has provided physical, occupational, and speech therapy since 1978. With twelve locations in the Sacramento area, they've been voted "Best in the Business - Service Company" by the Sacramental Business Journal.

They have also partnered with the NBA's Sacramento Kings basketball team. That's why when the King's furry and ferocious mascot, Slamson, gets injured he heads straight to Burger Rehab.

Burger uses the Shuttle 2000-1 to help all of it's patients - human and mammal - get back in the game (you can catch a glimpse of the 2000-1 at about the 5 second mark in the video - gotta watch fast).

You can connect with the good folks at Burger on Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks Burger Rehabilitation Systems, Inc.!

Chair and Professor - Department of Physical Therapy and Health Science - Bradley University 

Dr. Tippett is finishing his third year.... 
as Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Health Science at Bradley. Although administrative duties and teaching take up the vast majority of his time at work, he still evaluates and treats athletes in the Bradley University Athletic Department, Bradley students in the Student Health Center, as well as ambulatory musculoskeletal patients at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center's Illinois Neurological Institute out-patient center.

As a professor of physical therapy, head of the department at Bradley, and member of the APTA Education Section - if you were president and had to give your "State of the Union" address, what would you say?

We can never forget who we are and how we got here. In the early days of sports PT we enjoyed a tremendous working relationship with orthopaedic surgeons as we learned from them and as they learned from us. Although we have worked side by side with them (as well as other types of physicians) to advance the care of patients with multiple dysfunctions and disabilities, somewhere and somehow our profession is not what it used to be in their eyes.

I would venture to say that is it not due to professional stagnation on our part, but a different perspective that others may have. We cannot worry about what others think. We need to continue our efforts to take the profession to the next level as we have done by leading the way in evidence-based practice, by advocating for our patients, and by making physical therapy a vital part in the recovery of all types of patients. But we are physical therapists, not physical therapy. We cannot be defined by the practice of ‘physical therapy’ as some outside of our profession feel. We are professionals trained at the doctorate level in a unique profession that positions us to be the expert in assessing and treating movement impairments.

What's the one piece of advice that you give students coming out of your physical therapy program?

Formal education is only the first step. We have to continue to learn everyday; when learning stops, personal and professional growth is impossible.

You have a research interest in "Balance After Total Joint Replacement". What intrigues you about this area?

Probably the most enlightening comment relative to this area came from a PT colleague who had simultaneous bilateral TKA’s a few years ago. He had severe DJD but right up to surgery he was quite active in coaching soccer, his overall conditioning was good and his upper body strength was excellent. After his surgery and during a PT session he was told by his PT to “stand up straight!” He thought he was standing up straight but he couldn’t tell due to the surgical procedure removing both cruciates.

Although studies have been done to demonstrate proprioceptive deficits following TKA, some patients return to high levels of function while others are hesitant. Certainly there are other factors involved, but the notion of trust in the knee following TKA may have a lot to do with joint awareness (or the lack thereof).

What are the key insights you've learned through your research?

I think we need to do a better job of educating our patients about what they can realistically expect after TKA and this is an area that is gaining more popularity.

As a consultant in a study with DePuy Medical, we were able to follow 93 patients after TKA through formal PT for six weeks post-op as well as ongoing data collection at six months and one year. Pre-operatively we asked the patients to rate the importance of various daily functional activities, and post-operatively we noted significant discrepancies between pre-op expectations and post-op function in a handful of variables.

Although pain is typically decreased following TKA, many patients did not trust their knee. Proprioception may play a role in this and I look forward to continued study in this area.

In another life, if you weren't a physical therapist, what would you be?

A bass guitarist for Van Morrison.

Photo by: The LR Band

Finally - we gotta ask - what Shuttle machines do you have and how are you using them?

The 2000-1 and the MVP. Nothing better to transition the patient back to weight bearing function!!

Donn Dimond is the owner and director of The KOR Physical Therapy in Portland, Oregon. Donn's worked with a variety of high school, collegiate and professional baseball players. He's authored two books; The Bare Minimum: Baseball - Essential Training for the Baseball Athlete and The Bare Minimum: Donatelli Shoulder Method. Donn lectures nationally to Physical Therapists on how to assess and treat patients with shoulder injuries and on baseball performance and rehabilitation.

Enjoy the read!

1. You've developed a real expertise in baseball training. Yet, in younger days you played football. What prompted you to focus professionally on baseball?

