Podcasts

In this episode of the Postural Restoration podcast I start off the year by reflecting on the past with none other than Susan Henning. Susan’s career has led her through various chapters of clinical growth but finding a likeminded thought process and sensory based system like Postural Restoration, remains a highlight of her journey. Susan graduated from NYU in 1986 with a BA in Physical Therapy. She worked in major medical centers first in New York City, later in San Francisco, CA. Her early interest was in neurological rehabilitation. Due to a longstanding interest in dance and movement she began studies in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy in the early 90’s. She pursued training in manual physical therapy approaches including Paris, Maitland, Mulligan and Jackson. But perhaps one of her biggest interests lays in the study of sensory awareness. From early on in her career Susan sought after schools of thinking that integrated holistic sensory based concepts and this led her to the work of Charolette Silver. This mindset has remained throughout her career as she has aimed to enrich her patients lives through sense of ones self.

One of her earliest clinical settings was in a SNIF facility where she was introduced to Sangini Rane. Together they remained interested in furthering their education and through this journey were introduced to other like minded individuals such as Kyndall Boyle and Jean Masse through a Maitland certification course. Later on the opportunity would arise for Susan to purchase Advance Physical Therapy in Chapel Hill, NC, from Krista Clark who instructed her Maitland coursework. From its beginning Advance Physical Therapy has strived to incorporate sensory integration with each patient. Today it is recognized for its focus on the treatment and prevention of scoliosis and other spinal dysfunctions. As a PRI center Advance physical therapy and all of its clinicians offer a unique skillset applying PRI within this population.

In 2002 Susan was introduced to the extraordinary work of Ron Hruska, and Postural Restoration. She was immediately drawn to its holistic, biomechanically based concepts and powerful therapeutic techniques. This was the beginning of a major paradigm shift in her way of viewing and treating dysfunction. She was later certified as a Postural Restoration Therapist in 2008. For Susan not only was the science and techniques themselves so powerful, but the family nature of the institute and those who at the time were involved with its growth, provided Susan with the desire to continue to return to PRI courses and learn more. Beginning in 2004 attending the newly offered Advanced Integration course, Susan has not missed this 4-day course since and has now contributed to day 4 “curvature of the spine” for many years. Her early attendance alongside Joe Belding, PT, PRC, was pivotal in the creation of what is now discussed as PRI Anatomy Families by Color. Her dedication and contributions to this course over the years has continued to grow as fellow colleagues Jean Masse and Lisa Mangino continue to present their work together alongside Susan each year.

Susan has continued to pursue the complexities of Postural Restoration rehabilitation. Her fascination with asymmetry, respiration and movement brought about an interest in scoliosis. And in 2013, Susan was certified in Schroth based scoliosis rehabilitation as taught by the Barcelona Scoliosis Physical Therapy School. She is very interested in combining these two tri-planar, asymmetrical and respiratory based methodologies to provide powerful treatment tools for this complex condition.  In 2014, Susan was honored to be invited as a member of SOSORT – The ‘International Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment‘.  She is one of only a handful of American Physical Therapists with this designation. More recently this led to the opportunity to co-author alongside her colleagues, “Postural Restoration: A Tri-Planar Asymmetrical Framework for Understanding, Assessing, and Treating Scoliosis and Other Spinal Dysfunctions” which was published in “Innovations in Spinal Deformaities and Postural Disorders” in 20217.

Susan remains passionate about the ever evolving science of Postural Restoration and incorporating all of her education, especially Scroth based therapy to it. This has led to the creation of the S.T.R.A.T.E.R Scoliosis Institute, which stands for “Spinal Triplanar Rehabilitation for Asymmetrical Torsion with Exercise & Respiration”. This endeavor is dedicated to the education of physical therapy professionals for the safe and effective treatment of scoliosis incorporating PRI concepts and approved techniques.

