Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles Starr.
Hi Charles, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I didn’t begin my career as a Myofascial Release expert. In fact, my path toward healing was anything but linear. My twenties and thirties were spent crisscrossing the country, following opportunities that shaped both my curiosity and my character. I first landed in New York City to study acting, where yoga was woven into the curriculum. What started as a requirement quickly became a grounding practice, something that stayed with me long after I left the stage lights behind.
From New York, I moved to Los Angeles, chasing the dream of an acting career while working full-time and deepening my yoga practice on the side. However, in 2001, I was feeling the pull of home. I returned to Columbus, Ohio, to be closer to my family; closer to my roots. I earned my yoga teaching certification and taught part-time, balancing the studio with a full-time job for the next seven years. Still, something tugged at me. Yoga brought people peace, clarity, and strength, but there was more that I wanted to offer; there was more I could help people uncover within their own bodies.
At the age of 44, I made a bold decision: to return to school. In 2011, I earned my Doctorate of Physical Therapy from The Ohio State University, stepping fully into a vocation grounded in science, service, and compassion.
Eight years later in 2019, I opened my first physical therapy clinic, Starr Spine Physical Therapy and Wellness, with a mission that was as simple as it was ambitious: to help people live fuller, happier lives with less pain. As a traditional functional physical therapist, I guided many patients to improved mobility and, for some, complete relief. Yet a particular group lingered in my mind: those whose pain didn’t match their scans, whose symptoms persisted even when everything “looked fine.” I knew their suffering was real, and I felt increasingly certain that something crucial was being missed.
Then came the turning point. After attending my first John F. Barnes Myofascial Release Approach® seminar, everything clicked. It wasn’t a dramatic shift, it was more like a natural alignment. All of my years of yoga, therapeutic training, and instinctive belief in the body’s interconnectedness all converged. Myofascial Release wasn’t just another technique; it was the missing piece.
As I began integrating it into my work, the results were undeniable. Session by session, patients experienced breakthroughs that went far beyond what I’d seen before; shifts that were physical, emotional, sometimes even spiritually transformative. Those moments reaffirmed what I had always suspected: true healing is a whole-body, whole-person experience.
Today, Myofascial Release (MFR) therapy is the heartbeat of my new practice, Starr MFR PT & Wellness. I’ll be starting public yoga classes to complement my patients’ MFR treatments. And if you ask me what keeps me going, the answer is simple. I hope every person who walks through my clinic’s doors finds not just relief, but a renewed sense of possibility to feel better, move better, and ultimately live better than they ever thought they could.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The transformation from Starr Spine Physical Therapy and Wellness into Starr MFR PT & Wellness wasn’t just a rebrand; it was the realization of a vision I’ve carried for years. My education gave me confidence in treating patients, but building a practice alone and without a roadmap meant learning the business side step by step and trusting my instincts as I went. I always give The Ohio Small Business Development Center a special thanks for providing me the foundational knowledge and assistance in acquiring a loan to start off my business journey.
As the clinic grew, the need for a space became apparent. The original clinic no longer supported the scope of my vision, especially with the integration of yoga and specialty classes. Finding a larger and yoga-type aesthetic location in Columbus became the next essential step. With the help of my real estate agent, Jakob Passov, I discovered what would become the new home of the practice: 855 Grandview Avenue, Suite 210 in Columbus.
The move came with its challenges; setting up phones, internet, logistics, and managing a two-month gap between buildings. The clinic never paused; to stay afloat and continue supporting patients, I provided treatments either in my own home or at my patients’ homes until the new space was ready.
To ensure the brand grew as seamlessly as the practice itself, I brought on Megan Miracle, my assistant and director of marketing. We partner on everything: the rebrand from top to bottom, the physical signage and building decor, the website, social media, and updates with partner clinics and businesses.
Through entire history of my clinics, anytime obstacles or challenges arose, they would strengthen my beliefs, lock my eyes on what the reason behind this business is, and continue working. Every time that situations felt dire, divine providence would always come and settle everything at the last minute. It was a sign to me that I was on the right path.