Well, I have always been interested in sports from an injury reduction and rehabilitation standpoint and was lucky enough to mentor under Dr. Bob Donatelli, who taught me a lot in regards to working with the overhead athlete. Once I had the clinical foundation, I started to realize that there was a HUGE need in baseball for the right kind of interventions and rehabilitation. I continued to seek out information in regards to working with the baseball athlete and truly understanding the biomechanics of pitching. This led to trust from the baseball community which led to more information and it has just kind of snowballed from there. 

2. How do you work with baseball players at The KOR?

When a baseball player comes here to The KOR, they first undergo a very comprehensive evaluation. The evaluation includes a look at mobility of their strength and mobility of their upper body, trunk, and hip as well as their neurodynamics and balance. Secondly, we take high speed video of their mechanics and analyze it for any red flags. After the inital evaluation, we have a pretty comprehensive analysis as to why they are having pain and most importantly what the true causes are that need to be addressed.Some common things we work on with our baseball players is glenohumeral and scapular rotator strength, moblization of the shoulder and hips, dynamic balance training for the lower extremities (the Shuttle Balance is very helpful for this), and working with their coaches to help reduce any red flags. 

Shameless Shuttle Balance plug
(but it's Donn's fault, not ours)

3. Baseball being a "non-contact" sport - how does that change the training?

It doesn't really. The baseball athlete still needs the appropriate strength, mobility, and control as a "contact" athlete. In fact, with a pitcher, sometimes there is more force that is placed through the pitchers body than a "contact" athlete. 

4. There's an on-going debate about static stretching vs. dynamic warm-ups. What stretching recommendations do you have for baseball players? 

I tend to be more of a fan of the focused dynamic stretching or warm-up. I haven't come across any research that shows static stretching decreases the risk of injury. In  fact, if done too aggressively it may increase the risk of injury. The only static stretch that I recommend is for the posterior capsule of their throwing shoulder. I usually tell my baseball athletes to jog first, do some dynamic warm up, do a little sprinting, some band work to warm up the upper body, some single leg balance activities, a posterior capsule stretch, a neurodynamic mobilization, and finally some position specific drills

Photo by: peasap

5. What prompted you to write your book Bare Minimum Baseball? 

I saw a need for a concise and evidence based book for baseball conditioning that is geared towards increasing performance AND decreasing the risk of injury. 

6. In the book's introduction, you prescribe Bare Minimum and Secondary exercises. You state that the reason you differentiate those is you've found that "the more exercises an athlete is asked to do, the more likely he won't do any of them." A tad cynical or just being realistic?  

I guess a little of both. Over the course of the last 13 years, I have noticed that the more exercises I give a patient or client the less chance I have of them actually doing it. Some of my pro baseball players come back each off season with a binder filled with all the workouts that they need to do. Usually they don't do any of them, it just gets to be overwhelming. I figured that if I could give them a program that really just focused on "The Bare Minimum" that they may actually do it and get a postive result. 

7. You separate your Bare Minimum exercises into three categories: 1) Hip strengthening; 2) Trunk strengthening; and 3) Upper Body strengthening. Why those three and how do you differentiate between Hip and Trunk?

The hip, trunk, and upper body are the bare essentials that need to be worked on. The hips are where the force is generated, the trunk links the forces from the hips to the upper body, and the upper body needs to be strong enough to transfer the force to the ball without allowing an injury to the shoulder or elbow. I actually didn't truly understand the difference between the hip and trunk until working with Bob. 

8. Who are some of the players you are working with at The KOR right now?

Most of my players are with their teams now, but let me share a story of a baseball player that has had right elbow issues on and off for the last couple of years. This particular client pitches for a Midwest MLB baseball organization and he has had pain in his elbow after throwing for the last 3 years. When I saw him intially, 3 years ago, we worked mainly on his shoudler mobility and strength. This helped but not completely. After having access to my high video system, I noticed that his dynamic balance was off and his trunk rotation was kicking in too early in the pitching cycle. His hips were also very, very tight. So I mobilized his hips and worked on his dynamic balance and after three weeks his mechanics looked almost perfect. He has been pitching for the last month and has had no pain and his ball speed has jumped 3-4 MPH. 

