Muay Thai Champion Returns to the Ring

He's Baaaaack!! Elite Sports Physical Therapy (ESPT) is thrilled to see Muay Thai Champion Kevin Ross return to the sport he loves. Kevin recently signed a contract with Lion Fight Promotions and is scheduled to return to the ring on January 25, 2013 for "Lion Fight 8" from inside the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Kevin Ross (aka The Soul Assassin) is an icon for Muay Thai in the U.S. and is recovering from ACL surgery. He is currently ranked 10th in the world by the WBC for Muay Thai in the Super Light Weight Division.

"It gives us great pleasure to we working with individuals of world-class caliber like Kevin," says Jacon C. Chun, MPT, SCS, ATC, CSCS, ESPT's Director, and one of the few Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialists in the Bay Area. "But ESPT is not just reserved for these top-notch athletes. Anybody can come receive our first-class service."

"Kevin's dedication and commitment to rehabilitation was remarkable. He did everything we asked and more," raves Chun. "He's a dream patient to work with because of his dedication to his health and his sport."

Lion Fight 8 will be broadcast on AXS TV on january 25, 2013. For exact time, please check local listings or visit www.lionfightpromotions.com.

Come see for yourself what sets ESPT apart from the competition. Check us out at www.espt-ca.com. We don't just make you feel better, we help you get better!

Congratulations Miriam- WMC World Champ!

In her first fight in over a year, Miriam Nakamoto captured the WMC World Title over Sandra Bastian this past weekend at the Legends Muay Thai Championship in San Francisco. She's a testament to the dedication her sports requires with her work ethic and her drive. 

Congratulations Miriam! Great job!!

You can find out more about Miriam's goals in 2012 by checking out her video interview at Front Row Fights here.

World Champion Fighter Chooses ESPT

Another elite athlete has chosen ESPT as their physical therapy provider. World Champion Muay Thai fighter Miriam Nakamoto is coming to Elite Sports Physical Therapy for her rehab needs.

Considered one of the top female strikers in the world, Miriam is versatile in both Muay Thai kickboxing and traditional boxing. She has been involved in the striking arts for over 11 years, and became a professional in 2005. She has a Muay Thai record of 13-0.

Miriam has a host of fighting awards, accolades, and honors to her name. A testament to her skill and her coaching, since she has bested fellow competitors with much more experience. The most recent title she captured was the the coveted WBC World Title on August 21, 2010 in Haikou City, Hainan Island, China. She scored a vicious first round KO over Luxemburg's Claire High. Haigh was ranked 3rd in the world at the time.

Miriam currently trains out of Combat Sports Academy in Dublin, CA under the tutelage of Coach Kirian Fitzgibbons, head coach of the US National Muay Thai team.

"It's a great honor and privilege that athletes of Miriam's caliber choose ESPT," says Director of Physical Therapy, Jacon C. Chun, MPT, SCS, ATC, CSCS. "I think that speaks volumes about the level of service we provide and how we can meet the needs and expectations of these special patients."

With one of the only Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialists in the East Bay leading the team, ESPT has facilities in Dublin and Fremont to serve everybody's physical therapy needs. Whether you're a world-class competitor or a weekend warrior, if you want quality sports and orthopedic physical therapy in the San Francisco East Bay, there's only one choice- Elite Sports Physical Therapy.

For more information, feel free to visit our website at www.espt-ca.com.

ESPT Director Published In National PT Magazine

ESPT's Director, Jacon C. Chun, MPT, SCS, ATC, CSCS, had an article published in the most recent issue of ADVANCE for Physical Therapy and Rehab Medicine. ADVANCE is a national publication for physical therapists highlighting new advances in technology, current trends in rehabilitation, and job openings available for PT's and PT assistants.

"It was a pleasure working with the ADVANCE editorial staff," says Jacon, the only Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist in the East Bay. "They made it so easy to share clinical knowledge in their magazine. I hope other PT's and the public will see how far PT has advanced (no pun intended)."

