Divergent Rehab & Wellness

Divergent Rehab & Wellness provides whole-body orthopedic care for active people who want real answers—not endless appointments, medication dependency, or unnecessary surgery.

Dr. Michael Murphy, PT, DPT, OCS, CIDN founded the practice in 2022 with a simple philosophy: help motivated people understand why they hurt, then give them the tools to fix it for good. Serving the Carmel area, the practice uses a cash-based model that puts you, not insurance companies, in control of your care.

What sets Divergent apart is the depth of their initial evaluation. Expect around 90 minutes with your physical therapist—examining everything from foot health and shoe wear to movement patterns throughout your entire body. Your knee pain might be a hip problem. Your shoulder pain might be a core stability issue. No isolated approach will give you lasting results.

The team includes therapists with specialized expertise in chronic pain, cycling and bike fitting, endurance athletes, running injuries, postpartum return to activity, golf, and tactical rehab. Despite these specialties, everyone shares a common approach: treat the whole person, not just the painful body part.

Most patients complete their care in six to eight visits. Sessions run 60 minutes, one-on-one with your physical therapist (no aides, no assistants, no double-booking). Most patients come in once per week, because real change happens in what you do between visits. The team provides video-guided home programs and conversations about sleep, hydration, nutrition, and lifestyle factors that often drive persistent pain.

The goal isn't to keep you coming back—it's to teach you how to manage your body so you don't need to. Patients leave understanding why they hurt, what triggers their symptoms, and how to prevent problems from returning.

Ideal for patients who:

• Are active or want to return to an active lifestyle
• Have tried traditional PT without lasting results
• Want to avoid unnecessary medications, injections, or surgery
• Are willing to invest time and effort into their own recovery
• Need someone who will look beyond the painful area to find the root cause
• Value quality one-on-one time over high-volume clinics

Great results with:

• Chronic back and neck pain
• Shoulder injuries and rotator cuff issues
• Knee pain (including ACL recovery)
• Foot and ankle pain
• Running injuries
• Weightlifting injuries and programming
• Sports performance optimization
• Postpartum return to activity
• Golf-related injuries
• Plantar fasciitis
• Complex pain that hasn't responded to other treatment

Not a fit:

Patients looking for a quick fix or passive treatment. If you're not ready to commit to lifestyle changes and consistent effort outside the clinic, this approach won't work.

What to expect

Your first visit lasts about 90 minutes and includes a comprehensive head-to-toe assessment, conversation about your life demands, and realistic goal-setting. Follow-up sessions are 60 minutes. Most patients see significant improvement within 6-8 visits. The practice offers prepaid packages based on your recommended visits, with continued discounted rates if additional care is needed.