Our Team | Modern Manual Therapy Blog - Manual Therapy, Videos, Neurodynamics, Podcasts, Research Reviews

Our Team





Dr. Erson Religioso III, DPT, MS, MTC, CertMDT, CFC, FMS, FMT, FAAOMPT, is a fellowship trained cash based PT practice owner, entrepreneur, blogger, and sought after lecturer in the topic of Modern Manual Therapy. He has a #CashPT Practice in the Buffalo, NY area, EDGE Rehab and Sports Science, where he specializes in TMD, headaches, spinal care, runners, gymnasts, and chronic pain. His focus is seeing the patient as little as possible, and empowering them with education, self assessment and treatment strategies.

Dr. Religioso is adjunct faculty of SUNY at Buffalo, where he teaches orthopaedic manual physical therapy in the DPT program. He also developed a line of manual therapy, mobility, fitness, strength, and rehab products along with pain science education materials at The EDGE Mobility System.

Modern Manual Therapy - The Eclectic Approach is Dr. Religioso’s line of seminars for clinicians that are taught online and in live venues around the world. The Eclectic Approach started with Modern Manual Therapy, and has expanded to include Modern Strength Training, and Modern Patient Education.

Dr. E is now offering his services as both an online clinical mentor to clinicians at Modern Rehab Mastery, travelling OMPT Fellowship mentor, online patient consultations, and online business and social media consultation, #CashPT start up with LeBauer Consulting. He also is part of media company, UpDoc Media, with 2 podcasts, Therapy Insiders and Untold Physio Stories.

Erson is a family man, married to the best woman in the world, and currently has 5 beautiful children. He enjoys running with them, watching them in competitive gymnastics and watching Disney/Pixar movies. He is also a huge tech geek and loves all things Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek. If you see Dr. E out and about, or at a seminar, ask him to grab a beer or coffee and talk about shop or anything!




Dr. Andrew S. Rothschild, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT is the first to officially join the Modern Manual Therapy Team.

“There are a few dates and events in everyone’s lives that hold a special significance–weddings, funerals, the birth of their children. For me, December 12, 2000 is the first of those. Besides my wedding and the birth of my daughter, this particular date has had the most profound effect on my life. That was when I underwent a discectomy and fusion to L4/5 for spondylolisthesis. At that time, I could barely pronounce the word much less understand the profound impact it would have on my life. As an athlete growing up, including playing college soccer (I sat on the right side of the bench) for my first two years at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA (Mary Washington College when I attended), I had fortunately only experienced minor injuries, none of which I was ever referred to physical therapy for. This would be my first exposure and it would truly change my life.

At the time, I had a BA in Geography (yes, that is a valid degree), that I didn’t know what to do with, and was working in the budding telecom field without any enthusiasm for it. As a former athlete with an interest in fitness and health, Physical Therapy provided a window into a new possibility. As we often tell our patients dealing with certain afflictions such as low back pain, management requires a “lifestyle change.” I adopted that concept wholeheartedly and have been practicing it ever since.

In 2006 I graduated with my Doctorate In Physical Therapy from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Allied Health in Richmond, VA. Soon after, I became a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and later on completed an Orthopedic Manual Therapy Residency and Fellowship through the Ola Grimsby Institute, becoming a Fellow in the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy in 2013. I have pursued numerous other continuing education avenues including McKenzie’s MDT, spinal manipulation and dry needling through Dr. James Dunning’s Spinal Manipulation Institute.

I have been a Clinical Assistant Professor at my alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University, provided guest lectures for the PT school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. and been a clinical instructor and mentor for numerous PT students as well as a mentor for Fellows-in-training. I am also an instructor with IAMT, the Institute for Advanced Musculoskeletal Techniques, teaching courses in cervico-thoracic and lumbopelvic evaluation and treatment along with exercise prescription.

