Vern M. Swanson Jr., PT, DPT, Ph.D., NCS

Biography 

Dr. Vern Swanson is a board-certified neurologic physical therapist, educator and researcher with more than 27 years of rehabilitation experience. His primary areas of expertise include neurologic physical therapy, neuroplasticity and brain adaptation, traumatic brain injury, vestibular disorders and clinical neurologic examination. He also has extensive experience in prosthetic rehabilitation and amputee care. Based in Fort Myers, Florida, Swanson has provided care across acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient, skilled nursing, hospice, geriatric day-center and other clinical settings.

Swanson has served as a clinic director and faculty member at four universities. His academic work includes developing and teaching courses in clinical neuroscience, neuroplasticity, neurologic examination and neurologic rehabilitation across the lifespan. He has delivered numerous in-person and online continuing education courses in neurologic care, brain adaptation, traumatic brain injury, vestibular rehabilitation, prosthetics and amputee care. His teaching emphasizes clinically applicable neuroscience, evidence-informed decision-making, skillful examination and patient-centered management.

In addition to his neurologic specialization, Swanson has substantial experience in prosthetics and amputee rehabilitation. He began his health care career as a prosthetic technician, helping fabricate upper- and lower-extremity artificial limbs, and later built a clinical and academic focus on optimizing mobility, function and participation for people with limb loss. He maintains an active research agenda in amputee rehabilitation and cervical joint position error investigations.