For many years chiropractors were relegated to sideline status
when it came to providing care for world-class athletes at the
collegiate, professional and Olympic levels. Fast forward to the
world of contemporary athletics, and you’ll find that doctors of
chiropractic are not just on the team, they’re blazing new trails.
Like the elite athletes they treat, these skilled D.C.s are taking
the specialty of sports care to the next level.
With greater frequency, Palmer alumni are emerging as leaders
in this exciting field. We’re featuring just a few of the many
Palmer alumni who are working with elite athletes on the
following pages.
All 32 teams in the National Football League have a team
chiropractor on their staff, and nearly a third are Palmer
graduates. In fact, two Palmer alumni played a hand in
helping their respective teams reach the 2012 Super Bowl:
Dr. Rob DeStefano for the champion New York Giants, and
Dr. Michael Miller for the New England Patriots. For a list
of Palmer alumni who are providing care to NFL players,
go to www.palmer.edu/news/120418nflchiros/.
Another impressive demonstration of chiropractic’s emergence
as a key player in the sports care field is the fact that a Doctor
of Chiropractic, William Moreau, D.C., DACBSP, Davenport
‘81, is the managing director of sports medicine for the U.S.
Olympic Committee. (See profile on page 14.)
One of the primary reasons for the involvement of Palmer
graduates in the field of sports chiropractic has been the
development of the Sports Council programs at each campus.
Edward Feinberg, D.C., DACBSP, West ’83, has served as
faculty advisor to the West Campus Sports Council since its
formation in 1994.
“I think the growth of chiropractic services in elite sports
organizations is primarily due to the humble and dedicated
efforts of earlier sports chiropractors whose efforts resulted
in faster return to play with fewer injuries and better performance,”
says Dr. Feinberg. In addition, he says, “our graduates
are well-prepared for the challenge to be competent in fullbody
evaluation and management.”
The growing incidence of athletes suffering concussions has
received considerable media attention, and has prompted
practitioners in the field of sports care to examine ways to
reduce the risk of severe trauma to the head. “Our work with
the San Jose State rugby club has provided the opportunity
for our interns to gain practical experience in this important
developing area of the field,” says Dr. Feinberg.
Thomas Hyde, D.C., regarded as one of the pioneers in the field of
sports chiropractic and a member of the ACA Sports Council Hall
of Fame, has helped to advance the field in a variety of roles,
including mentor and guest speaker for multiple Sports Council
programs at the West Campus. Dr. Hyde, who served as team chiropractor
for both the University of Miami and the Miami
Dolphins, says of his experience, “I think I made the grade by
communicating with the trainers and medical staff and not overstepping
my expertise. Even though they opposed my participation
early on, I always informed them of everything I did.”
As for factors that are driving the current wave of sports chiropractors,
“I think we are seeing a trend toward including chiropractic
services in all sports because of the results chiropractic care
has achieved through some top-notch, well-educated, competent
providers,” he says. “The athletes love the care we provide, and
as long as we can provide a quality, evidence-driven service,
communicate with the medical community in language they can
understand, share and be professional, we will be welcomed.”
Drs. Robert DeStefano and
Michael Miller: Helping the Giants
and Patriots get to the Super Bowl
Dr. Rob DeStefano |
Super Bowl XLVI could go down in the history books as
the “Palmer Chiropractic Super Bowl.” Both teams, the New
York Giants and New England Patriots, were assisted in their
journey to the big game by Palmer alumni who provided
high-level chiropractic care to the players and optimized
their functionality, endurance and overall conditioning.
Robert DeStefano, D.C., Davenport ’86, is the team chiropractor
for the victorious New York Giants, and Michael Miller, D.C.,
Davenport ’79, is the team chiropractor for the New England
Patriots. Dr. Miller has served as the Patriots’ team chiropractic
physician since 1982, and Dr. DeStefano has been the team
chiropractor for the Giants officially since 1999, but has
treated Giants players since 1989.
Participating as part of the medical team for an NFL team
is a big commitment, says Dr. DeStefano, who spent a few
moments talking with Palmer Insights after the Giants’ Super
Bowl victory. “During the regular season, I am at the stadium
on Wednesdays and Fridays,” he says. “I provide chiropractic
care along with soft tissue treatment. I use a technique that
I developed called Fast Active Stretch Technique (F.A.S.T.),
which combines the principles of several soft tissue techniques.