I believe that it is the responsibility of us in our profession to constantly strive to provide the best and most comprehensive evaluation and treatment to our patients. In this age of rising insurance costs with more of the financial burden being placed upon the patient, the VALUE we can represent in our care is vital. As I went through my education and training, I learned that the physical therapy care I received as a patient was not very good. It is my goal to always strive to be better to help our patients be better, and together, we can do just that.

I’ll close with another quote:

If a writer is so cautious that he never writes anything that can be criticized, he will never write anything that can be read. If you want to help other people, you have got to make up your mind to write things that some men will condemn.”

—Thomas Merton from “Seeds of Contemplation”

Thank you for reading.

Please follow me on twitter at @arothschildpt or feel free to contact me by email at asrothschildpt@gmail.com.

Dr. Christine Walker, PT, DPT, PYT-c, PES - Christine's interest in physical therapy started as a youth athlete when she was battling injuries in order to return to competitive soccer and springboard diving. Before becoming a physical therapist, she founded a springboard diving program at a local pool and provided sports-specific performance training to youth soccer players.

Christine graduated with a B.A. in Exercise and Sports Science from UNC-Chapel Hill, and then completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. Christine specializes in working with pediatrics (particularly youth athletes) and active adults. Currently, she is pending graduation as a Professional Yoga Therapist (PYT) through Ginger Garner's Professional Yoga Therapy Institute. She is also certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Performance Enhancement Specialist.

Three years after PT school graduation, Christine started her own cash-based physical therapy practice, Christine Walker Physical Therapy, located in Charlotte, NC. She addresses movement dysfunction with a whole-body approach through exercise, manual therapy, yoga, stress management techniques, diet, and healthy lifestyle choices. 

Jarod Hall, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS is a physical therapist in Fort Worth, TX. His clinical focus is orthopedics with an emphasis on therapeutic neuroscience education and purposeful implementation of foundational principles of exercise in the management of both chronic pain and athletic injuries. Jarod has shown clinical excellence in securing designation as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). He is also adjunct assistant faculty at the UNTHSC DPT program, instructing in the assessment and treatment of orthopedic injuries, pain sciences, and manual therapy. Dr. Hall regularly presents continuing education at the state and national level for practicing physical therapists, occupational therapists, and chiropractors. Additionally, Dr. Hall is an internationally recognized blogger, and lecturer whose work has focused on how to succeed in the clinical environment while applying modern pain science to exercise and manual therapy, debunking common exercise and rehab myths, mechanisms of manual therapy, and appropriate dosing of therapeutic exercise. Check out Jarod's blog, his facebook, and instagram pages!


Dr. Luke Pedersen, PT, DPT is an orthopedic physical therapist working in an outpatient clinic in the Greater Philadelphia area. In 2017, he graduated with his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York. Luke excelled in the classroom and received the Graduate Honor Award for achieving the highest overall GPA out of all Stony Brook School of Health Technology and Management students. 

He has a wide variety of professional interests including blogging and presenting small-group seminars and workshops. As a physical therapist, Luke hopes to take advantage of all opportunities that present themselves to positively influence the field of physical therapy, other professional colleagues, patients/clients, and the greater communities he is a part of. Luke believes the field of physical therapy is dynamic and exciting. 

It is our job as professionals to continuously analyze and update our treatment approaches and business models with the ultimate goal of providing exceptional and valuable patient services. There are positives and negatives to each technique, strategy and intervention. Luke is a firm believer of a quote by Bruce Lee that states, “Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.” You can follow Luke on Twitter @LukeyP_PT or feel free to contact him by email at Luke.PedersenPT@gmail.com. Personal blog coming soon.

