Congratulations on your recently earned designation of PRT! Can you give us a brief history of your background and how you became interested in your profession and also PRI?
I am the Director of Athletic Training Services at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. All through high school I really enjoyed sports and had an interest in medicine. My guidance counselor combined my interest in both sports and medicine and directed me into the profession of athletic training.
While working at Hampton University I was struggling with right sacro-iliac joint dysfunction. Things would get so bad I would not be able to function. One of my assistant athletic trainers would perform muscle energy to get me back into position. However, this would only hold for about ten minutes. The strength and conditioning coach said let me take a look at you and see if I could help. In need of relief I agreed to do whatever he said. After performing the PRI exercises he prescribed I would remain asymptomatic for an entire day. At this point I became intrigued and very inquisitive. After he explained the PRI concept to me I said that makes so much sense I want to know more. I took my first course in 2005 and have been using PRI ever since.
What ultimately made you decide that this designation was of value for you?
As an athletic trainer and a certified strength coach the qualifications mean that you have met set certain criteria to be recognized as a professional in that field. The PRT designation allows me to be recognized as a well trained and qualified professional in Postural Restoration. I also believe that the designation gives more support to PRI when I do presentations and publications and I can say that there is a credentialing process for PRI and I am one of those knowledgeable professionals.
What advice would you have for someone else considering the PRT process?
I would tell everyone to make sure that they take the courses a few times and really get to know the information. Make sure that you spend plenty of time preparing, have a good understanding of what is going on, and study. I really learned a great deal preparing for PRT. I believe the process of getting ready for the PRT credentialing process is as educational as taking the courses.
How do you effectively utilize the Postural Restoration course material in your daily practice? What challenges do you face and how have you overcome them?
I use PRI with every patient I see. I rarely, if ever, do traditional treatment. PRI actually makes sense and the results that I get are phenomenal. The biggest challenge that I encounter is that the majority of athletes are strongly chained PECs. They do not respond as well as traditional patients or non-athletic PECs. To overcome these challenges I do a couple of things. 1.) I will step back and take a look at the given pattern and figure out the best way to break it. I will experiment with different exercises to see what works. 2.) If I am not able to work through something I usually contact another therapist for other opinions. I have found that Raulan Young and Mike Cantrell are very helpful.
Do you have any projects or plans for 2012?
Yes. I am currently working on my PhD in Athletic Training and I have different projects that I have to do. This semester I have to write a case report and submit for publication. I am going to write about a collegiate baseball player that I successfully treated his bilateral SI joint dysfunction with prism glasses. I am also working on a research project where I am going to compare the 90/90 Hip Lift with Right Arm Reach with Balloon to the sleeper stretch. I created a baseball thrower’s prevention and treatment program that is getting a lot of attention due to its success. I may look at getting that published.
I plan on attending the Pelvis Restoration and a PRI Vision course. I also plan to mentor those who express an interest in PRI.