I travel with the team on away games and provide
treatment on game day.”
Dr. DeStefano adds that there is little difference between preparing
for the Super Bowl and preparing for a regular season game.
“During the entire season, regular chiropractic care—in conjunction
with other healthcare treatment options available to the athletes—
allows for an all-encompassing, well-rounded treatment
program. Chiropractic care is an integral piece of the puzzle in
helping athletes prevent certain injuries and speeding up their
recovery from others.”
His advice to chiropractors
who want to become team
chiropractors is “focus on
providing quality chiropractic
care with a main intention
to get athletes well, and not
merely to be involved with a
sports team. It is important to
have as many tools as possible
available to support the chiropractic
adjustment, such as a
solid soft tissue technique.”
Dr. Kyle Knox: The newest
chiropractic member of the
U.S. men’s water polo team
Dr. Kyle Knox |
Kyle Knox, D.C., West ’10, has spent a good portion of the
past two years helping the U.S. men’s water polo team maintain
its international status as one of the medal-winning favorites
heading into this summer’s Olympic Games in London. The
U.S. men’s water polo team won the silver medal at the 2008
Summer Olympics in China, and part of their success was due
to their new coach: Dr. Terry Schroeder, an ’86 West alumnus
and four-time Olympian as an athlete, who assumed the
coaching reins in 2007.
Dr. Knox, who practices in Westlake Village, Calif., was appointed
to the USA water polo sports care staff shortly after graduating,
and in 2011 he traveled with the team to the World Championships
in Shanghai, China, and the World League Championships
in Florence, Italy.
Water polo is a physical game, with the players engaged in
constant contact both above and below the water, which
explains the types of injuries commonly associated with the
sport. “Shoulders and hips are among the most common areas
of injury and soreness,” says Dr. Knox. “Having all the tools
to treat this type of condition is what places chiropractors at
the top for conservative management of sports injuries.”
He adds that he has been
fortunate to learn from the
best. “I have had the opportunity
to meet some great
sports chiropractors, many
of whom are Palmer alumni,
including Terry (Schroeder),
who was my personal mentor,”
says Dr. Knox. “Palmer’s
West Sports Council program
is sought after to provide
care at many sports
events in the Silicon Valley,
and provides great learning
opportunities for the students who want to specialize in the
sports chiropractic field. It definitely played a big part in helping
me become a stronger doctor.”
Dr. Saul Luengas: Leading the
chiropractic team at the
Pan American Games
Dr. Saul Luengas |
The official title for West ’94 alumnus Saul Luengas, D.C., MsC,
ICSSD, at the 2011 Pan American Games was “chief of chiropractic
services,” but a more appropriate title may have been “ambassador”
of chiropractic services. The 2011 event marked the first
time that chiropractic was included as part of the polyclinic, a
multidisciplinary healthcare setting that provides access to teams
from the 42 nations taking part in the 36-sport competition.
Dr. Luengas adjusted more than 300 athletes during the two
weeks, from Mexico as well as other countries, and was honored
to be the first chiropractor to provide care in the polyclinic
setting. “Getting to work with the other doctors was an
extraordinary experience,” says Dr. Luengas, who practices in
Querétaro, Mexico.
Much like the spirit of multicultural athletic events such as
the Pan American Games and the Olympics, the field of sports
science provides a similar forum of good will and camaraderie
by which practitioners from different disciplines can take a team
approach to injuries and develop a good working relationship
in a setting of mutual respect. “We worked hand-in-hand with
the medical doctors and received multiple referrals. In fact,
chiropractors served as the primary physicians at multiple
events,” adds Dr. Luengas.
He credits his education as
the foundation of his success.
“My education at Palmer
West helped me develop
strong diagnostic skills,
which are extremely important
in sports chiropractic,
because when you’re evaluating
an injury in the middle
of a game or competition,
you don’t want to
make a decision that could
risk further injury to the
athlete,” he adds.
Dr. William Moreau: Getting Team
USA ready for the Summer Olympics
Dr. William Moreau |
William Moreau, D.C., DACBSP, has cared for athletes for most of
his career. In 2009, he was hired as manager of the U.S. Olympic
Committee’s (USOC) Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center
Sports Medicine Clinic. In just a few years he has advanced to the
role of managing director of sports medicine for the USOC.