Physical therapy is no longer just about ultrasound, massage, exercise, and electrical stimulation. A good therapist is not just an "exercise technician" or the extension of an MD. True physical therapists can evaluate and treat any musculoskeletal disorder, using current evidence and theory to support their rationales.

"I get disappointed when I see people come in after receiving 'physical therapy' from other clinics," says Jacon, "What they are getting is so archaic. The profession has come so far it's sad some clinicians are holding us back."

The article in ADVANCE highlights new technology that clinicians are using in rehabilitation, specifically an Anti-Gravity Treadmill that helps progressively load patients to help restore their lower extremity strength and normalize gait mechanics. Jacon hopes to bring the first one to the Fremont area later this year.

"Physical therapy in the 21st century is so much more. I hope that everyone gets the chance to experience what good clinicians with cutting-edge technology can do," states Jacon.

If you want to experience the level of care that professional athletes receive, don't hesitate to call ESPT for your appointment. With offices in Dublin (925.452.4656) and Fremont (510.656.3777), ESPT is looking forward to serving your rehabilitative needs.

You can read the complete article here.

ESPT Welcomes New Staff Member

Elite Sports Physical Therapy welcomed it's newest staff member in July, Smita Radhakrishnan, PT.

Smita received her professional degree in Physical Therapy from SRM University in Chennai, India in 1999. She has attended continuing education classes on various topics including Sports Massage, Pain Management, Management of Athletic Injuries, and most recently completed a year long course in Manual Therapy based on the Maitland concept.

Her philosophy as a therapist focuses on helping individuals improve their level of fitness, wellness, and quality of health, through awareness and understanding of their condition, along with the willingness to be personally responsible for their health and to put the appropriate effort required to maintain it.

Smita is multi-lingual and speaks Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam, in addition to English. Some of her other interests include Yoga, Reflexology, volunteering in the community, traveling, and spending time in Nature.

"We take pride in adding only the very best clinicians to our staff. We want to make sure that patients feel their care at our facility is nothing short of the best," says Jacon Chun, ESPT's Director of Physical Therapy.

We have received nothing but rave reviews thus far of Smita's work with patients. We look forward to people seeing just how good a physical therapist she is. We are thrilled to have her as part of the ESPT team, helping to serve the rehabilitative needs of the Fremont community.

For more information about us, check us out at www.espt-ca.com or call us at 510.656.3777 to set up an appointment.

Pilates Options Grow At ESPT!!

New to Elite Sports Physical Therapy this month is the EXO Chair by Balanced Body. This beautifully crafted piece of pilates equipment delivers a "unique and fun, full-body workout," according to the Balanced Body website.

The pilates chair gives therapists and patients a plethora of new exercises not previously available with other equipment. Challenging cardio and aerobic workouts can be performed with the chair and it is great for individual use by patients of all levels. From elite athletes to pregnant women to seniors, the EXO Chair allows for strengthening, flexibility, endurance, balance, and core work in a fun, new modality.

For more information about the EXO Chair or to sign up for classes with our pilates expert, Charissa Chaban, PT, ATC, please contact ESPT at 510.656.3777. Feel free to check us out at our website: www.espt-ca.com.

iPod Giveaway Winner!!

The greatest compliment we could ever receive at Elite Sports Physical Therapy is the trust our patients place in us when they refer family and friends. In Jan/Feb of this year, we collected the names of all those who referred new patients to us for rehabilitation. These names were entered in a drawing for a 32 gb iPod Touch held today at our clinic.

Here we are drawing the name out of our magic Jack-O-Lantern:

Here is the winning selection- Can you read the name?


Congratulations to Paul Aboumrad for your referral and for your continued support of ESPT. Here's your super cool 32gb iPod Touch:

Go ahead- Go app crazy!!!!

For more information about our facility and to see why we are the sports and orthopedic physical therapy leader in Fremont, check out our website at www.espt-ca.com.

Data Shows ESPT is Fremont's Best!!!