9. Who do you admire most in baseball?

The pitchers who keep their heads down and just keep working it, all the way from the minors up to the bigs. Most people think it is all glamour playing professional baseball, but for most it isn't. It is a long road for a pitcher and you just have to admire those that keep following their passion day in and day out.  

Photo by: allygirl520

10. And finally, who do you pick to win the World Series?

I'm from the Chicago area orginally, so I gotta go with the Cubs. But if they don't do it, then I'm picking the Phillies. You gotta love great pitching. 

The Chicago Cubs have owned a Shuttle since 1992 and the Phillies since 2001. Donn, we like your choice either way - thanks for spending some time with us!

Hey, baseball and Facebook fans - we're giving away Donn's book The Bare Minimum: Baseball.
Check back with our Facebook Fan page in the next few days to find out how you can win! 

But we think some of the nicest people own Shuttles. And they're doing some pretty amazing things with them, too. So, we figured you might like to see what they're doing - and get to know some great people in the process!

Here's the Fab Five for 2010:

JC Santana: Live, Love, Learn, Leave a Legacy 

Kathleen Mangione: Gettin' Old Ain't For Sissies

Casey Robertson: Excited About Balance

Kent Bond: Perturbated, Not Stirred

Lisa Giannone: Let Me See What You Can Really Do

JC Santana: Live, Love, Learn, Leave a Legacy 

If we can say one thing about Juan Carlos Santana, it's that he walks the walk.

Admittedly, walking may be too slow a metaphor... cuz with JC, it's all about get it on, get it done, attack the next thing. JC's not just a teacher - he's a doer. I mean the guy's 51 years old and he's arguably in the best shape of his life!

JC is all about functional training. I still remember visiting his training facility, Institute of Human Performance, a few years back to service his Shuttle MVP Elite. He was showing us a video clip of a sprinter. The camera was zoomed right in on the runner's feet and calves as he took off from the blocks. JC was highlighting to us the unique movement of the runner's legs and explaining how that could translate into exercises on the MVP. Very functional stuff. But it was wonderful to see how JC was always learning, always thinking of ways to improve training for increased athletic performance.

But JC doesn't stop there. He doesn't just teach it. He gets in and actually does it himself. It's almost like he can't honestly teach it unless he's experienced it, felt it, pushed himself through it, and gained the victory over it. Then he shares what he's learned and experienced with everybody. This will give you an idea of what I'm talking about: 

And he's sharing that first hand expertise all over the world. In 2010, he taught in Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, Russia, and China (just to name a few). Back in America, you'll find JC personally involved in training MMA fighters. In fact, just a few weeks ago he made the big announcement that he was reuniting with long-time friend, Olympian and Judo Champion Dr. Rhadi Ferguson. They're combining their knowledge and competitive experience to provide elite training for some of the top fighters in the world.

Who knows, with the way Juan Carlos Santana approaches life and his profession, maybe we'll see him in the ring sometime soon?!?

Thanks JC!

Kathleen Mangione: Gettin' Old Ain't For Sissies

A recent study showed that after hip fracture surgery, only 6% of patients could walk a half mile, only 8% could climb a flight of stairs, and only 15% could walk across a room independently.

Dr. Kathleen Mangione, Professor of Physical Therapy at Arcadia University, has dedicated her professional life to improving on those statistics. 

Kathleen has focused her research on helping patients return to functionality after hip fracture surgery. Her most recent study focused on home-based leg-strengthening exercise for hip fracture patients. Here are some of the other hip fracture studies she's been involved with.  

In working with her patients, Kathleen uses our Shuttle MiniPress. She likes how she can start their rehabilitation using very low loads on the MiniPress - as little as 2 lbs. of resistance. But, what get's her excited is the MiniPress' ability to provide significant loads for the progressing hip fracture patient. She loves it when she can progress her patients to the MiniPress' upper resistance limits - approaching 100 lbs. of load. It allows her to "kick their butts" - in a kind, rehabilitative way, of course.

Speaking of kicking butts, below, Kathleen demonstrates a hip extension exercise she typically uses on the MiniPress. Whether you've had hip surgery or not, this little exercise provides a big workout:

Thanks Kathleen!

Casey Robertson: Excited About Balance

Unsolicited praise is a wonderful thing....

At the NATA conference, we were minding our own business when Casey Robertson walked by and saw our Shuttle Balance. He stopped and started telling us all the different things he is doing on his Shuttle Balance back at SPort Rehab in Rolla, Missouri. He talked so excitedly that we figured we had to get him on video. I mean, the guy started to draw a crowd (if he ever gets tired of athletic training, there's a bright future waiting for him at Costco with a head mike and the latest slicing and dicing machine).