Dr. Moreau directs the multiple disciplinary clinics that service
nearly 30,000 athlete visits annually, oversees the medical care and
medical team selections at the Games, and develops a nationwide
network of healthcare providers to support Team USA athletes. “I
also have the privilege to serve as medical director for the London
2012 Olympic Games, where Chief Medical Officer Cindy Chang,
M.D., and I will direct a sports medicine team of almost 100 clinicians
to provide care for Team USA,” he says. “It is going to be a
busy next few months and I ask all of my colleagues to support
and cheer for Team USA in London!”
He cares for athletes daily in a multidisciplinary setting. The staff
includes other DACBSP sports chiropractors, physical therapists,
certified athletic trainers, medical doctors, massage therapists,
sports nutritionists, exercise physiologists, sports psychologists
and strength and conditioning specialists. “The staff of the USOC
clinics is comprised of some of the best individual healthcare
providers I have ever seen,” he says. “The typical patients we see
are high-level athletes from around the U.S., as well as individuals
with particularly complex medical conditions.”
As one might expect, the training needed to reach the Olympic
level of competition is hard on an athlete’s body, no matter the
sport. “The athletes that comprise Team USA are the hardestworking,
hardest-training and most amazing people I have ever
treated,” Dr. Moreau says. “This may lead to wear-and-tear
injuries, and increases the likelihood of traumatic injuries such as
fractures, concussions, muscle injuries, ligamentous injuries and
serious spinal injuries. The athletes we see are akin to BMW racing
machines; their joints and muscles are so finely tuned that
small differences may make notable changes. At the Olympic level
of competition, the difference between an athlete earning a medal
and watching the medal ceremony from the stands is statistically
.05 percent.”
For D.C.s who are interested in caring for elite athletes, Dr.
Moreau has this advice: “Hone your evaluation and management
skills and become recognized through the sports educational and
certification opportunities
offered by Palmer. The Palmer
Continuing Education and
Events Department should be
commended for their steadfast
efforts in bringing sports-related
educational opportunities
to doctors of chiropractic
across the U.S. Also, be cognizant
that there are many
qualified individuals in sports
care, and recognize that each
individual plays a vital role on
the team of healthcare
providers.”
Dr. Brandon Nevel: The ‘go-to’
chiropractor for elite and
pro tennis players
Dr. Brandon Nevel |
After playing varsity tennis at Hendrix College in Arkansas,
Brandon Nevel, D.C., Florida ’08, CCSP, CCEP, USPTA, became a
certified tennis professional by the United States Professional
Tennis Association (USPTA). Within the next four years, Dr. Nevel
would begin to combine his passion for tennis and chiropractic.
Elite and professional tennis players began seeking care at Dr.
Nevel’s Jupiter, Fla., practice because of his specialized knowledge
of tennis injuries. In his experience, elite athletes are always looking
for that “extra edge.” When not treating a specific injury, he
adjusts many athletes about once a week during the competition
season with an emphasis on extremity adjusting, which Dr. Nevel
suggests is “huge with athletes.” He adds that myofascial techniques
such as Graston, combined with Kinesio taping, work well
with the fascial restrictions that are associated with sports.
According to Dr. Nevel, regular chiropractic care is of great benefit
to elite athletes. “When winning and losing comes down to milliseconds
and fractions of an inch, chiropractic adjustments restore
the motion to joints and allow the nervous system to coordinate
movement and proper function. Chiropractic allows athletes to
focus on winning, not on their pain,” he says.
With Palmer at the forefront of chiropractic research and evidenced-
based therapy, Dr. Nevel’s outlook is that Palmer alumni
will lead sports chiropractic into the future.
“Palmer continues to graduate chiropractors of the highest
caliber,” he says. “As a Palmer alumnus you graduate with
knowledge in treating conditions of both the spine and extremities.”
He points to the growing Sports Council on the Florida
Campus, whose members treat athletes at a variety of sporting
events throughout Florida.
For those D.C.s who want
to work with sports teams,
he suggests starting by talking
with the athletic trainer
about how you can help
them by offering an extra
pair of hands during emergencies.
“Never stop learning,”
he adds. “The sports
injury world is always changing
as new research emerges.
The day you stop learning is
the day you stop living.”
Dr. Kelli Pearson: Keeping Gonzaga
athletes at the top of their game
Dr. Kelli Pearson |
In what truly qualifies as a stroke of good luck, the 16-year association
of Kelli Pearson, D.C., DABCO, West ’82, with the Gonzaga
University athletic department began when she received a call
from the coach of the men’s crew team, who was looking for a
chiropractor near the Spokane-based university.