As Elite Sports Physical Therapy (ESPT) embarks on its 4th year providing sports and orthopedic rehabilitation to Fremont and the surrounding communities, it continues to establish itself as Fremont's Premier Physical Therapy Clinic.

Based on data collected for an outcomes study in conjunction with the Physical Therapy Provider Network (PTPN)/Physiquality, ESPT is 1 of only 2 clinics in the Fremont/Newark/Union City area that exceeds benchmarks for outcomes and efficiency.

What Does This Mean

The data collected measured clinic abilities in 2 main areas: Outcomes Benchmark and Efficiency Benchmark.

The Outcomes Benchmark measures how well an office achieves expected treatment outcomes based on much improvement patients receive. What this says is that ESPT is able to help patients improve and reach their goals better than its competitors. In other words, if you want physical therapy that you can trust in to get you better, you'll choose ESPT.

The second area of a clinic that is evaluated is its Efficiency Benchmark. Simply put, this measure indicates how efficient each office is in being able to achieve positive treatment outcomes. Higher ratings mean greater efficiency, because patients gain more improvement in fewer visits. So if you want to get better FAST, there's no other place in Fremont except Elite Sports Physical Therapy.

What The Best Looks Like

What is unique about our facility is that we provide the most 1-on-1 physical therapist time of any clinic in the area. And obviously the data shows that it's working. In addition to that, we have the latest cutting edge equipment and we have a team of the city's most experienced physical therapists. No PT on staff has less than 5 years of experience and we have the only Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist and the only Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist on staff.

For more details about us, check out our website at www.espt-ca.com or call us for more info at 510.656.3777.

Win a 32 gig iPod Touch!!

The greatest compliment that we have received at ESPT is the recommendation of our services from past patients and the endorsement of our facility from referring providers.

To show our gratitude, Elite Sports Physical Therapy, will be having a raffle on Mar. 1, 2010 for a 32 gb iPod touch.

To qualify for the drawing, all you need to do is refer a patient to us sometime before Feb. 28. For each patient that you refer to us, you will be given a drawing entry. So the more people you send, the more chances you have to WIN!!!

For complete details about the drawing or to print up the entry form, you can check out our website at: www.espt-ca.com and click on the link.

Thanks again for your support and good luck everyone!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays From ESPT!!

We all know the saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

Well no where does that ring true more, than at Elite Sports Physical Therapy (ESPT). We want to make sure that it is not just our patients that are enjoying every moment of their physical therapy treatment sessions. We want to make sure our employees enjoy every moment of their time on our team!! This holiday season we had the opportunity to spend some time with each other outside of the clinic and hopefully we can do more of that in 2010.

We had the opportunity to support one of our own, Charissa Chaban, PT, ATC as she performed in Black Diamond Ballet Theatre's rendition of the Nutcracker Ballet. She was beautiful, along with the rest of the cast in their costumes, and they all performed wonderfully for the short amount of time they had to pull the production together. The only downside in my eyes is they played for just one weekend.

The next day, we had our ESPT Xmas Party at Spin-A-Yarn Restaurant in Fremont. We had a great time enjoying the tasty food and drink, but the highlight was seeing what our Secret Santa came up with for each of us. I was surprised to see how well everyone did in buying gifts for their assigned person.

As the year winds to an end, we want to thank all of our patients and referring providers for the trust they have placed in us. We will always promise you nothing short of the best in sports and orthopedic rehabilitative care.

Have a safe and happy holiday season. From our ESPT family to yours: Merry Christmas!!

ESPT Announcing Another Fremont 1st!!!

Elite Sports Physical Therapy (ESPT) is very excited to welcome to our team, Joseph M. Villena, MOT, COMT.

Joey is Fremont's 1st Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist (COMT). Physical therapists who hold this credential have to undergo an intensive yearlong course, then pass a difficult written exam. They have been trained in special manual treatment techniques that most physical therapists don't get in their respective education programs. With these added "tools" that they can incorporate into their treatment plans, manual physical therapists are growing in demand in this era of rising health care costs.