We've come to see that this excitement of Casey's is just a natural part of his make-up. Since the show, Casey has been recording a series of videos on the Shuttle Balance that you can find on his SPort Rehab blog. He even made a video that teaches others how to create their own videos (We welcome any and all Shuttle owners to send us their videos - we'd love to share them with other Shuttle owners!). Here, Casey shares his Posterior Pelvic Tilt exercises on the Shuttle Balance:

Casey splits his time between SPort Rehab and Rolla High School where he's the Head Athletic Trainer. When not playing trainer, he's a eucharistic minister and Sunday School teacher. Happily married, he and his wife are expecting their first-born son in February!

And with all that going on, Casey still finds time for one of his favorite hobbies - beer! He's a big fan of the home-brewed kind and has even won awards for some of his own make. So, if you're into beer - click here. And if you want to get in touch with Casey, you can always find him - he's a pretty social guy. Check him out on Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare.

Thanks Casey!

Kent Bond: Perturbated, Not Stirred

Kent Bond is another example of one of those wonderful, spontaneous moments.....

Kent started Impact Physical Therapy in Hillsboro, Oregon in 2004. He purchased our Shuttle 2000-1 at that time and added a Shuttle Balance in 2007 (upgrading recently to a Balance Professional). Since Kent practices in the five state region surrounding our company headquarters, and is active in the state and national PT associations, we seem to bump into him from time to time in our business travels.

We were displaying at the OPTA show in Eugene when Kent dropped by and started telling us some of the things he is doing with his Shuttle Balance. He was teaching some pretty interesting stuff, so we started the camera's rolling. It was engrossing enough that he and others skipped their classes. Kent demonstrated some of the different protocols he uses on the Balance for ACL/Total Knee, PNF Patterns, Core Strength, and Back & Shoulder Strength.

This won't earn you any continuing ed credits - but is good stuff to watch and learn:

His work on PNF Patterns and Shoulder Strength lends itself well to Kent's passion for baseball. Having played for the Pacific University Boxers baseball team in his college days, Kent stays active in the sport. He's played on two National Adult Baseball Association championship teams. 

Thanks Kent!

Lisa Giannone: Let Me See What You Can Really Do

For Shuttle Systems, one of the prettiest sights we've seen is the training room at Active Care in San Francisco. Started back in 1989, Lisa Giannone has stocked Active Care with four Shuttle 2000-1’s - sitting side by side in front of a full length mirrored wall.

To us, it's a thing of beauty!

But there's a reason why Lisa has four of our big machines. For one, Active Care sees a steady flow of professional, Olympic, and college athletes, as well as performing artists such as dancers, directors, actors, and stuntmen. Active Care has become a popular place for training and therapy in the Bay area.

But the other reason why Active Care has four Shuttles is Lisa uses them - a lot!

She uses the Shuttle 2000-1 to diagnose a patient's particular weakness, train proper function, increase strength, and progress to power. In other words, she can use the 2000-1 at all points in a patient's therapy and training. But where we sensed Lisa's greatest enthusiasm with the 2000-1 was in the early parts of that treatment spectrum - in the diagnosis and functional training phases.

Lisa likes how you can put a patient on the Shuttle 2000-1 and take them down to near weightless loads to really determine the stability or strength of a patient's joint or muscle. She describes the process here:

Interesting stuff....  

Thanks Lisa!

In 1965, the US Air Force proposed the launching of a secret Space Station…

to be named the Manned Orbiting Lab (MOL). Of prime concern to Gary Graham (he's the man holding the bucket of popcorn) and a team of other bioscientists was the effect on an astronaut’s cardiovascular system during the long exposure to the zero gravity of space. 

The Bioastronautics team proposed subjecting the astronauts to intermittent positive and negative acceleration forces parallel to the long axis of the body as a way of taxing their cardiovascular system and maintaining their orthostatic tolerance. That's a lot of big words - and a long way of saying that the astronauts would lie down on a carriage that would bounce back and forth between vertical trampolines located at the head and the feet. They named it the Cardiovascular Conditioner.

Perhaps the following video will give you some sense of what they were trying to accomplish:

Think of the astronaut as a ping pong ball with the paddles representing the vertical trampolines....