Her association with the Gonzaga athletic department has since
expanded to providing chiropractic care for all of Gonzaga’s
NCAA-member sports, including the men’s basketball team, which
has made 14 straight appearances in the NCCA tournament. She
initially provided care at her practice. As more athletes sought Dr.
Pearson’s care, she began to provide care in the Gonzaga training
room. When the university built a state-of-the-art training center,
the facility included a room specifically for chiropractic care.
Dr. Pearson commonly provides care before, during and after the
games. She says the two key words that any D.C. needs to
embrace and understand when attempting to develop a similar
relationship with a sports team, whether college or professional,
are respect and patience. “It can be frustrating to watch the team
orthopedic surgeon work the athlete up and make a diagnosis that
you feel is short sighted, knowing that there is so much function
that could be restored with manipulation and soft tissue work,”
says Dr. Pearson, who also utilizes Graston, Active Release
Technique and Muscle Activating Technique.
Dr. Pearson says she’s fortunate to work at Gonzaga with
Steve DeLong “the most amazing trainer I’ve ever met,” because
he quickly recognized the benefits of chiropractic care, which
fostered a team collaboration
with a common goal: helping
the athletes reach their full
potential. She acknowledges
that not all ATCs may welcome
chiropractors into the
training room as warmly as
her experience at Gonzaga,
and other members of the
sports care staff may try to
minimize the chiropractor’s
role. She says the key is to
learn “when and how to
share your opinion with the
trainer and to listen carefully
and authentically.”
Dr. Stephen Press: Providing gold
medal support for Olympians
Dr. Press providing chiropractic
care for Ekaterina “Katia”
Gordeeva in Moscow in 1988. |
Stephen Press, D.C., CCSP, Davenport ’78, has taken his passion
for chiropractic and sports to a global level. In 1992, he was the
chief physician for the entire Soviet Olympic team during the
XVIth winter games in Albertville, France. He has just written
a new book, “History of Sports Chiropractic,” which will be
available this summer.
In early 1979, Leonard Schroeder, D.C., the founder of the
American Chiropractic Association’s Sports Council (ACASC),
asked its members for input as to who should be on the United
States Olympic Committee’s Sports Medicine Council. Until this
time, there were no chiropractors officially involved with the U.S.
Olympic team, even though athletes were requesting them.
Chairman of the ACASC Irving Dardik, M.D., asked Dr. Press
if he would like to go to the Olympics. He declined, saying
having just one year of practice experience wouldn’t be fair to
the athletes, and recommended Dr. George Goodheart of Detroit.
But his journey to the Olympics was not over. Already a member
of the ACASC, Dr. Press went on to become the first (and
only) chiropractor to become a Fellow of the American College
of Sports Medicine (ACSM). In 1987, he founded and was the
first president of the Fédération Internationale du Chiropratique
Sportive (FICS) and the International Academy of Olympic
Chiropractic Officers. “Twenty-three national representatives
came to our first FICS meeting in London,” says Dr. Press.
“By my fourth and last year as president, 30 more countries
recognized our organization.”
FICS went to Moscow in 1988 with Dr. Press as chef-de-mission,
and he began a relationship with Russian athletes that would last
for decades. He treated figure skater and Olympic gold medalist
Ekaterina Gordeeva for sciatica, helped raise a quarter of a million
dollars to set up a chiropractic clinic in Moscow, and was
presented with a gold medal of his own—the Coach of
Champions award, “тренер побидителы.”
“Thirty years ago, it was the
dream of a chiropractor to
go to the Olympics,” says
Dr. Press. “Today we have
more openings for Olympic
chiropractors than there are
qualified chiropractors to
fill them.” His tips for those
who want to be sports chiropractors:
“Get your CCSP
certification. Sports chiropractic
is a specialty, and
you need to be on top of it.
Volunteer at your local Little
League and work your way
up from the trenches. Join
FICS and a national association
and its sports council. Also, be aware of what’s going on in
the world; it’s hard to say where you might end up.”
Dr. Hal Rosenberg: Helping
top-level triathletes win
Dr. Hal Rosenberg |
Hal Rosenberg, D.C., CCSP, West ’01, developed an interest
in sports medicine as a high school student in Phoenix, Ariz.