"With the economic recession, we want to make sure that patients feel their insurance money is well spent," says Jacon C. Chun, ESPT's Director of Physical Therapy. "With a manual physical therapist on board, patients will be getting something they can't get anywhere else. They won't feel like they can just read information off a website or go see a personal trainer and get the same care. For that matter, they won't be able to get the services of a manual therapist like Joey anywhere else in the area!!"

Since it's inception in 2007, Elite Sports Physical Therapy has elevated itself to the top in providing cutting edge, scientifically sound physical therapy without sacrificing top-notch customer service. With the addition of a certified orthopedic manual therapist to it's formidable team of clinicians, including the city's only Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist, you will not find a more experienced staff in Fremont to address your sports and orthopedic rehabilitation needs.

For more details about Joey, you can visit the team page on our website here: www.espt-ca.com.


For more details about the Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapy Certification, go here.

In our next blog: What Can A COMT Do For Me?

Are You Ready To Rocktape?

NOW AVAILABLE AT ESPT

What Is It?

ROCKTAPE is a performance enhancement tape and is designed for athlete that want a little edge in their game. ROCKTAPE helps athletes manage fatigue by promoting better circulation. All you have to do is put ROCKTAPE on the areas of your body that need a little help and you can go longer and harder.

What Does It Do?
ROCKTAPE helps:

• Enhance performance
• Prevent fatigue
• Promote circulation
• Remove lactic acid

How Does It Work?

Unlike traditional athletic tape which binds and doesn't stretch, ROCKTAPE is engineered to mimic the human skin. This stretchiness is the secret behind ROCKTAPE. ROCKTAPE stretches up to 190% of its original length, but has amazing "snap-back" or recovery. This is what gives ROCKTAPE its performance advantage over other tapes.

To achieve this, a special weave is introduced into the cotton when the tape is woven. This weave means the tape will only stretch in one direction. Along with it's "skin-like" nature, these properties create a Bio-Mechanical Lifting Mechanism. This allows the skin to be lifted away from the soft-tissue underneath the skin. This lift, in turn, promotes blood flow and lymph drainage. This is easy to explain, but difficult to manufacture, which is why we make our tape in a special factory in Korea.

ROCKTAPE can also be used to stabilize muscles and joints that have been sprained or hurt. Unlike braces and sleeves that constrain and reduce blood flow, ROCKTAPE can provide support and stability while increasing blood flow. Thus, the tape's capabilities make it well suited to the repair of localized muscle groups.

All of the above information and MORE can be found on ROCKTAPE's website here.


How Do I Get It?

Simply call us at 510.656.377 or email us at jchun@espt-ca.com to place your ROCKTAPE order now. To find out more information about Elite Sports Physical Therapy, check us out at www.espt-ca.com.

ESPT Now For All Ages!!!

Elite Sports Physical Therapy (ESPT) has joined forces with Pediatric Physical Therapist Linda J. O'Connor, MSPT, and will be offering some new services at their clinic for the Fremont community.

On November 7, ESPT entered into an agreement with Linda to contract her services, so more children in the area needing pediatric physical therapy could access her care. Already the Premier Sports and Orthopedic Rehabilitation Facility in the city, ESPT will not stray from it's focus to continue that vision while adding this new offering to the public.

"I was approached by Linda because she found that more and more state/regional insurances were denying coverage for kids that needed PT. So parents had to rely on their personal medical insurances to pay for care," states Jacon C. Chun, MPT, SCS, ATC, CSCS, President of ESPT.

"After talking the situation over with her, we were thrilled to have her use our facility to be able to provide this much needed service to her patients. As an In-Network provider for most major insurances, we'll be able to help her patients get the care that they deserve and that's what medicine is all about. It's not the numbers or bottom line that matters, it's the people," says Chun.

The following is a little more information about physical therapists from the Pediatric Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA):

What Is Pediatric Physical Therapy?

