Dr. Casey Roy, founder and owner of Headway Physical Therapy, is a North Carolina native with a life-long passion of serving others. After graduating with her Bachelors of Science in Human Biology from NC State University in 2013, Casey joined the US Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer, serving on active duty for five years, with a goal of returning home one day to study to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Casey saw her dream come to fruition, and she attended Duke University's School of Medicine and simultaneously gave three more years of service to our country by being a part of the Navy Selected Reserve until she was medically discharged as a Lieutenant in 2023. While at Duke, Casey was honored to be named the Helen Kaiser Scholarship Awardee for her dedication to service, social responsibility, and commitment to ensuring that diverse and underserved population's needs are met.  Casey first knew she wanted to be a physical therapist when working at a fitness gym while receiving her undergraduate education. At the time her brother, Nathan, was serving in the Navy as a construction electrician. He fell from a 30 foot tall pole due to a faulty harness and landed on his back. Somehow, Nathan didn't have any fractures or serious injuries, but he did have pain. His doctors gave him opioid medication, and he spent the next ten years of his life addicted to pills. Fortunately, unlike many others who have gone through what Nathan experienced, he has found a way to manage his addiction, and he is currently pill-free! The American Physical Therapy Association is a big proponent of reducing the number of opioid prescriptions to prevent people from having to go through what Casey and her family had to go through. Knowing the field of physical therapy was dedicated to this cause, Casey knew she wanted to dedicate her life to that field. Casey's interest in treating chronic conditions, particularly neck pain and migraines, come from her own personal connection to these conditions. Like her patients, Casey suffers from chronic migraines, and understands, first hand, the incapacitating nature of the disorder. Casey utilizes a shared decision making model with her patients to establish unique plans of care that address not only the physical deficits, but also the bio-psycho-social issues that may contribute to worsening symptoms. Casey believes physical therapy offers a strong alternative or concurrent treatment option to traditional medication based migraine and pain management. As someone who has gone through several trials of medications to help with her migraines, Casey knows that waiting for relief can be brutal. Migraines are a chronic condition and can't be "cured" but physical therapy has been proven to help reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines.  Casey graduated her program at Duke in 2023 and has since dedicated her time to learning more about pain science and the best evidence based treatment practices for neck pain, cervicogenic headaches (headaches that originate from the musculoskeletal system), and migraines. Casey is currently being mentored by several senior therapist who have also dedicated their practices to both cervicothoracic pain conditions and neurologic conditions. She has begun the long process of obtaining her neurologic clinical specialist (NCS) certification and has plans to be a life-long learner, researching and participating in advanced education for the treatment of chronic conditions.  In her free time, Casey enjoys riding her motorcycle, writing non-fiction novels, singing and playing guitar, volunteering for LGBTQ+ initiatives, traveling, and learning new vegan recipes from her partner, Ali. Casey lives in the Five Points neighborhood in Raleigh, and is a big proponent of supporting local shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants!