sport.
Sean also brings a distinctive interest in integrative health and the mind-body connection to his clinical practice. His additional training in integrative healthcare, lifestyle medicine, and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction informs his understanding of how stress, daily habits, and overall well-being can interact with pain, recovery, and physical function. By considering the whole person alongside the musculoskeletal system, Sean strives to provide thoughtful, individualized care that supports lasting results.

SEAN’S JOURNEY
Sean grew up in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where sports played an important role throughout his childhood and high school years. Having experienced sports injuries himself and benefited from physical therapy, he became interested in the profession as a way to combine his passion for athletics with helping others recover and perform at their best.
He earned his undergraduate degree in Kinesiology from Penn State before completing his physical therapy degree at Drexel University in Philadelphia. After graduation, Sean returned to Central Pennsylvania to pursue advanced orthopedic training, developing the clinical foundation that would shape his career as an orthopedic specialist.
In 2010, Sean moved to New England, where he worked in hospital-based outpatient physical therapy and helped develop an orthopedic residency program. He also served as an adjunct professor in Springfield College’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, contributing to the education of future physical therapists.
Sean continued expanding his perspective on health and patient care through the University of Arizona’s Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, completing its Integrative Health and Lifestyle program in 2016. He has pursued continuing education in a variety of manual therapy approaches, including the McKenzie Method, methods developed by Norwegian practitioners, the Paris Method, and the Institute of Physical Art. He also completed an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program through the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
In 2020, Sean and his family returned to Lancaster to be closer to family, and he joined the team at Prana Functional Manual Therapy. He brings a blend of orthopedic expertise, hands-on clinical skills, sports experience, and integrative thinking to the practice, with a commitment to helping patients move better and return to the activities they enjoy.

EDUCATION
-Doctor of Physical Therapy, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
-Undergraduate degree in Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University

CERTIFICATIONS & ADVANCED TRAINING
-Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) — orthopedic residency and specialty training
-Integrative Health and Lifestyle Program, Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona, 2016
-Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) — eight-week program, University of Massachusetts Medical School
-Extensive continuing education in manual therapy, including the Institute of Physical Art (IPA), McKenzie Method, Paris Method, and other international approaches