Pediatric physical therapists work to help children reach their maximum potential for functional independence through examination, evaluation, promotion of health and wellness, and implementation of a wide variety of interventions and supports. Pediatric PT's support children from infancy through adolescence and collaborate with their families and other medical, educational, developmental, and rehabilitation specialists. They promote the participation of children in daily activities and routines in the home, school, and community.

Pediatric physical therapy promotes independence, increases participation, facilitates motor development and function, improves strength, enhances learning opportunities, and eases care giving.

For more details about our clinic, look us up at www.espt-ca.com. For more information about pediatric physical therapy, contact us at (510) 656-3777 and we will put you in touch with Linda.

Welcome aboard, Linda!!!

Busy!! Busy!! Busy!!

Sorry to have vanished off the blogosphere for like 3 months. There have been a lot of things going on at ESPT as well as my personal life. I'll try and keep you updated and apprised of it all in some more frequent posts this upcoming month.

A big part of my time the last 3 months has been devoted to teaching at Samuel Merritt University's Physical Therapy program. That's right everybody, my alma mater is now a university!! You can check them out here.

I have been teaching Sports Medicine to the 3rd year Doctor of Physical Therapy students. It's been a joy to share my experiences with them and has allowed me to reflect on how far I've come in the last 10 years. I've got a few more lectures to prepare before the end of the semester. As much as I enjoying the experience and the studying (and yes I enjoy the studying as it helps me review material and keeps me on my toes), I am looking forwards to the extra time next spring.

Here's a few more pics of SMU:

With the extra hours freed up, I hope I can devote more time to posting on this blog as well as on Examiner.com. In July, I accepted a position as the Sports Medicine Expert for them, but have posted very limited amounts because of the teaching position at SMU which fell into my lap in August. You can check out and follow me at Examiner.com here. More articles to come for sure in the spring.

And with all the above, don't think that I've put ESPT second. While pursuing these other professional opportunities, ESPT continues to offer the highest-level of sports and orthopedic physical rehabilitation in the Fremont area. As the premier physical therapy facility in Fremont, these are just a few examples of how we're not resting on our laurels and seeking to make sure the the community knows just how good we are.

For more information look us up at www.espt-ca.com.

ESPT Press Releases

Elite Sports Physical Therapy is thrilled to continue to provide new and exciting rehabilitation services to the Fremont and East Bay community. We blogged previously about our Dance Therapy/Dance Rehabilitation program- a Fremont 1st!!

Now you check out some press releases about our offerings at Newswire and PR.com.

For more info call us at 510.656.3777 or check out our Elite Sports Physical Therapy website here.

Recession Blues? ESPT's The Answer For You!!

At Elite Sports Physical Therapy, we understand that it is a very difficult time now for the economy. We also know that everybody is trying to make sure their dollars stretch as far as they can. Budgets are going to be tightened and compromises will have to be made. But one area, where that shouldn't have to happen, is your medical care. We feel, as you probably do, that your health is a top priority.

There are several reasons why we think you should consider ESPT for your orthopedic and sports physical therapy care, especially at this time:

1) Flexible Scheduling- At Elite Sports PT, we are now seeing patients on Saturday!! That's right. If you do not want to take time of work during the weekday, we can fit you in for a Saturday visit. We understand that most people do not want to be away from their workplaces, so we don't mind spending extra time at ours to serve you. We are open 8AM- 5PM on Sat., as well as 8AM-7AM Mon-Fri.

2) In-Network Provider- We are a network provider for most major insurances, medicare, and we accept cash patients. As a network provider your out-of-pocket expenses with us would be the same as any other clinic in

Fremont. Except that you would have access to the premier sports and orthopedic rehabilitation facility in the area. (More about this below in #4). For the insurances that we are not in networks with, we can compare our cash rates to what your out-of-pocket expenses with your provider would be to find you the best way of accessing ESPT's services. These are only a few of the insurances we accept. Please call us for specific information about your particular plan.