In this episode of the Postural Restoration Podcast I am delighted to talk with Ruth Hennessy who has spent her career combining the studies of bodywork and movement with her classical education as a singing and voice coach. While growing up Ruth was exposed to many styles of singing but it was her mother, a professional opera singer who first introduced her to implementing yoga and other "bodywork" routines into her personal voice development. Since then Ruth has constantly experimented with various forms of movement techniques bridging the gap between the physical body and the auditory production of sound. Her career has led her to teach many professional singers of various backgrounds, as well as average individuals working on their own vocal production. Her experience has allowed her to share her teachings in various collegiate settings and most recently through "Hennessy Breath and Body" teachings and workshops.

Her history involves the study of numerous "bodywork" modalities some which are commonly known such as Yoga, Pilates, The Alexander Technique, and the Thompson Method, while others took her on journeys less traveled which she discusses during our conversation. Ruth considers herself a Polyglot (in the educational sense) and continues to search for others like her to learn from and collaborate with. Some of her closest Mentors include Kathy Thompson, Joan Lader, and Karen Coe who she partners with in NYC. The difference between  her and others around her is her ability to look at more then just the "little box" while including the structure and physiological function of what positions the voice box itself and helps guide its production of sound. Ruth has long incorporated the breath and breathing mechanics into her work and eventually this would overlap with the Concepts of PRI.

While looking for speakers for our annual interdisciplinary integration symposium in 2019 titled "Airway Oscillation: An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Production of Voice, Airflow, and Resonance Frequency Breathing" Ron was led to Ruth and quickly saw her passion for an integrated approach. While looking into her work, Ron noticed Ruth’s use of balloons on her website during her workshop and knew he wanted to learn more.  This relationship has since led not only to her presentation during the 2019 symposium but to integrating this these concepts side by side with Ron and her singers in NYC and through virtual consults.

Because of their time together, these workshops, and their shared clients over the past few years, Ron’s interest and research in the study of voice production has led to our new upcoming course tiltled "Voicebox Resonation, An Integrated Approach in the Management of Hypopharyngeal Dysfunction". Ron joins us to discuss how their time together and Ruths work as a whole have influenced his thoughts regarding this material and what this course will take into consideration. He is excited to discuss topics like neural entrainment, re-patterning, and an introceptive perception of the voice through body language, and will be discussing the voicebox from a "Pressure box" perspective. Visit Hennessy Breath and Bodywork for more information about Ruth or our website to join us for Voicebox Resonation!

Listen to this episode here.

In this episode of the Postural Restoration Podcast Kasey Ratliff, PT, DPT, PRC  joins us to discuss her PRI journey which most recently has provided her the opportunity to become our newest Faculty member. Kasey graduated  from Texas State University, San Marcos, with an emphasis in Exercise Sports Science and Psychology. Her interests in human behavior and helping people, led to later attending PT school at the University of Texas Galveston, medical branch. Upon graduating Kasey started her career in a larger outpatient setting near Fort Worth and discusses the transition as a new graduate into her first clinical setting as a therapist.

After remaining in this setting for several years Kasey moved to Austin in search of a different setting. It was there that her search led her to Star Physical Therapy, the first Postural Restoration Center in Texas. Working alongside two Postural Restoration Certified providers, Jon Hupp and Steve Cuddy, she was quickly introduced to the science of Postural Restoration and its clinical implementation. Through this introduction Kasey completed her first Myokinematic Restoration course in 2011 with Jennifer Poulin. Kasey’s time at Star Physical Therapy allowed her to build her general understanding of PRI concepts while being mentored by those around her.  After several years practicing in Austin Kasey moved back to Forth Worth to be closer to family. In 2015 Kasey started her private practice PRISM Physical Therapy.

Through her practice Kasey is able to provide longer, individualized sessions guiding each patient through their unique treatment goals. PRISM DPT is located within the GO Sports Complex and allows her to work and integrate her knowledge alongside athletes and the general public of all ages and levels. In this episode Kasey discusses some of the differences between her clientele and clinical approach within these populations. While building her practice Kasey’s interest in the science of PRI remained strong as she traveled to many courses across the country. In 2016 Kasey received her PRC credential alongside three other Texas residents.

