Brian is a doctor of physical therapy and a co-owner of ActivePT. He received his bachelor of science from the University of Iowa. Brian completed his Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine in 2007 and joined the ActivePT team in 2008. In 2018, Brian became board certified as an orthopedic clinical specialist. He is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association orthopedics and private practice sections.
Brian’s passion is the ActivePT team, our core values, our culture, and leading the APT mission, “We make people better; both our team and our patients!” He loves creating a platform and culture for our team to do what they do best each day. Brian strongly believes in the strength of our ActivePT team. Our goal is to take care of our team members and find each person’s passion. A healthy, passionate, team member will always do a better job of taking care of our patients. He is passionate about the integration of all components of the practice and seeing our team grow and succeed. “We are not externally competitive, but internally competitive. We always want to “be better.”
In the clinic, Brian has a passion for treating patients with headaches, jaw, neck, and back pain. He strives to provide the highest quality of care for his patients by combining research-based evaluations and treatments. Headaches, craniofacial pain, temporomandibular joint disorders, neck, and back pain are often complex, chronic and multi-faceted in presentation. He enjoys working with the patient to best understand the “problem” and the many potential factors that influence the pain or disability. Solving each patient’s “mystery” fits his problem-solving personality, and he enjoys working with these people to find solutions. Many times, he works with a physician or specialist, to provide a comprehensive approach to the many factors contributing to the pain or dysfunction.
Brian lives in Rochester with his wife, son, and two daughters. In his spare time, he enjoys coaching basketball, camping, watching his kid’s activities, Iowa Hawkeye sports, and reading. He has an insatiable desire to learn and grow.
Certifications and Education
- OCS – Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist
- DPT – Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences – 2007
- Cert. SMT – Certified in Spinal Manipulation Therapy, Spinal Manipulation Institute and Dry Needling Institute of the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy, Montgomery, Alabama
- Certified provider of work related injuries testing through DSI Work Solutions
- 500+ hours of continuing education, focused on manual therapy (hands-on techniques) to improve the speed of recovery for his patients
- Poor man’s MBA: Read 100s of leadership/team books and bought breakfasts, lunches, dinners, beers, and coffee for wise men and women who have mentored me and listened to my questions and curiosities along the way. Thank you!
- Bachelor of Science from the University of Iowa
Advanced Training
- Extensive training in Dry Needling from Spinal Manipulation Institute and Dry Needling Institute of the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy, Montgomery, Alabama
- TMD and Orofacial Pain Mini-residency Program in the treatment of temporomandibular disorder, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Memberships
- APTA – American Physical Therapy Association and Private Practice Section
Surgical Observation
- Lumbar laminectomy/microdiscectomy
- Lumbar fusion
- Cervical fusion
Favorite Quotes
- “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
- “Every patient contains a truth… The clinician must adopt a conscious humility, not towards the patient, but towards the truth concealed within the patient.” – Dr. James Cyriax
- “It’s not enough to be good if you have the ability to be better.”
- “Go looking for the best in people, and you’ll be amazed at how much talent, ingenuity, empathy, and goodwill you’ll find.” – Bob Burg