3) Multiple Payment Options- We are committed to making sure that everyone has access to the highest quality orthopedic and sports physical therapy care. We accept cash, checks, and most major credit cards at ESPT. We will also work with you on a payment plan if you are not able to pay your invoice in full at the time that it is due. The most important thing to us is that you get the care you deserve, when you need it. Not when you can afford it. Please call our clinic manager Jake, to see how we can best help meet your needs. He is very helpful and a joy to talk to. 

4) Best Physical Therapy In Fremont- No other clinic in the Fremont area can provide you care that is as comprehensive and as complete as Elite Sports Physical Therapy. We have the only Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist in the area, 2 athletic trainers, and 2 certified strength and conditioning specialists on staff. No one else in Fremont can provide you with that level of expertise all in one place!! (Check us out at www.espt-ca.com.) The most clinical experience and the most 1-on-1 physical therapist time in Fremont means better outcomes. Getting you better in fewer visits, means less out-of-pocket expenses for you.

We certainly understand the situation that our nation and most everyone is in. We are not immune to economic struggles ourselves at this time. We, at ESPT, love our jobs and what we are able to do. And though we may have our own financial struggles, we want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to access us. That way you can get the best in physical therapy in Fremont and you can see why we are so passionate about what we do.

Pediatric Overuse Injuries Part 2- Let The Kid Be A Kid

As I mentioned in my previous post, overuse injuries in athletic children are increasing at an alarming rate. Most of this is due to lack of cross-training/multi-sport participation and is the result of sport specialization at a younger age. The consequence of this specialization is undue stress to an immature musculoskeletal system, resulting in overuse injuries.

So, other than having children play 2,3, or 4 different sports, how do we prevent these types of injuries? The first step is recognition. As mentioned in the last post, if your child or a child you coach is having pain in one of the following areas, they may benefit from a visit with an orthopedist: heels, shins, knees, hips, back, elbows, or shoulders. (Feel free to contact us at ESPT if you would like a referral to a local orthopedic physician).

Once you have identified a painful area that is not resolving, you can follow the RICES principle:

Rest- In children, most of their painful areas will resolve with appropriate rest. Since most of the symptoms in children are the result of stress to immature bones (growth planes), appropriate time for these areas to mature will often alleviate the pain. There are also taping techniques and assistive devices that can be used to take stress of these painful sites. A sports physical therapist with experience treating athletes can help you find the right equipment for your child.

Ice- Try icing the painful area for 15 minutes with an ice pack. You can use a ziploc bag with ice and a little water or a commercial gel pack. Be sure to place a wet towel between the ice and skin to prevent any irritation to underlying tissue. This can be repeated several times a day to minimize swelling and symptoms at the painful site.


Compression- As mentioned earlier, compression garments and equipment like braces/straps/tape can be used to help decrease symptoms. Check with you physical therapist or doctor for more details.

Elevation- Try to elevate the painful site above the heart to assist with carrying swelling away from that area.

Stretch- Release tension and muscle imbalances that could be putting stress to the immature bony sites and causing pain. A physical therapist that understands the sport requirements for your young athlete and the biomechanics of the specific recreational activity involved, will be able to design a program tailored to each individual's needs. No one is more qualified to do this than our therapists at ESPT. With experience treating athletes in 34 sports from lacrosse to water polo, synchronized swimming to football, no other clinic in Fremont can provide you a more complete sports and orthopedic evaluation to allow your child to return to the activities they love.
If your child's symptoms are not relieved with the RICES principles, it is highly recommended that you follow-up with your pediatrician or with an orthopedist for further medical evaluation. Early detection can help address issues while they are still manageable and help prevent progression to a condition that would require mandatory rest.

The bottom line is that it's important to keep kids healthy, to allow them to have positive developmental associations and pleasure with sports. This will allow kids to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It will allow kids to just be kids. And it may even allow some kids to emerge into the stars of tomorrow.

Pediatric Overuse Injuries- Too Much Of A Good Thing?

I remember in high school when we voted someone most athletic, they usually were good at more than one sport. It may have been a guy that played football, then basketball, then baseball. Or a girl that played soccer, then ran track. That, however, is becoming less common today and specialization is becoming the norm.