Today, Starr MFR PT & Wellness stands as the refined expression of my mission: a space designed for healing, movement, and the transformative power of Myofascial Release Therapy. It’s now the evolving outcome of belief, adaptation, and the willingness to build something more than I originally imagined when I first started.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Starr MFR PT & Wellness?
At Starr MFR PT & Wellness, we specialize in something most of mainstream healthcare overlooks: the fascia (the connective tissue that shapes, supports, and influences every system of the body). Located in Columbus, Ohio, our clinic is known for practicing the John F. Barnes Myofascial Release Approach®. It’s a hands-on, whole-body treatment that addresses pain at its source rather than simply managing symptoms.
We work with a wide range of patients: individuals sore from day-to-day activity, people seeking holistic preventative care, and those recovering from surgery who want a more natural path to healing. Many patients also come for “maintenance sessions,” where we address the tension and restrictions that naturally accumulate over time. We’re also known for treating highly complex patients who have seen multiple doctors without answers, many of whom live with chronic conditions that conventional imaging and testing can’t fully explain. While we never promise to cure a diagnosis, we can significantly reduce pain, restore mobility, and help the body heal by working directly with the fascial system.
What sets us apart is treating using the John F. Barnes Myofascial Release Approach®. It’s a specialized, all-comprehensive, lesser known but crucial to healing and pain management. Fascia influences muscles, bones, joints, nerves; essentially everything. Myofascial Release Therapy can be applied anywhere on the body, and has significant results on the patients who receive it. We are one of very few Physical Therapy Clinics that is centered solely on treating Fascia, the body’s connective tissue.
Our patients would say that it’s not just the treatment that I specialize in that set’s us apart alone; it’s the atmosphere of the staff and clinic. Megan and I, selected the space, and designed everything within it to stimulate healing. From entering the clinic’s calming lobby with a cloud ceiling, to the aroma people smell when they walk in, the welcoming “hello’s” from the team, the quiet one-on-one sessions with me, as well as physically feeling the healing through the treatment itself; all of it is designed for the ultimate healing experience for patients.
Brand-wise, one of the things we’re most proud of is our commitment to education. We don’t just treat people, we teach them. Patients’ healing is a collaboration from the point of patients telling us their story to treatment, to teaching them self-care in order to make the most out of their clinic sessions with us. This also empowers them to know and better understand caring for their bodies long after they leave the clinic. Whether they continue with us or choose to maintain their progress independently, they carry the knowledge with them. For many, it becomes a lifestyle shift: feeling better, moving better, and ultimately living better.
Our brand reflects that philosophy in the staff, the ambiance of the clinic, and in each of our patients. Starr MFR PT & Wellness is more than a clinic. It’s a place where people find answers, direction, possibility, and a level of healing they may not have realized was available to them.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Behind the growth of Starr MFR PT and Wellness is a support system that rarely gets mentioned, yet it has shaped every milestone along the way. Much of my success is owed to my wife, Heather, whose patience and unwavering encouragement have carried me through years of long hours, late nights, and the demanding work of building a practice from the ground up. She has consistently shared time that we could have spent together, so I could pour energy into my patients and business; she’s always been understanding of the mission behind the sacrifices.
And at home, Heather and I’s other support system is just unique: our sixteen cats. Yes, you heard that right! The Starr household is full of furry personalities who create a warm, grounding environment after long days at the clinic. That chaotic, loving little ecosystem has become part of the rhythm of our life, reminding me to decompress, laugh, and stay connected to what matters most.
The clinic may bear my name, but its foundation was built on partnership, patience, and a home full of love (and whiskers).
Pricing:
- Wellness Evaluation: $189.00
- Wellness Appointment: $162.00
- Physical Therapy Evaluation: $175.00
- Physical Therapy Appointment: $150
- Inner Web Flow Yoga Coming Soon!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.starrmfr.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starrmfrptwellness/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starrmfrpt/