Dr. Michael Mash, DPT, CSCS, FMS is a physical therapist and certified strength coach located in Pittsburgh, PA. He started his company, Barbell Rehab, with the mission to incorporate more strength & conditioning principles into the world of physical therapy. His vision includes implementing the barbell lifts into clinical practice to both increase athletic performance and quality of life for all ages. Michael currently operates and can be contacted through his website, BarbellRehab.com





Dr. Peter Malliaras is a Physiotherapist who specialises in tendinopathy. He completed his undergraduate physiotherapy degree at La Trobe University in 1996, and his PhD in tendinopathy in 2006. Currently Peter spends three days per week in clinical practice were he only sees tertiary referrals of persistent and unresponsive tendon pain. He is regularly consulted in the management of elite athletes, including football, netball, basketball, track athletes, etc

The remainder of his week, Peter focuses on clinical education and research. He is part of an international research group and supervises several students undertaking tendinopathy related research. He has published widely (see list of publications) and given several international Invited conference lectures in the area of tendinopathy. He is currently a Research Fellow at Queen Mary, University of London, and La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.


Dr. Aaron LeBauer PT, DPT, LMBT, RYT is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist and Registered Yoga Teacher. He earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Elon University in 2008. Dr. LeBauer graduated from Duke University in 1996 with a B.A. in History and moved to San Francisco where he studied Massage Therapy and Health Education at the National Holistic Institute. He also has completed a Baptiste inspired power yoga teacher training at Dancing Dogs Yoga.

In 2009, two months after graduating from Elon University, Dr. LeBauer and his wife Andra opened a 100% cash based physical therapy practice, LeBauer Physical Therapy in Greensboro, NC. LeBauer Physical Therapy is a holistic physical therapy practice specializing in manual physical therapy, massage therapy and private yoga instruction.

Find him in his garage working on vintage scooters or swinging a kettlebell, practicing yoga, roller skating with his two girls, on Twitter @LeBauerPT and his blog www.LeBauerConsulting.com where he enjoys sharing his experiences in private practice and helping other therapists create, grow and market successful cash-based practices.

Dr. Scotty Butcher, BScPT, PhD, ACSM-RCEP, is an Associate Professor in Physical Therapy at the University of Saskatchewan, co-founder of Strength Rebels, and consultant at Synergy Strength and Conditioning in Saskatoon, SK, Canada. Formerly certified as a CSCS and currently training as a powerlifter and part time CrossFitter, he has a passion for strength training and translates this to promoting quality exercise training and rehabilitation practices for clinicians and students. His focus in research, teaching, and clinical work is on the hybrid rehabilitation/strength training approach, and shares his views through blogging and vlogging. Connect with Scotty on Twitter (@InkedProfScotty and @Strength_Rebels), Facebook, and YouTube.


Dr. Jessica Schwartz, PT, DPT, CSCS is program director for the Evidence In Motion Concussion Certification, an orthopedic residency trained doctor of physical therapy, a national spokeswoman for the American Physical Therapy Association, and a post-concussion syndrome survivor, advocate and concussion educator.

After spending a full year in rehabilitation experiencing the profound dichotomy of both doctor and patient, Dr. Schwartz identified the gaps in concussion treatment and management in the global healthcare community. Her vision is to facilitate collective competence across the healthcare continuum in order to better identify, treat, and care for the concussion patient of today.

Dr. Schwartz hopes that by educating each other about the multi-system nature of these injuries and the scopes of practices of the multidisciplinary providers that have access to and have the ability to care for this cohort of patient, she will be able to facilitate a better patient-clinician encounter. She advocates for putting the care back into healthcare for the concussion patient on an international level.

By speaking candidly about her experience with post-concussion syndrome, she hopes to facilitate learning from provider to provider, patient to provider, and caregiver to provider honing in on the power of storytelling and collegial communication from a place of candor, curiosity and enthusiasm.