Continuing to build relationships with other PRC’s and like minded professionals in the state, Kasey discusses her journey of building an integrative team of providers. Working closely with several other PRC’s in the state and building relationships with dentists and optometrists in the area allow her to offer further integration to her patients. In 2019 Kasey began training to become the newest member of our PRI Faculty.  Over the course of 2019 she had an opportunity to teach and hone in on her understanding and presentation of the Myokinematic Restoration course alongside many other faculty members. Although her first course as a solo presenter was slightly delayed due to the COVID 19 pandemic, Kasey recently taught her first Myokinematic Restoration course as both a Live and Live Stream offering.

Listen to Episode 25 here

In this episode of the Postural Restoration Podcast we are joined by Neal Hallinan, CSCS, LMT, PRT who provides a unique understanding of the science of PRI, through his first hand experience as both a patient and Postural Restoration Trained (PRT) Provider. Neal’s career started in the field of Information Technology and through several life events and the pursuit of finding something he was truly passionate about, his path lead him to the study of movement. Throughout his early life Neal recalls a longstanding history of pain. His history included not only Hip Impingement, but also periods of plantar fasciitis, neck and back spasms, tinnitus, and general tensegrity across his joints. During a period of time spent living in Brazil, Neal first recognized the freedom of movement that many people living there expressed through dance. As his introduction and interest in this art of expression grew Neal spent considerable time learning the steps and sequences of various styles of dance and fell in love with the influences of rhythm, percussion and beat that were included.

Through his newly discovered interest in various forms of dancing, Neal recognized a relationship between his hip mobility and a decrease in his plantar fasciitis, and became curious to learn more. His interest in movement eventually led him to become an ACE certified Personal Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA. It was while reading an article on Eric Cressey’s Blog, that Neal was first exposed to the science of PRI. This discussion introduced Neal to the influence of respiration and breathing mechanics of which at the time he had never considered. Neal took his first Myokinematic Restoration course to better understand the relationship of "Lumbo-Pelvic-Femoral Pathomechanics" and first learned about the L AIC Pattern.

"This was it" Neal recalls. As he had finally found answers to the patterns and positions he had noticed over time in his own body. From there Neal started recognizing and studying the patterns as described and addressed through PRI coursework. Neal discusses the influences our everyday lives contribute to these patterns and how his job as a provider and trainer is to not only recognize where and why they exist, but also use the correct terminology in addressing these patterns with his clientele. Neal’s patient perspective and his own journey through pain and discomfort provide him a unique foundation for helping others. He recalls his own personal journey changing when he could fully appreciate grounding and true sensory integration for the first time and discusses how in today’s virtual world he tries to help his clients achieve the same level of sensory awareness through the use of PRI based principles and techniques.

Today Neal offers a variety of resources not only for his clients but for the PRI community as a whole. Through his website and training (pritrainer.com) or his broad YouTube Channel, hundreds of people searching for this science are provided with additional resources and information to guide them. Neal continues to instruct and remains active through various dance classes and instructing people primarily through Salsa based styles. Neal’s interest in Latin motion and so many other forms of rhythmic movement, provided a natural fit to this years 12th Annual Interdisciplinary Integration Symposium, focusing on movement disorders and Basal Ganglia Disease. Together with Ron Hruska, Neal walks us through some of the topics he will be presenting and how these concepts will tie into movement disorders as a whole through collaboration with fellow presenter Jennifer Smart.

Listen to Episode 24

In this episode of the Postural Restoration Podcast I sat down with Jennifer Smart, PT, DPT, PRC who practices clinically in Oriental, NC incorporating PRI principles and many other modalities with her patients who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and those who she believes exhibit “Parkinson’s like” symptoms before they are diagnosed. Jennifer discusses the impact that her life story has had on her clinical practice, including many trips across the Atlantic navigating the seas on her small sailboat. These experiences and interacting with a diverse set of  mentors and patients have collectively led to her current understanding of neurological flow, perception of time and ground forces all used for human patterned stability.