A past president of the West Campus Sports Council, Dr.
Rosenberg has served as team chiropractor on the USA
Triathlon Medical Staff since 2004 and is one of four West
alumni practicing at Chiro-Medical Group, a multidisciplinary
clinic in San Francisco that offers medical care and physical
therapy in addition to chiropractic.
In 2011, Dr. Rosenberg enjoyed two major career achievements:
In August, he was selected to serve a two-week rotation providing
care at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Colorado
Springs, Colo.; and in September, he ventured to Beijing, China,
to provide care for members of the U.S. team competing in the
ITU World Triathlon Championships, where competitors vied for
the title of World Champion as well as position points for the
2012 Summer Olympics in London.
The OTC rotation exceeded his expectations. “At the OTC,
everything is athlete-focused, and there’s mutual respect among
all fields of care. It was a great opportunity to show the other
doctors what I do as a chiropractor, in addition to treating acute
injuries. We also restore functional biomechanics to reduce the
risk of injury and improve the athlete’s performing efficiency.”
An endurance athlete who’s competed in Ironman-length
triathlons, Dr. Rosenberg says the fact that more and more
chiropractors are becoming a common component of the sports
care staffs for pro, college and Olympic teams speaks to the
scope of skills that D.C.s bring to the sports care arena. “The
athlete can go to a variety of different practitioners for individually
focused therapies, or they can go to a sports chiropractor
who can coordinate all of their treatment, such as adjustments,
soft-tissue work, taping or exercise rehabilitation—whatever the
situation requires.”
Dr. Susan Welsh: Caring for
athletes from high school to
professional levels
Dr. Susan Welsh with the Tampa Bay Storm. |
Susan Welsh, D.C., DACBSP, started in sports chiropractic by
volunteering to provide care for members of high school football
and wrestling teams in her community of Tampa, Fla. That
led to the University of South Florida and then to the Tampa
Bay Storm arena football team. Word of her skill spread, and, at
one time, Dr. Welsh also was a chiropractor for the Tampa Bay
Lightning, the Tampa Bay Mutiny and a women’s professional
softball team.
She is currently a chiropractor for the University of South
Florida Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine,
where she has been caring for student athletes—there are
450 total athletes—each Thursday for the past 31 years.
While she believes chiropractic care is paramount for optimal athletic
performance, Dr. Welsh has learned over the years that “each
athlete responds differently. Sometimes I see the athletes on a
weekly basis and some are treated for acute injuries. Chiropractic
care benefits the athletes on multiple levels, but for professionals,
getting them back to competition faster and with fewer complications
is critical for their careers.”
As for her advice on getting involved in caring for elite athletes,
Dr. Welsh encourages chiropractors to get their CCSP and DACBSP
post-graduate education and start by working with high school
athletes. “I still work with high school kids, and nothing is more
fun,” she says. “Once you have the experience, the opportunities
are endless.”
Dr. Stuart Yoss: Taking care of
Chicagoland’s stars
Dr. Stuart Yoss adjusting a Chicago Bears player. |
When ESPN’s SportsCenter broadcast on Feb. 20 included an
interview with Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose and the NBA’s
reigning Most Valuable Player commented that “the whole week I
was seeing a great chiropractor, Stuart Yoss,” the chiropracticendorsing
quote yielded an audible that quickly achieved equally
legendary status as “the adjustment heard, ’round the world.”
And where was Stuart Yoss, D.C., Davenport ’95, when Rose’s
sweet-smelling compliment aired about the chiropractor who
helped him return to the court after a five-game absence, the
longest of his NBA career? He was seeing patients as the director
of the Bannockburn Chiropractic and Sports Injury Center, which
is Dr. Yoss’ primary focus of day-to-day life in practice.
“To hear my name on SportsCenter was above and beyond;
just to be part of and included in his care was an honor,” says
Dr. Yoss. In addition to the Bulls, Dr. Yoss also has provided
care for players from some of Chicago’s other pro sports franchises,
including the Bears and the White Sox. He currently
is the team chiropractor for the two other teams in the Windy
City, the Blackhawks and the Sky (of the WNBA).
“Most of the time, during the team’s season, I make weekly visits
to the practice facility, or if it’s more convenient for the athlete
or they require more specific care, they come to my office,”
he says. “I maintain my primary practice first; my work with
the athletes is icing on the cake.”