Of course, the carriage and astronaut wouldn't move all over the place like the ping pong ball - they'd just bounce back and forth between trampolines - giving the astronaut's cardiovascular and muscular systems a decent workout prior to their re-entry into the earth's atmosphere.

While good in theory, the Cardiovascular Conditioner never saw the light of day - the government ended up scrapping the MOL Project. However, twenty years later, while working in a different industry, Gary decided to resurrect the idea of a Cardiovascular Conditioner. With a little bit of research and development, he patented his new horizontal rebounding machine. He called it the CMC (CardioMuscular Conditioner) Shuttle 2000.

And Shuttle Systems had lift-off....

Team Shuttle: Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

Coach Boyle: I'm a strength coach, a writer, and an educator. I am the strength and conditioning coach for Ice Hockey at Boston University as well as the owner of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning with two facilities outside of Boston, MA. Recently Mens Health named us one of the top 10 gyms in the US.

What fascinates you right now?

 I'm fascinated by how little we know. I've been questioning everything lately. How to get bigger, how to get stronger, how to get in shape. I think the questions far outnumber the answers.

 You had a run-in with the NSCA - what's the permanent solution to that problem?

 I don't know if there is a solution. I can't get a straight answer. I hear I am unqualified, that I was uninvited. I think the real solution is full disclosure. I'd like to know what happened, who was behind it and why was it done.

I think you've described yourself as "old school". What are some trends you see in sports that you wish would stop - or go back to the way it was in the good ol' days?

Number one, early specialization. Everyone wants the next Tiger Woods or Maria Sharapova. Kids should be kids first and foremost, not little science projects for parents. Next would be all the AAU, ODP etc. This is just an outgrowth of the early specialization thing. Kids need time to become athletes. Just because they are smart we don't send them to med school at 10.

Who are you learning from? Who's doing some really cool stuff right now?

Good question. Lots of people. Alwyn Cosgrove always makes me think as does Gray Cook. The Perform Better tour has some of the best thinkers on the planet. I'm reading more about the mind, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin, and Nutrition stuff by Michael Pollan.

Who is the best athlete you've ever worked with - and why?

If you want Biggest Heart and Greatest Drive I might have to go with Chris Drury, captain of the NY Rangers. Jay Pandolfo of the New Jersey Devils is also in the same category as is Mike Grier of the Buffalo Sabres.

Most talented is interesting. There have been so many. Ray Bourque, Nomar Garciaparra, Mia Hamm, Marcellus Wiley. Keith Tkachuk and Tony Amonte established themselves as two of the greatest players in US Hockey history, Bill Guerin is still playing on a line with Sydney Crosby at 39. Too tough to call.

What's your best piece of advice to someone just starting out in the profession?

No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

If you were forced to make a different career choice - what would you be?

I'd probably be a carpenter. I love working on houses.

With all the demands on your time - how do you maintain balance in your life?

One I have a great wife. Two, I'm learning to say no more. Three, I work while everyone else is asleep.

For the record: One year from today you will have accomplished - what?

I will have streamlined my life. I'm trying to be able to spend more time with my kids.

At the end of your career, where do you want to say that you made your "Dent in the Universe"?

I hope I will have trained and influenced those who will take my place. When I see my "kids", the people I have coached and mentored do such great things, I know I have a legacy. I hope that is the way that Al Vermeil, Johnnie Parker, Rusty Jones and Mike Woicek feel about me.

One more.... How do you use your Shuttle MVP? Any tips or suggestions on how to get the most out of your machine?

We use the Shuttle MVP for power development and rehab across a broad range of clients. You guys already have a great video on your site that shows how we use it.

Be sure to check out the video of the new MBSC Winchester Facility.

If you would like us to feature you on Shuttlesystems.com please contact us and tell us your story!

Shuttle: You guys created this awesome YouTube video that has been viewed by over 59,000 (and counting)! How did it all come about?  

Jared: 

Our professors at James Madison University do a great job of instilling a passion for the profession in the Athletic Training students and they challenged us in our junior year, as a class assignment, to develop a project to promote Athletic Training. So, I came up with the idea of creating a music video. Once I had the song created I immediately recruited Pratik because with his passion for Athletic Training and exceptional organizational skills I knew he was the perfect man for the job. We shot about 7 hours of footage (2 alone of just me dancing).