Jennifer earned both a Bachelor’s of Science and Doctorate of Physical Therapy Degree and because of the influences of neurological timing and one’s position in space whether at sea or on land, her interest in involuntary neurological movement disorders grew. After starting her clinical journey in Oriental, NC Jennifer sailed to Samoa and had the opportunity to work as the head Physical Therapist for the Samoan Olympic team. It was during this experience that she appreciated the influence of pressure and air flow throughout the body while working with an Olympic power lifter. After returning to the U.S. her love for cycling stemmed from her perception of time and her desire to decrease her speed of travel as her body became used to the slow, calculated and predictable movement across open water. Jennifer was introduced to the science of PRI through her cycling interest and a “Bike Fitting” article authored by Faculty Member Lori Thomsen. To this day Jennifer incorporates cycling with numerous clients who have been diagnosed with PD and other autonomic disorders.

After her first few courses and clinical experimentation incorporating PRI techniques into her clinical practice she had finally felt that the patterns she had recognized through her own journey were being studied and discussed by someone else. Jennifer completed twelve courses over the span of the next two years and became certified as part of the 2015 PRC Class. Jennifer has extensive training in “LSVT”, “PWR”, Rock Steady Boxing, and has attended and contributed to numerous Parkinson’s organizations, including the World Parkinson Congress. She has used these and various other modalities to incorporate PRI into her daily practice and weekly classes offered to her patients and individuals of all backgrounds experiencing involuntary movement disorders. Jennifer in collaboration with Ron Hruska discusses her upcoming presentations as part of this years 12th Annual Interdisciplinary Integration Symposium  “Basal Ganglia Disease – An Interdisciplinary Approach in the Management of Kinesia Paradoxica” alongside Neal Hallinan. You can read more about Jennifer’s topics of discussion and this years symposium held on April 22-23rd by visiting our website.

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In this episode of the Postural Restoration Podcast I sat down with Jason Masek, MA, PT, ATC, CSCS, PRC who I have been fortunate to know and learn from over the past 20 years. Jason Received his undergraduate degree in Athletic Training at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and went on to earn his Masters in Kinesiology in Minnesota while working as a graduate assistant Athletic Trainer for the Golden Gopher Football Program. Jason’s Athletic Training knowledge between these two programs covered a span of 6 years as he studied under and was mentored by a handful of Hall of Fame Athletic trainers. While at Nebraska he was fortunate to see the program earn two National Championships. Following his Athletic Training years and completing his masters, Jason earned his Physical Therapy degree from what was then know as the Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center. This unique schooling offered him further exposure to holistic thinking and treatment approaches during his time there.

Jason was initially introduced to Ron Hruska while working with continuous hip and groin injuries during his time with Nebraska Athletics. While at the same time being introduced to the concepts behind the Protonics "knee brace", the use of repositioning activities and respiratory mechanics including the use of balloons. Jason carried with him some of this prior knowledge of the work Ron was doing to Minnesota, but it was not until his Physical Therapy clinical rotation that he would be able to further see and experience the use of these concepts on a broader scale alongside Ron and his patients. Through this opportunity and continual interest in this approach, following PT school Jason joined the Hruska Clinic shortly after it was established in 1999. In these first years each day was a new learning experience as the earliest form of the science of Postural Restoration was being implemented. Exercise techniques were drawn by hand, new positions were tried and tested and the foundation for the science as we know it today was solidified.

