MOVE BETTER. LIVE BETTER.
Laurie Etherington, PT, DPT, WCC
Carolina Beach Physical Therapy was founded by Laurie Etherington, PT, DPT, WCC. Dr. Etherington has more than 18 years of experience in physical therapy over a variety of settings including acute care, orthopedics, pediatrics, geriatrics, sports and industrial medicine, and wound care.
Dr. Etherington’s areas of special interest include athletes of all ages, particularly runners, surfers, and swimmers. Her well rounded skill set in movement analysis and exercise prescription has proven to be a successful combination in the rehabilitation and injury prevention strategies in this population. She holds specialty certifications in dry needling, SFMA, and wound care.
Dr. Etherington is a firm believer in the role of clinical education in shaping the future therapists joining the profession. She has been highly dedicated to her work as a clinical educator, mentoring physical therapy and pre-medical students since 2007. Dr. Etherington has obtained the Advanced Clinical Instructor Certification from the American Physical Therapy Association and continues to offer clinical education experiences to students from high school through graduate level.
Dr. Etherington received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. She began vacationing in Carolina Beach in 2007 and became a full-time resident in 2016 after relocating from Fayetteville, NC. In her time off, Dr. Etherington is an avid distance runner, and volunteer coach for the youth track and cross country club Cape Fear Flyers. She enjoys spending time on the beach with her two dogs, and hiking in the Carolina Beach State Park.
Kaitlyn Carpenter, PT, DPT
Dr. Kaitlyn Carpenter, PT joined Carolina Beach Physical Therapy in November of 2021. Dr. Carpenter, a native of Fayetteville, NC, obtained her undergraduate degree in Exercise Science at University of North Carolina Wilmington (wings up!) in 2018. Following her undergraduate work, she returned to Fayetteville to complete her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Methodist University.
Dr. Carpenter’s clinical rotations took her to central and southeastern North Carolina. Through her clinical experience, she developed an interest in outpatient orthopedics and pediatrics. With a strong personal background in sports including tennis and softball, Dr. Carpenter has a special interest in working with overhead athletes.
After completing her clinical work, she hoped to return to the Wilmington area to give back to the community and make it her permanent home. She was able to fulfill this goal, joining the Carolina Beach Physical Therapy team in 2021. When she’s not at work, Dr. Carpenter enjoys lying in her hammock at the beach, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her husband, Dylan, pet tortoise, Ripley, and rescue dog, Ollie.
Tayler Turner, PT, DPT
Dr. Tayler Turner, PT joined Carolina Beach Physical Therapy in June of 2022. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2017. As a student athlete at UNCW she played on the university’s Division I women’s soccer team for four years. After graduation, she went on to receive her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC. She holds a specialty certification in LSVT BIG.
Dr. Turner has clinical experience in various settings including acute care, pediatrics, and outpatient orthopedics. Throughout these experiences she developed a special interest in balance, gait training, and fall prevention strategies. She obtained her post-graduate specialty certification in LSVT BIG, an intensive program for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and other neurological disorders. Her well-rounded skill set in gait analysis, exercise prescription, and balance training has proven to be a successful combination in rehabilitation and injury prevention strategies within this population. Dr. Turner is a firm believer in creating an effective physical therapy plan that is adaptive and important to her patients and their goals.
Dr. Turner is a Pennsylvania native, but she has planted roots in the Wilmington area with her husband, Seth, and their Catahoula leopard dog, Duke. She enjoys spending time on the beach, playing outside with her dog, exercising, watching Grey’s Anatomy, and cooking.
Greg Musgnug, PT, DPT
Part-time team member, Dr. Greg Musgnug, PT joined Carolina Beach Physical Therapy in August, 2019. He received his undergraduate degree at Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania and his Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He holds a specialty certification in dry needling.
For his clinical training, Dr. Musgnug traveled around North Carolina and worked in outpatient orthopedics, geriatric rehabilitation, and sports orthopedics. During this time, he made frequent trips to the Wilmington area for surfing and boating. Dr. Musgnug decided to make Wilmington his permanent home in 2019. He then relocated with his wife to Carolina Beach in 2022.
Coming from an athletic background, including college sports, he takes special interest in athletes of all ages, specifically surfers, runners, and soccer players. In his time off, you can often find him surfing the best spots in the Carolina Beach area or out on the boat with his wife, Bri and their dog, Kailo.