Banjade: 

 "Smooth Professional" took 3 weeks of video taping, over 7 hours of footage, and 26 hours of editing. Much worth it for the promotion of Athletic Training!    

Shuttle: What's the response to the video been like? 

Banjade:

Response has been amazing. First we were hopeful of just 500 hits. We were amazed at how quickly it spread on the internet. Within 24 hours it had over 3,000 hits - within 72 hours, over 34,000 hits! We have received responses from around the country, and especially the NATA.

Miller:

We have had overwhelming positive support from athletic trainers all throughout the country. It is so exciting to get emails from other students or professors who loved the video and want to use it to promote AT in their area. The NATA has even recognized our efforts and asked to play the video at our national convention in Philly! We have also just learned that we won the NATA public relations contest for "Most Creative" project! Our video gained so much popularity that we were featured on blogs, websites, newspaper articles and even national television shows. It has been an amazing experience.    

Shuttle: Why "Smooth Professional?"

Banjade: 

Smooth Professional kind of fell right into place. Obviously, it works well with the original version, "Smooth Criminal" created by Michael Jackson, but it also exemplifies the demeanor of athletic trainers. When an injury or emergency occurs, the majority of people are panicking, but athletic trainers remaining calm, composed, and SMOOTH when dealing with stressful situations. This is why we should be considered the "Smooth Professionals" of the healthcare world.

Shuttle: What's the biggest misperception out there about the Athletic Training profession?

Banjade: 

One of the biggest misperceptions is the title of the profession itself. Most people call Athletic Trainers "trainers," which is clearly not what Certified Athletic Trainers are. Another misperception is that Certified Athletic Trainers are capable of holding careers only along the sidelines or in sports medicine clinics. Would you be surprised to learn that ATCs can work in military, industrial, and police settings?

Miller: 

Many people don't know that ATs must graduate from a 4 year collegiate program and pass a national certification exam. Among other things, ATs possess the skills to prevent, care for, evaluate, and rehabilitate all sports related injuries, in individuals of all age ranges. This misunderstanding is a sore subject among many ATs, including myself, and rightfully so because this lack of understanding in the public makes it hard for ATs to gain recognition in the healthcare field.

Shuttle MVP: You're graduating from James Madison University. What's unique or special about the JMU program?

Miller: 

JMU has exceptional facilities which allow the staff to best serve their student-athletes. I think the educational program is one of the most successful in the country in terms of pass rate on the BOC exam, but they do more than just teach students how to pass the exam. JMU students develop a great sense of professionalism and commitment along with a great base of knowledge. JMU places its students in situations of great responsibility which test their skills, but they also provide a great support network of staff to fall back on. I spent a lot of time just picking the brains of our experienced staff.

Shuttle MVP: You've got your whole professional life ahead of you.... what would be your dream opportunity?

Banjade: 

To be a Program Director in the field of Athletic Training at a distinguished University. I have developed extensive leadership and management skills at JMU and believe I could use these experiences greatly in my future aspirations.  

Miller:

Getting into athletic training as a freshman in college I had one dream job in mind and that was to work with the Washington Redskins. That is still my dream job, but realistically I will be happy working in a Division 1 collegiate setting, as a respected member of this profession who is making an impact at my institution and helping student-athletes continue to participate in what they love.

Shuttle MVP: Anybody out there in the Athletic Training field that you think is doing some really cool stuff?

Miller: 

In doing my research when applying for my Michigan State University position I was fascinated with Dr. John Powell´s work involving the epidemiology of sports injuries and I was very impressed to hear that the whole Big 10 conference uses the same injury surveillance system which in turn can create a more clear picture for Big 10 athletic trainers regarding the epidemiology within their own conference. I must also give a shout out to all those ATs who spend time on Capital Hill lobbying for the rights of athletic trainers. As I mentioned earlier, it is very important to gain public awareness and support for our profession in order to advance in the healthcare field.

Shuttle MVP: Here's a Miss America question for you: At the end of your career, where do you want to say that you made your "Dent in the Universe"?

Banjade: 

I want to help as many people as I can - be it in Athletic Training or just in service. The greatest characteristic in a person, I believe, is in service and care - care that is given not for recognition, but straight from the heart.