Working alongside Ron for over 20 years has provided them both with immense mentorship, clinical experimentation, and trust for the process as it has continued to evolve. The Hruska Clinic which has continued to grow and influence the ongoing evolution of this science, has always served as a clinical home of PRI as Jason and his colleagues continue their life long learning and integration of multidisciplinary care for their patients. Jason’s close connection to Ron and this approach over the last two decades has allowed him and the rest of the Hruska Clinic therapists to be part of and further develop the ongoing research, training, and clinical implementation of the science of Postural Restoration. Jason was part of the first ever Postural Restoration Certified Class of 2004 and alongside several other clinicians helped lay the foundation for this Credential and the 250 plus professionals that have completed the process since then.

Jason has supported the science in many ways throughout the years and has had numerous opportunities to influence others on personal, local, and national scales. He has presented through the National Athletic Training Association, National Strength and Conditioning Association and many other organizations in an effort to introduce the concepts of respiration, neutrality and a multiple systems approach furthering these professions and their integration with other professionals. Jason continues to be passionate for ongoing research while appreciating that the research is many times already there if you are willing to look outside your current framework to find it.

Listen to Episode 22 here.

In this episode of the Postural Restoration Podcast I sit down with Lisa Mangino, PT, DPT, PCS, C/NDT, PRC. Lisa graduated from Duke University earning a Masters in Physical Therapy in 1999 and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2000 as part of the first doctoral class. During her doctoral program Lisa had the opportunity to get involved with a clinical affiliation in Pediatrics and subsequently her passion for clinical treatment within this population grew. During her undergraduate years Lisa played Lacrosse at Penn State and always saw herself working in a Sports Rehabilitation setting, however her love for Pediatrics grew and she has continued working with this population since. Following the completion of her PT degrees Lisa continued her journey at the University working in various pediatric settings. Her time at Duke would expose her to acute care, home health, and outpatient PT through the Duke University Medical Center.

Lisa walks us through her early clinical years and some of the common diagnosis’s, treatments and interventions used to treat a wide-ranging spectrum of gross motor limitations with early childhood development. Through the management of her own dysfunction and seeking help from other clinicians for her personal limitations and injuries, Lisa found out about the Postural Restoration Institute through colleague Kim Keyser, PT, PRC. By listening to others dialogue about PRI within the clinic, Lisa became eager to learn the concepts that others around her were beginning to learn. This eventually led her to her first Myokinematics course in 2009 with James Anderson. She quickly began using these concepts including respiration as a neurological tool to treat tightness and other symptoms commonly addressed through stretching at the time. As Lisa continued her education with the institute she would later take a course at Advance Physical Therapy in Chapel Hill who at the time happened to be looking to add a new PT to their team. In 2014 Lisa joined Susan Henning, Jean Masse and Joe Belding at Advance Physical Therapy and began structuring her own Pediatric program. In the same year she went on to earn her PRC while becoming certified in Schroth based Scoliosis training and continues to use this method in the treatment and prevention of Pediatric Scoliosis while integrating PRI concepts.

Lisa has always had the desire to teach others throughout her life and through the integration of PRI into her daily activities began thinking about the possibility of some day sharing this passion with others. After several years of creating and compiling numerous Pediatric PRI based Play activities and tests, in 2019 Lisa taught the first PRI Integration for Pediatrics Affiliate course under the guidance and mentorship of James Anderson. Lisa discusses the layout and incorporation of these activities within the Pediatrics course as well as the general course layout and structure, specifically highlighting categories of more involved vs. less involved activities and the overall outcome goals of specific desired sequential movement levels (DSM) that are discussed during these two days. Lisa is excited to offer this course as a live stream for the first time this November and continue to share her experience with others.

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In the 20th episode of the Postural Restoration Podcast I am joined by Michael Mullin to discuss his journey of applying the science of Postural Restoration concepts over the course of nearly two decades. Michael currently practices as a clinical Athletic Trainer through Integrative Rehab Training LLC and Back Cove Personal Fitness in Portland Maine. Michael has been involved in various sport settings from early on in his career which eventually led him to use this experience in a more clinical setting while integrating multiple methods of rehabilitation strategies into one model. In this episode Michael discusses some of the differences associated with the management of a wide-ranging client base, and how he relies on various strategies to meet each client at their individual level. Although each of these individual clients are unique in their own compensation patterns and movement dysfunction, we discuss how many of them can be addressed the same through the lens of respiration by setting a strong foundation through the appreciation of breathing mechanics.