Kids are becoming dedicated to a particular sport at a younger age. They focus themselves year round on trying to be the best. They go from their high school team to the club team. They hope for a possible college scholarship and perhaps a professional career.

Along with year-round preparation and practice though, there are consequences- an alarming increase in overuse injuries. In the 2005-2006 school year, more than 1.4 million injuries were sustained by high school athletes. Most of these, could have been prevented with proper education and timely treatment.

The important thing to realize is that children are not little adults. Coaches need to be educated in the effects of overtraining on an immature musculoskeletal system. What worked for them and what is tradition, is not always in the best interest of the young athlete. With the evolution of science and medicine, training methods also need to evolve.

If you bend a piece of metal repetitively, it will eventually break at its weakest link. And that is what happens with an immature musculoskeletal system. Where adults can get tendinitis, strains, or ruptures at their weakest links, children can get traction apophysitis injuries. These are irritations to the growth plates because children have bones that are not completely fused. Injuries at these vulnerable sites produce inflammation, pain, and can stimulate bone growth.

Common sites for these types of injuries are: heels, shins, knees, hips, elbows, and shoulders. If your athletic child is experiencing pain in any of these areas, the best thing to do is set up an appointment with your physician to have them evaluated, so the proper course of treatment can be recommended. (I'll talk a little more about treatments in my next blog). And remember, just because a physical therapist says they treat sports injuries, doesn't mean they have direct experience in a sports setting. At ESPT, our director is the only Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist in the area. (Check us out at Elite Sports Physical Therapy).

The bottom line is that kids aren't immune to injuries and they are in fact becoming more common. Increased awareness by the athletes, parents, and coaches can aid with earlier detection and prevention. And this in turn will allow kids to continue playing the sports they love and to continue just being kids.

(To Be Continued)

ESPT Welcomes New Staff

Elite Sports Physical Therapy is thrilled to introduce its newest staff members to the Fremont Community. Each of our therapists have been hand picked because of their experience and qualifications. At ESPT, our commitment is to provide you with the best physical therapy services in the Fremont, Newark, Union City area and this begins with our clinicians. Nowhere else in the area will you find a more complete orthopedic rehabilitation team, than at ESPT.


In September 2008, Floyd VitoCruz, MSPT, CSCS joined our team from the Riekes Center in Menlo Park. Floyd earned his Master of Science degree in Physical Therapy from UCSF. He has since worked in both acute care and outpatient orthopedic settings. He has had the opportunity to work with a wide array of patients, including high school/collegiate level athletes, weekend warriors, and professional athletes.

Floyd believes that by empowering patients with the appropriate knowledge, they can be proactive in achieving their personal goal, be it returning to a desk job or competing in the Olympics. Outside of the clinic, Floyd enjoys cycling, keeping up with a variety of sports, and keeping up with his culinary skills. During the winter, you can always find him planning his next trip to Lake Tahoe, waxing/tuning his snowboard, and praying for the next perfect powder day.


In February 2009, Charissa Chaban, MPT, ATC joined ESPT from the ValleyCare Health System in Pleasanton. Charissa earned her Master of Physical Therapy degree from CSU Fresno. She has since worked as an outpatient clinic manager in beautiful Hawaii and as a traveling therapist throughout California.

Charissa is an accomplished dancer and has had the unique privilege of training at the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries in New York. Though her passion is in treating dance-related injuries, Charissa enjoys working with all types of patients from young to old and from sports injuries to everyday overuse injuries. Charissa is trained in mat and reformer pilates and continues to dance professionally with the Oakland Ballet Company. She will help us start a Dance Rehabilitation/ Dance Therapy program at ESPT- the 1st in Fremont!! (More on this in a future blog).


It is an honor an privilege for us at ESPT to continue to add only the best clinicians to our team. No other clinic can boast the credentials that we have at ESPT- the only Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist in the area, 2 NATA Certified Athletic Trainers, and 2 NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists. All of this shows our commitment at ESPT to the highest level of clinical care.