Dr. Sarah Ellis Duvall, PT, DPT, CPT, CNC

Sarah is a PT with passion. She has founded and run multiple successful out-of-pocket pay practices over the last decade, always with a focus on bringing together the worlds of fitness and rehab. She enjoys treating both athletes and postpartum women. Her treatment approach focuses on function and treating the body as a whole to maximize results. Sarah is also a wife, mom and adventure sports athlete. When she is not hanging off the side of mountain, Sarah enjoys writing and teaching at CoreExerciseSolutions.com and offers a variety of online programs specializing in women's health and postpartum recovery


Richmond Stace originally trained as a Registered General Nurse, and developed an interest in pain whilst observing the varying responses in recovery after operations. He continued to train as a physiotherapist and has a further degree in Sport Rehabilitation and a Masters Degree in Pain Science. Subsequently he has established several clinics in London that specialise in treating patients suffering from conditions that involve long term chronic pain. He is also a regular blogger and a very active twitter user (@painphysio) where you can follow his developing understanding of pain and its treatment. Richmond is on the editorial team for the Physiotherapy Pain Association (PPA), a member of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), The Royal Society of Medicine and the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists. 

Richmond's site - Specialist Pain Physio


Dr. Dennis Treubig, PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS, SFMA, FMT
Dennis earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy and B.A. in Biology from the University of Delaware in 2006 and 2003, respectively. He is also a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, and an Approved Clinical Instructor for the Hofstra University Athletic Training Program.

Dennis splits his time between seeing patients at Orthology in Roslyn, NY (www.orthology.com) and also through his own company, Modern Sports PT in Massapequa, NY (www.modernsportspt.com).

Dr. Laurey Lou, PT, DPT, CSCS is a Physical Therapist by way of New York Medical College and Boston College (Go Eagles!). She currently works at the Olympic Training Center with the Chinese National Wresting & Judo teams in Beijing, China. She is also involved with Beijing's American Football League of China (AFLC) team, The Iron Brothers. Laurey has a background in Functional Movement Systems (FMS & SFMA) and Functional Dry Needling. Laurey loves to keep up with current news in Sports Medicine, as well as sports in general (especially if it'll help her set her fantasy football lineup).

Outside of work, Laurey can be found sparring, playing tennis, or just lounging at the beach.

Twitter: @FightClubPhysio



Dr. Kory Zimney, PT, DPT, CSMT, CAFS has been practicing physical therapy since 1994 following his graduation from the University of North Dakota with his Masters in Physical Therapy.  He completed his transitional DPT graduate from the Post Professional Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program at Des Moines University, Class 2010 and is currently enrolled in the PhD PT program with Nova Southeastern University.

Currently Dr. Zimney works as an Assistant Professor within the Physical Therapy Department at the University of South Dakota, he also maintains clinical practice one day a week at Mercy Business Health Services in Sioux City, IA working with outpatient work related injuries and providing on-site loss prevention and ergonomics services for local businesses.  His primary teaching, research and treatment focus is with pain neuroscience and evidence-based practice for orthopedic injuries of spine and extremities.  He also has specific training and interest with treating chronic/persistent pain patients and health promotion.  Along with primary patient care he has advanced training in work injury management and ergonomics.  Past work experiences have been with various community-based hospitals working in multiple patient care areas of inpatient, skilled rehab, home health, acute rehab, work conditioning/hardening and outpatient.  He also was department manager of rehabilitation services at St. Luke’s Health System in Sioux City for eight years.
He is a teaching instructor with International Spine and Pain Institute (ISPI).  He has completed the Advanced Credentialed Clinical Instructor program through the American Physical Therapy Association and is a Certified Spinal Manual Therapist (CSMT) through the ISPI certification program and has Certification in Applied Functional Science (CAFS) through the Gray Institute.


Dr. Mario Novo, DPT, PT Mario is a results driven sports orthopedic physical therapist practicing in Nashville TN, who specializes in strength and conditioning. Known well by his clients/patients as a mentor and educator, his passion is to unify the highest levels of rehab science with successful mind and body strength coaching. Mario is currently pursuing research in ischemic therapeutic applications such as blood flow restriction and tissue tempering in both the clinic and strength training arena. He is the cofounder of Liftersclinic.com where you can find about more about him and follow his blog.