Michael discusses his early interest in education and seeking answers to questions that at the time were not being addressed. After discovering Ron Hruska’s work through an article titled “Hamstring injuries require triplanar assessment” he took his first PRI course in 2002 and began searching for other like-minded clinicians willing to ask and seek answers to some of these same questions. Through his course history with the institute Michael continued to grow along side it while discovering others who also shared his passion for integration and continued education. Michael became Postural Restoration Certified as part of the 2011 class, in which there are now over 200 certified clinicians throughout the world.

Since then Michael has built his practice of Integrative Rehab Training LLC offering his skillset to a wide-ranging clientele. Michael has worked with all ends of the human spectrum, including dancers, skiers, singers, and all levels of athletes with various other sports. Throughout the various settings in his career, Michael has had the opportunity to host several PRI courses and continues to integrate with multiple organizations and models. He has furthered his knowledge and understanding of his truly integrative approach through these opportunities and through teaching these concepts to others. He has consulted and spoken through various professional organizations including many national and international Perform Better summits, private in services and on a daily basis with his clients. Michael is passionate about sharing his experiences with others as he aims to help them avoid any mistakes he himself has learned from throughout his career. This passion has continued to inspire others and has even led to his son Mitchell earning his own degree in Athletic Training as he hopes to continue to grow and practice alongside his dad.

Listen to Episode 20

In this episode of the Postural Restoration Podcast I sit down with PRT Jessica Tidswell. Jess is a Physcial Therapist, Athletic Trainer, and Associate Professor for the University of Utah Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training. While growing up on the east coast Jess quickly became fond of skiing and spent much of her childhood Ski Racing in Vermont. This led her to Montana State University as part of the Ski Team which further developed her love for the sport. Jess later attended Duke University seeking her degree in Physical Therapy, a few years behind Affiliate Faculty Lisa Mangino. Her residency during PT school would late allow her to return to the sport as she was able to work in Salt Lake City during the 2002 Olympic year.

Following PT school, Jess worked as a Physical Therapist for the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team traveling with them for several seasons. She then returned to Salt Lake City and was finally able to begin working towards her second bachelors degree in Athletic Training. As an Athletic Training student, Jess simultaneously continued working for the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team, and the University of Utah Football team not only as an Athletic Training Student but also through the Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation department as a Physical Therapist. During her time with the Utes, they would go undefeated and end their season beating Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.

Following her Athletic Training degree Jess worked at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Center of Excellence as it opened its doors in Park City Utah. Throughout her years working with the Paralympic and U.S. Ski Teams, Jess was introduced to PRI through her friend and colleague Jodi Riml. She recalls the first time she performed a PRI Wall Reach and the explosion of sensory awareness that this and other positional activities allowed her to expand upon. Shortly after she signed up and completed all three Primary Courses online, and attended her first Live course, Impingement & Instability with James Anderson. As her experience and implementation of the science grew, she applied for the PRT credential after discerning that this credential was indeed a better fit in her current performance setting and background in Athletics. Jess became Postural Restoration Trained as part of the 2018 PRT Class.

In her current role as an Assistant Professor, Jess has introduced and incorporated PRI into many of her students curriculum. While overseeing several semesters of Independent Studies with her Athletic Training students Jess has facilitated and guided many of them through the completion of various Primary Course Home Studies, helping her students learn the basic concepts of the Postural Restoration Institute for the first time. Through the completion of this course work online and in preparation of her own remote teaching protocols, Jess has enjoyed experiencing several PRI Live Stream courses and highlights the opportunity to continue to progress through the science of PRI in our current times. Jess looks forward to the semester ahead while preparing her own virtual curriculum and is hopeful to return to the slopes once again this season. Jess remains an active volunteer and continues her work with the US Ski team and International Paralympic Committee between time spent enjoying all of the recreational activity that Utah has to offer.

