Kersten LW Schwanz, MD

Kersten LW Schwanz, M.D., is a nonoperative sports medicine physician at Summit Orthopedics. She specializes in ultrasound-guided procedures and is a strength and conditioning expert.

A Twin Cities native, Dr. Kersten Schwanz was a three-sport athlete at Simley High School (soccer, track and field, and Nordic skiing) and a Division 1 rower in college. As a rower, she spent lots of time training, including focusing on strength and conditioning to keep herself at peak performance. She was fascinated by what she learned: “the nuts and bolts of how the body works and how athletes can leverage those principles to increase sports performance,” in her words.

She combined her love of sports, strength training, and medicine in her decision to specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). “PM&R looks at a person through the lens of function rather than the lens of a particular diagnosis. We work with traumatic brain injury, spinal cord, stroke, as well as musculoskeletal medicine, and we focus on what a person can do rather than what they can’t do,” she said.

Dr. Schwanz remains active today: in 2024, her team, the Minnesota Wind Chill, won the Ultimate Frisbee Association Championships.

Dr. Kersten Schwanz’s background

Dr. Schwanz earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and her medical degree from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine. She pursued residency training in PM&R at the University of Minnesota as well, serving as chief resident in her final year, before pursuing fellowship training in primary care sports medicine at Harvard Medical School, Mass General Brigham.

Her specialty enables her to see sports medicine patients, helping athletes return to play after injuries while also using advanced technologies and nonoperative procedures that are at medicine’s cutting edge. At Summit, Dr. Schwanz performs ultrasound-guided procedures and diagnostic ultrasound. She also enjoys working as a team doctor, advocating for athletes and helping them compete at a high level.

Dr. Kersten Schwanz’s practice philosophy

Dr. Schwanz’s relationship with her patients starts with listening. “I first need to understand my patients’ goals and learn about their lives, so I can understand the various factors that contributed to their injury,” she noted. “That definitely plays into the decisions the patient and I make together going forward.”

A strong proponent of joint decision making, Dr. Schwanz approaches patient care as a partnership. “I can give you the benefit of my expertise, but if it doesn’t align with the constraints of your life or your values, we’re not going to get anywhere,” she explained.

More about Dr. Schwanz

When she’s not in the office, Dr. Schwanz works with a competitive Ultimate Frisbee team in the Twin Cities as a strength coach and sports medicine specialist. Indoors, she enjoys drawing in charcoal, loves to read, and is a self-proclaimed “stress baker.” She also loves to take advantage of Minnesota’s four seasons, exploring, traveling, hiking, and being outdoors.