To follow Mario on social media find him at
Twitter: @drnovodpt

Facebook: TheLiftersClinic



Paul Gough helps small and independent physical therapy clinic owners in America – from Rochester Hills (MI), all the way across to Orange County (CA) - get more new patients without needing referrals from Doctors using direct to consumer Marketing Strategies. He is a published Author, is the owner of 4 PT clinics, a weekly newspaper columnist and before his stunning success in business was hired by professional soccer teams as head PT.

His 4 Cash Based PT clinics are thriving in a country where PT is covered by the country's healthcare system - how does he do it? Check out his webinar here!

Dr. Nicole Canning received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Prior to that she graduated from St. John's University in Queens, NY with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. She was also a member of the Division-1 Women's Soccer Team that became the first team in the program's history to reach the NCAA Tournament. In her senior season she was awarded the National Strength and Conditioning Association's All-American Award.



Dr. Canning has experience working with youth, collegiate, and professional athletes in the prevention and rehabilitation of sports injuries. She has also given national presentations on injury prevention, specifically on programs that help reduce the risk of ACL injuries. While still a Physical Therapy Student, she presented her own original research as a platform on ACL Injury Prevention at the American Physical Therapy Association's Combined Sections Meeting, and was honored with the Emory University School of Medicine Susan J. Herdman Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice. Dr. Canning is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and is certified in Applied Functional Science through the Gray Institute and in Functional Range Conditioning. She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and its Sports, Orthopedics, and Research Sections.
In addition to reading research articles and staying active in the physical therapy and sports performance world through social media, Dr. Canning is a US Soccer Licensed Coach. She enjoys playing and coaching soccer, working out, hiking, and spending time with her husband, Dr. Marc Surdyka (also a Physical Therapist), and their dog, Rosie.

Sian Smale is an Australian-trained Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist. Sian completed her Bachelor of Physiotherapy through La Trobe University in 2009 and in 2013 was awarded a Masters in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy through Melbourne University. Since graduating from her Masters program, Sian has been working in a Private Practice setting and writing a Physiotherapy Blog "Rayner & Smale". Prior to moving to San Francisco, Sian worked at Physical Spinal and Physiotherapy Clinic and has a strong background in manual therapy and management of spinal spine, headaches and sports injuries. Since moving to the Bay area, Sian has become a traveling Physiotherapist for the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, a volunteer faculty member teaching on the Doctorate of Physical Therapy program, and is working as a Physical Therapist at UCSF.


twitter @siansmale
instagram @siansmale_SF


Dr. Ron Miller, DPT, OCS is the owner of Pursuit Physical Therapy and owner of cashbasedphysicaltherapy.org, which is an online cash based practice business training only for physical therapists He graduated from the University of South Carolina with his Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2008 and completed a Post-Doctoral Residency in orthopedics at Florida Hospital in 2010. He also has advanced training from the Spinal Manipulation Institute and has a personal goal of completing a Fellowship from the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy and becoming a Fellow of American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists. After getting tired of the problems in standard health care, he started Pursuit Physical Therapy in 2013 which is a 100% cash based physical therapy practice.

Dr. Miller is an active member of the APTA, Florida Physical Therapy Association (FPTA), American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapist (AAOMPT), and is currently elected as an Assembly Representative for the East Central District of the FPTA. He is also adjunct faculty for the University of Central Florida Doctorate of Physical Therapy program where he is actively participating in current physical therapy research. Dr. Miller's special interests include the treatment of cervical and low back pain, complex orthopedic cases, cash based physical therapy, private practice, manual therapy, and making sure physical therapy thrives in health care reform. He prides himself on getting his patients better faster, in fewer visits, by using the most current evidenced-based interventions