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Jessica Tidswell Find a Provider Page

 In this Episode of the Postural Restoration Podcast I am joined by PRT, and head Athletic Trainer for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Neil Rampe. From his beginnings in collegiate sports as a Strength Coach, and Athletic Trainer, Neil has continued to grow in his approach by utilizing and learning a vast array of treatment methods and has gained vast amounts of knowledge through the use and integration of numerous techniques. Beyond his training as an Athletic Trainer and Strength Coach he holds a degree in Applied Kinesiology, is a liscensed Massage Therapist through the AMTA and NCBTMB, certified as a Functional Range Release provider, certified Fascial Distortion Model provider, certified Fascial Manipulation provider and has been a certified Active Release Techniques provider.

Throughout the start of his career Neil worked primarily in the collegiate setting working with a variety of sports and athletes at the University of Minnesota, Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, and the University of Arizona. During his time at the U of A, Neil was introduced to like-minded individuals such as Nate Shaw and Ken Crenshaw at the Arizona Diamondbacks, forming relationships over the discussion of sports medicine and the roles each of them play in the management of a holistic approach. These relationships would lead him to a newly created position as the first Manual Performance Therapist on staff as part of the Diamondbacks team.

Being mentored by and spending his first years in professional baseball with the Diamondbacks allowed him to gain a better appreciation for what it means to form and be part of an Integrative Athletic Medicine team and how individual roles contributed to player performance. After 8 invaluable seasons with the Diamondback family, Neil accepted a position as the head Athletic Trainer with the Dodgers. applying what he learned and contributed in Phoenix to this new setting.

Neil was first exposed to PRI through a friend and colleague, Paul Myers, as he attended his first Myokinematic Restoration Course in Chanlder, AZ hosted by Allan Gruver in 2006. Following this first introduction to our science Neil was able to quickly attend several other PRI courses held throughout Arizona and began applying the concepts learned. After attending Advanced Integration in 2010 Neil was intrigued by the PRC application process and was part of the early discussions in the formation of the PRT process and credential. Shortly after Neil became Postural Restoration Trained as part of the second ever PRT class.

His knowledge and understanding in various approaches allows him to apply PRI into and alongside the use of fascial release and several other tools utilized within his performance team. Neil works continuously with each athlete and each member of his staff to provide the most integrative and individualized approach to treatment as possible. His roles include not only player personnel but also performance staff management and the communication between the two, required through all portions of Spring Training, In-Season and Off-Season play. He continues to be both a Mentor and Mentee within the program and plays many roles throughout each season.

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In the 12th Episode of the Postural Restoration Podcast, I am joined by Louise Kelley, DPT, PRC, who currently practices out of Rockville, MD. Louise began her career in movement and science as an avid runner and ran throughout her formidable years and throughout college. It wasn’t until rehabbing an injury with an Athletic Trainer that Louise became interested in movement science and Athletic Medicine. Although she was a Pre-Med student at the time she had little interest in becoming an MD and spent many years volunteering and ingraining herself in various sports medicine settings.

She later attended Emory University, where she earned her Masters of Physical Therapy in 1989. Louise enjoyed the Neurological approach to learning that they offered, as well as learning about various methodology such as NDT, PNF, Brunnstrom and a heavy focus on Chest Physical Therapy of all things! Louise has always been a lifelong learner and eventually returned to PT school over two decades later, to earn her Doctorate of Physical Therapy. This allowed Louise not only to earn the most current degree in PT, but also gave her an appreciation for how the practice was currently being taught.

Louise started her career working for the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C., and spent many years with "NRH" in a vast array of settings. Her mentor Jan Dommerholt would eventually ask her to take part in several program developments and her time with NRH lead to time treating many subsets of patients including, Prenatal, Singers, Dancers, time in a Post-Polio outpatient clinic, and Lymphedema among many others. Her first PRI exposure was during a Phil Donnelly course in which PRI was mentioned. After discovering Ron Hruska’s article on the "Tri-Planar Influences of the Hamstring", she was hooked.