Miller: 

Honestly, I will be happy just simply carrying out the work of athletic training wherever I end up. I will make a positive¨"dent in the universe" for every single one of the hundreds of athletes I care for and help return back to participation. Athletes will always remember and appreciate the AT who genuinely cares about them. I am interested in continuing medical research while at MSU, and beyond, so I hope to publish some peer- reviewed articles which can be used by ATs in the practice of evidence based medicine. Outside of Athletic Training, I have participated in a few community service projects at home and overseas and I would like to continue helping those who are less fortunate.  I also, someday, want to have a happy family and make a positive "dent" in the lives of my wife and children - what more can you really ask for?

Shuttle: One more.... How do you use your Shuttle MVP at James Madison University, and can you please share with us some specific protocols you use that others can try?

Banjade: 

At JMU we used the Shuttle MVP for many rehabilitation programs for lower extremity injuries. It was a great tool to create a closed kinetic chain environment for ACL to minor ankle rehabilitations.

Miller: 

I primarily use the Shuttle MVP in developing lower body rehabilitation exercises. The MVP is great for athletes who are still limited to partial weight-bearing, but still need to strengthen their lower body. In athletes with patellofemoral tracking syndrome, the Shuttle MVP is very beneficial in the first 30 degrees of knee flexion for specifically strengthening the Vastus Medialus Oblique muscle. I have used the Shuttle MVP to assist with jump training in athletes whom we have identified as having high risk for knee ligementous injuries. While seated on the device the athlete can launch themselves off the Shuttle platform and when landing they must focus on a proper landing mechanics, such as eliminating any valgus moments at the knee or restricting the knee´s movement forward over the toes. Essentially, this same exercise can be used to develop more explosive power if the number of resistance bands is increased. The Shuttle MVP is great for hamstring/glute strengthening if the athlete stands and places their foot on one of the Shuttle´s pegs and extends their hip and knee back against resistance. Those are just a few of the many techniques I have used with my student-athletes on the Shuttle MVP.

Shuttle: Thanks guys - you've got a bright future ahead of you. See you in Philly! (Make sure you stop by and "Toss Your Cookies" on our Shuttle Balance - we're gonna shoot video....)

"You've been seen by a Health Care Professional"

But, above all that there’s a focus on delivering hands-on, patient-centered care. Doug Meyrose believes strongly in that focus and was kind enough to tell us more about himself and Foothills Sports Medicine.

The MVP: Doug Meyrose

Occupation: Clinic Director & Physical Therapist

Facility: Foothills Sports Medicine - Grayhawk - Scottsdale , AZ

1. Doug would you like to tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Doug Meyrose, clinic director and physical therapist at Foothills Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy in Scottsdale, Arizona. I completed my doctorate work at St. Louis University and have been practicing for nearly 8 years. Our mission is to provide rehabilitation, wellness and sports training services to all individuals in our community, so they may have the opportunity to function at their optimal level. We provide hands-on physical therapy and sports training with integrity and accountability to ensure the best possible client results. We have a team of experienced physical therapists who pride themselves on getting positive results with patients through individualized care and "hands-on" physical therapy. Foothills Acceleration and Strength Training (FAST®) offers sports acceleration programs from highly qualified trainers.

2. Where are you making your "Dent in the Universe"?

Our certified athletic trainers and sports and conditioning specialists have experience working with all ages and levels of athletes, including professionals. The FAST® facilities are state-of-the-art training centers.
From physical therapy and injury rehabilitation to sport-specific acceleration and training, the services of all our clinics are extensive. We strive for a healthy, active lifestyle for all of our clients. Our staff is dedicated to helping you realize your full wellness and sports training goals.

3. What concerns you?

Unqualified people trying to perform training and rehabilitation services.

4. Who are you learning from?

Constantly reading articles for evidence based practice and attending seminars.

5. What's your best piece of advice??

Truly listen to the needs of your patient / client and use your expertise to provide the best possible care.

6. One Year From Today - what will you have accomplished?

Foothills Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy will be the first name people mention in the community when it comes to rehabilitation and strength and conditioning programs.

7. How do you use the Shuttle MVP??

We use the Shuttle MVP with the majority of our patients. Some of the most common uses involve core activation in conjuction with functional movements, lower extremity strength in supine and standing and plyometric training. The ease of use, varied resistance levels and comfortable set-up allow us to use the Shuttle with all age groups and levels of fitness.

You can find out more about Foothills Sports Medicine here. Thanks Doug for allowing us to "Meet an MVP".

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