Klgo. Mgs. Nelson Adrian S. - PT MSEd COMT 

Nelson is from Chile, and got his licentiate degree in Kinesiology and became licensed Physical Therapist in 2007. He is certified specialist in Manual Therapy (2010) with 3 diploma in Manual Therapy (Level I, Level II and Arthro-Neuro-Musculoskeletal Manual Therapy). In 2011 he reached his fourth Diploma in Pain Assessment and Treatment (IASP). In 2012 he got his Masters degree in Education and also got his second specialist certificate in Traumatology and Orthopedics (granted by the Chilean association of Physical Therapists). In 2013 he got his Diploma in Research and Scientific Publications. In 2015, he is reaching his second Master Degree, this time in Health Science and Sports Physical Therapy.
Continuing education and international certifications includes such as: Spina HVLA, DNS, NDS, SFMA/FMS/Y Balance, MEP, FAKTR-PM, Graston, IASTM, Kinesiology Tape, Musculoskeletal Imaging, CAFS, Pain Neuroscience and various MedBridge courses.

Nelson is an international speaker for RockTape (FMT Senior Instructor) and The Eclectic Approach for Latin America. He is the CEO of the official “Modern Manual Therapy: The Eclectic Approach” partner: TherAdvance Group (http://www.theradvance.com) and he has taught in more than 6 countries since 2009.
Nelson loves to teach and he works as a faculty member at Universidad del Desarrollo (Musculoskeletal team) and he teaches in a number of universities in Physical Therapy postgraduate programs.
Clinically, Nelson works with sports-related injuries and chronic musculoskeletal conditions using a functional and biopsicosocial approach with his patients, applying pain education, graded exposure activities, manual therapy techniques (joint and soft tissue) and exercise solutions.

Nelson writes in his own Blog (http://kinemoderna.blogspot.cl) and practices HIIT and Crossfit with his wife in his free time.



Dr. Harrison Vaughn, DPT, FAAOMPT

I started blogging just shortly after graduating from physical therapy school due to my interests in learning, writing and expressing personal experiences that I find to be positive (and sometimes negative!) in the field of physical therapy. I really enjoy communicating with physical therapists and other healthcare providers all over the world through social media and blogging to improve our skills, techniques and information for the better of our patients and the profession. 


Professional Education

Fellow (FAAOMPT), American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists, American Academy of Manipulative Therapy (2015)
Osteopractor, Diploma in Osteopractic, American Academy of Manipulative Therapy (2014)
Orthopaedic Certified Specialist (OCS), American Board of Physical Therapy Specialities, Orthopaedics (2009)

Doctor of Physical Therapy, Old Dominion University (2008)
Bachelor of Science, Education with emphasis of Exercise Science, Old Dominion University (2005)

Professional Organizations, Certifications

Diploma in Osteopractic, American Academy of Manipulative Therapy (2014)
Certification in Dry Needling (Cert. DN), Dry Needling Institute (2012)
Certification in Spinal Manipulation (Cert. SMT), Spinal Manipulation Institute (2009)
Member, American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (2009-present)
Member, American Physical Therapy Association, Orthopaedic and Sports Subsection (2008-present)

Please shoot me an email @ harrisonvaughanpt@gmail.com or you can follow me on twitter @intouchpt.



Dr. Zachary Long, DPT, Cert.DN is a Physical Therapist, Strength & Conditioning coach, and writer from Charlotte, NC. Zach attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he worked for the football team’s Strength & Conditioning program before attending East Carolina University where he earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

Zach currently serves as the Director of Physical Therapy at Carolina Sports Clinic (www.carolinasportsclinic.com) and blogs at www.TheBarbellPhysio.com. Zach specializes in the rehab of athletes from injuries while improving their sports performance.



Dr. Matt Dancigers, PT, DPT is an orthopedic physical therapist who mixes his time both managing a clinic and managing patient care. He practices with a biopsychosocial approach with current interests in therapeutic communication, placebo/nocebo effects and the context of treatment with a clinical interest in pain edu and movement as medicine. Matt can be easily reached @MattDancigers on Twitter, and also writes at PT Brain Trust.