Her co-worker at the time, Cindy Anderson (who is now a PRC clinician as well), took Myokinematic Restoration and shared her discoveries from the course upon returning to the clinic. Finally Louise attended her first course in 2007 in Lancaster, PA, with James Anderson. Coincedentally, Mike Cantrell was also in attendance and provided a welcome surprise as Louise and Mike were part of the same graduating class at Emory. After being exposed to PRI, Louise incorporated concepts into several new outpatient settings and although she was able to see a wide ranging clientele she was limited in how she was able to use the science.

Louise became Postural Restoration Certified™ in 2011 after attending Advanced Integration and feeling ready to further her PRI journey. Shortly after, Louise became more involved with the Institute through helping Julie Blandin structure and piece together parts of the PRI Integration for Fitness & Movement material. Through this process she was recognized for her dedication and passion for the science and later was asked to become part of the PRI Faculty, teaching Postural Respiration. Eventually, Louise started her own practice, "Kelley PT" in 2017 and has been able to implement PRI with all her patients since. Louise continues to remain active in various running communities and plans to continue to train for the World Masters Championship in 2022.

Listen to the Podcast Here.

In the 11th episode of the Postural Restoration Podcast, I am joined by Dr. Robert “Skip” George, DC, CSCS, CCSP, PRC who represents our only Chiropractic Physician part of the PRI Faculty. Skip grew up and spent his formidable years in 1970’s Los Angeles. Growing up in Hollywood introduced Skip to a vast array of settings and relationships. From a young age Skip fell in love with the sport of Down Hill Skiing and spent many days on the downhill runs of the Sierra Nevada’s. In fact, Skip would later go on to attend his collegiate years in Lake Tahoe at Sierra Nevada University. Following his time in school Skip returned home and found himself working at a near by Airport driving a fuel truck. Although unforeseen, at this time he thought his future would be in flying.
It wasn’t until working at a local health club known as “Vince’s Gym” and being mentored by “Dr. T” that Skip was introduced to the field of Chiropractic. Skip returned to the Hollywood scene and spent a while working with “Dr. T” in his Universal Studios clinic. It was there that Skip learned about patient care and what this setting was truly like. After receiving his Doctor of Chiropractic degree, Skip quickly incorporated many forms of treatment into his approach, Studying Landa, Palmer and other Prague based techniques he quickly grew his career.

For the greater part of that journey, Skip has resided in La Jolla, California and now operates out of his private clinic, “La Jolla Sport and Spine”. Skip has longed shared space in this setting with his “building partner” John Swain who is also a Licensed massage therapist and strength coach. It was John who first introduced Skip to PRI over a lunch shared with Dr. Craig Liebenson at an annual chiropractic convention. Skip attended his first course with James Anderson, and was called out immediately on day one for being late! Skip returned back to his clinic and was again greeted by James via the Myokinematic Home Study that his building partner John was watching at the time. He couldn’t escape!

Skip quickly began implementing PRI into his approach and immediately found it to work perfectly within his other forms of treatment and in unison with manual intervention when needed. In 2014 Skip became the first Chiropractic Doctor to receive his PRC credential. Following this involvement and his passion for this science Skip was asked to join the PRI Faculty and taught his first course in 2016. Skip currently teaches Postural Respiration and Cervical Revolution, and we look forward to working with him and other Chiropractors across the country in growing our involvement and integration with the field.

Skip is an avid skier, gardener and most recently author as he has published many articles and discussions about the integration of PRI within the Chiropractic field for publications such as “Dynamic Chiropractic”. He has presented with groups such as the American Chiropractic Association Rehab Council and many others, and continues to be a mentor to many others learning the science of PRI.

Listen to the Podcast Here.

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