Case Study Integration: Thoracic – Internal Disc Disruption

Valerie Phelps

PT ScD OCS FAAOMPT

Graduated with a degree in physical therapy from the University of Minnesota in 1981. She was certified by the International Academy of Orthopedic Medicine, IAOM, in orthopedic manual therapy in 1989, and became an international instructor for the IAOM in 1994. Dr. Phelps became a Board-Certified Orthopedic Specialist, OCS, through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties in 2003. She is a Fellow with the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists, FAAOMPT since 2004. She graduated with a terminal professional degree, a Doctor of Science, ScD, in Physical Therapy from Texas Tech University, Lubbock TX, in December 2011. Along with being the founder and current senior faculty of the IAOM-US, (www.iaom-us.com) she has lectured throughout the United States and Europe. Dr. Phelps has co-authored several books, book chapters, and numerous peer review journal articles. She is the founder of, and currently practices at, Advanced Physical Therapy (www.aptak.com) in Anchorage.

Jean-Michel Brismée

PT ScD OCS FAAOMPT

Jean-Michel graduated in 1985 from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. In 2000 Jean-Michel completed his IAOM-US certification in Diagnostics and Orthopaedic Manual Therapy. He completed a MS in Sports Medicine – Exercise Physiology from Texas Tech University. In 2003, Jean-Michel completed his ScD in Physical Therapy from TTUHSC. He is a Professor of the Doctor of Science (ScD) Program in Physical Therapy at TTUHSC. He is the director of the IAOM-US Fellowship Program, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy, and practices at University Medical Center in an outpatient orthopedic clinic in Lubbock, Texas. He is full time faculty in the Doctor of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences program at Texas Tech University in Lubbock Texas. Dr. Brismée has authored and co-authored research articles, book chapters, numerous international conference platform and poster presentations.

Haley Main

DPT OCS COMT GTS

Haley earned her Bachelor of Natural and Applied Sciences while excelling as an Academic All-American Cross-Country Athlete. She went on to get her Doctor of Physical Therapy at Harding University in Searcy, AR. Haley certified in Orthopedic Manual Therapist in the spine and extremities through the IAOM-US and is a Graston Technique Specialist (GTS). She has been faculty with the IAOM-US since 2018 and has been instrumental in developing online lectures for the IAOM NEXT series as well as teaching IAOM-US Hybrid courses throughout the United States. She is a full-time clinician and Director of Clinical Education at Searcy Physical Therapy in Arkansas.

Jacqueline Doidge

PT

Jackie trained in Canada, Jackie has worked as a physical therapist for 46 years specializing in orthopaedics, chronic pain, manual therapies and since 2018, pelvic rehab. She lived in South Africa from 1983 to 1993, and began studying dry needling and medical acupuncture with Claire Waumsley in 1985. Jackie spent 5 years as a lecturer with the University of Cape Town teaching manual techniques, including trigger point therapy, to physiotherapy undergraduates. She has studied superficial dry needling under Dr. Peter Baldry and IMS with Dr. Chan Gunn. For the past 26 years, she has lived in Tucson, Arizona, and has helped to bring dry needling to a large hospital system there. She began bringing ODNS lecturers to teach dry needling courses in the US in 2013, and began teaching the ODNS courses in 2015. Since that time she has taught throughout the US, in Kenya, Oman, UAE, Romania and Bulgaria. ODNS partners with IAOM-US to present their courses in North America; Jackie is a faculty member with IAOM-US and has taken the lead in bringing dry needling to practitioners in the US

Phillip S. Sizer Jr.

PT PhD OCS FAAOMPT

Phil graduated in 1985 from the University of Texas, Medical Branch in Galveston TX. He received a MEd in exercise science from TTU in 1993. He earned his PhD with a motor control emphasis from Texas Tech University in 2002. For decades, Dr. Sizer served as a Senior Clinician in an orthopedic clinic, Program Director of the Doctor of Science Program in Physical Therapy, as well as the Director of the Clinical Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory, at TTUHSC. He is currently an Endowed Professor in Pain Science, TTUHSC President’s University Distinguished Professor, and the Associate Dean for Research for the School of Health Professions, as well as Senior Faculty in the ScD (PT), PhD (Rehabilitation Sciences) and Medical Pain Fellowship Programs at TTUHSC

Kasey Miller

DPT, FAAOMPT

Kasey received his DPT from Kansas University Medical Center in 2016. He has been faculty with the IAOM-US for 5 years and has been instrumental in developing online webinars as well as teaching throughout the United States. He became a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Therapists in 2021. Kasey is the clinical director and a full-time clinician at Modern Physical Therapy in Kansas City, MO.

John Woolf

PT MS ATC PhD COMT

John is a physical therapist and athletic trainer. He studied physical therapy at Northern Arizona University and soon after completing a Master’s degree in biomechanics and motor control at the University of Arizona. He was the Head Athletic Trainer and Director of Sports Medicine for the University of Arizona and then entered private practice at ProActive Physical Therapy in Tucson, AZ where he was the CEO of a 9-clinic organization. His content expertise is focused on the application of a biopsychosocial approach to healthcare. With courses integrating rehabilitation science with psychology and neuroscience, he provides healthcare providers with a deep and broad understanding of how patients and healthcare providers create a therapeutic alliance for better outcomes. He explores these topics with clients through a coaching and consulting company, Patient Success Systems, that provides healthcare providers and organizations with systems and specific training to improve outcomes through patient-provider relationship training, change language, and relationship-centered care. He has recently completed a Ph.D. in performance psychology at Grand Canyon University in Arizona. He has lectured as clinical faculty at the University of Arizona’s Surgical and Non-surgical Sports Medicine Fellowship Programs in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Integrative Medicine Program and served as clinical faculty in the AT Still University Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency program.