Jesse Awenus, B.A Hons (Kin), MSc.PT, Dip.Manip.PT, FCAMPT

Jesse holds an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from York University and Masters degree in Physiotherapy from Queen's University. He holds an Advanced Diploma in Manual and Manipulative Therapy from the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physiotherapy. Clinically, Jesse practices out of Synergy Sports Medicine, a facility located in Toronto, Ontario. He has incorporated a blend of approaches into his practice that all centre around making the patient an active participant in their care. He uses repeated movements, soft tissue therapies, joint mobilization/manipulation and various loading strategies as a means to tap into the nervous system, all in an effort to minimize the threat response and thus pain levels. Jesse uses various modalities such as instrument assisted soft tissue techniques and dry needling as ways of decreasing pain and increasing function. Movement screening and pain science education are cornerstones of his practice that help him get the best results he can with each and every patient that walk through his door.


When not treating patients Jesse can be found playing basketball, working out in the gym, or playing with his dog.

You can learn more about Jesse and his thoughts on physiotherapy at www.jessephysio.com




Dr. Joseph Brence, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT, COMT, DAC is a Physical Therapist, educator and clinical researcher from Pittsburgh, Pa.  He is a graduate of Duquesne University and is fellowship graduate from Sports Medicine of Atlanta.   Clinically, Joseph treats a wide range of painful conditions, in multiple settings, including Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, etc.  He is an adjunct faculty member at Duquesne University and co-owns the NxtGen Institute of Physical Therapy offering Certifications, Residency and Fellowship opportunities for physical therapists. Joe also developed Nxt Gen PT TV, a e-learning platform for physical therapists.




After graduating from University of St. Augustine, he earned a couple of Manual Therapy certifications, and is Residency trained. He enjoys learning from those who have walked the path before him, and loves exploring new ways to experience the world around him. Physical Therapy is an art & science that he believes has the potential to make impactful and positive change in our society. You can find out more through his blog:cinemasays.wordpress.com or contact him on twitter @Cinema_air


Dr. Andrew M. Ball, PT, DPT, Ph.D, OCS, CMTPT

Dr. Andrew Ball is a board certified orthopaedic physical therapist with nearly 20 years experience in physical therapy. Drew has earned numerous advanced degrees including an MBA/PhD in Healthcare Management, and post-professional DPT from MGH Institute of Health Professions. He has completed a post-graduate fellowship in Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) at University of Rochester, and a post-doctoral clinical residency in Orthopaedic physical therapy at Carolinas Rehabilitation in Charlotte, North Carolina. Clinically, Drew has mastered a wide-range of manipulative therapy techniques and approaches via continuing education and residency experiences (ultimately creating and co-creating several new techniques). He is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) as a sports performance enhancement specialist (PES) and was personally trained and certified (CMTPT) by Janet Travell’s physical therapist protégé (Dr. Jan Dommerholt of Myopain Seminars) in myofascial trigger point dry needling. Dr. Ball serves on the Specialist Academy of Content Experts (SACE) writing clinical questions for OCS exam, as well as research and evidence-based-practice questions for all of the physical therapist board certification exams.

Dr. Ball currently serves on the clinical and research faculty at the Carolinas Rehabilitation Orthopaedic physical therapy residency teaching research methods and evidence-informed clinical decision making, but also contributes to the clinical track mentoring residents in manipulative therapy and trigger point dry needling. His publication record is diverse, spanning subjects ranging from conducting meta-analysis, to models of physical therapist graduate education, to political empowerment of patients with physical and intellectual disability. Dr. Ball’s most recent publications are related to thrust manipulation and can be obtained open-access from the International Journal of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation.

Drew is married to his wonderful wife Erin Ball, PT, DPT, COMT, CMTPT. Erin is Maitland certified in orthopaedic manual therapy (COMT), certified in myofascial trigger point dry needling (CMTPT), and has extensive training in pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, and lymphedema management. They live with their two dogs one of which is a tripod who was adopted after loosing his hind-leg in a motor-vehicle accident.

Contact Drew: DrDrewpt@gmail.com


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