Mike Danenberg
Since the age of fourteen, Mike Danenberg has worked in the Health Care industry. Straight out of high school, Mike enlisted in the Marine Corps. He eventually got hurt and decided it was best to go back to school. Mike now holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology and Sports Medicine. During his college years, he worked as a medic, Dive Rescue Specialist and extrication technician with Charleston County Rescue. Afterwards, Mike worked with the Citadel's Army rangers designing their strength and conditioning regimes. He then became the fitness director of a wellness center in Charleston, SC, designing rehab programs for athletes as well as developing his Efficient Run Technique, which he still teaches today.
He was recruited to be the fitness director at King's Sports Complex and moved to Charlotte in 1995. He taught Neuromuscular Therapy, Anatomy and Physiology, and Palpatory Anatomy at the South Eastern School for Neuromuscular and Massage Therapy. Soon after, Mike received his credentials in Active Release Techniques (ART) from Dr, P. Michael Lehy.
In 1997, Mike opened his first practice in Lake Norman, NC and developed Performance Therapy®®. He then became the ART therapist for the Carolina Panthers from 1999 through the 2001 season.
MMike opened Performance Therapy’s South Charlotte office in 2007, which allowed him to utilize the entire vision he had by adding the rehab/prehab component. Mike and the team at Performance Therapy offer clinics to help runners from new to elite, perform better resulting in faster, more efficient running gaits.
He added an additional Soft Tissue Specialist and two strength coaches. In 2011, Mike partnered with Brad McKay to open Performance Therapy in Greenville, SC. Shortly after, he added another Soft Tissue Specialist to both the Charlotte and Greenville office. In 2019, the team became credentialed in Integrative Diagnosis. We are very proud to currently be the only full-body certified Integrative Diagnosis office in the state of North and South Carolina. Mike is excited to come to the office each day to help patients find relief from chronic pain and to help those who have been failed by the traditional model of conservative care.
With over 23 years of experience, Mike continues to treat professional, collegiate, junior and high school athletes from all types of sports. He frequently works with college, high school and professional teams helping the athletes with their running gaits, biomechanics, and injuries. Mike's unique approach with Performance Therapy does not limit him to athletes. Everyone can benefit from his unique style of therapy.
Testimonial
"I started working with Mike Danenberg about a year ago, after developing significant knee pain that set me back in my training and causing me to miss my "A" race. I had seen a number of medical professionals and treatments, which left me with big expenses but no progress. Within a short time under his guidance, I have bounced back better than ever, achieving several racing goals."
"During the Pinhoti 100 a couple weeks ago, I was really struggling. I thought about what Mike taught me in regards to racing running form and applied his techniques. Around mile 55, I started to have IT band pain around my knee. I immediately recognized that bad form was causing the problem and adjusted by leaning forward (and going fast!) I ran relatively pain-free from that point on and finished with the most incredible PR yet. I believed I could crack a 24 hour finish, hoped to come in around 22, and was shocked to see my overall time of 21:31:56."
"Mike and the staff at Performance Therapy accurately assesses form and technique as indicators of potential injury. It's not always easy work, sometimes challenging to correct bad habits, but it has helped me be a better-informed and mindful athlete. I owe much of that to Mike's keen eye, excellent advice and continual feedback."
Scott Harber
Ultramarathon Runner