There are practitioners with both of these designations, but it seems to be rare.  Some physical therapists have pursued specialty in fitness and weight training and utilize their PT in this setting.  I do not.  I love my specialty of OMPT; I love working with the specific mechanics;  I love being able to transition someone to any number of favorite activities, one of which is fitness and weight training.

Until recently, I did not know how much cross-over there now is in some of the teaching in these two fields.  Some clinics are incorporating athletic trainers in various clinic roles.  Courses previously offered to PTs only are now being opened up to ATCs.  Depending on the state, practice acts between the two fields are starting to look more similar.

I’d like to highlight Garrett today.

I have known Garrett McLaughlin for coming up on two years.  We have coordinated with clients and have found out that we have many of the same views on fitness and treatment approaches.  He is as passionate as I am about keeping people healthy for the long-term.  It is the lucky client that gets to see us both!

What Garrett brings to our team is extensive knowledge in athletic screening tests, various fitness modalities and approaches – TRX, kinesiology taping, ART, and he knows when to send his clients to someone else (as we all should.)  He also watches his clients very carefully for correct positioning and he knows not to over-train his clients so that they are not injured.

Garrett, what does Rebecca bring to the team?

Rebecca brings not only a wealth of knowledge and experience in manual therapy and rehabilitation, but an eager yearning for more. In a constantly evolving field, it is those who are satisfied with their current skill set and knowledge that quickly get left behind. Rebecca is not one of those people. She consistently seeks out new educational material, and instructs fitness and rehabilitation professionals on a regular basis.

As one of the best manual therapists in Nashville, Rebecca strongly believes in empowering her patients to take their health into their own hands. In a society where many professionals try to “do it all,” Rebecca has no reservations referring out when results aren’t being seen or working closely with various fitness professionals to keep their clients progressing towards their fitness goals. It is Rebecca’s passionate and unselfish demeanor that makes her an ideal OMPT to collaborate with.

NAIOMT has opened up Level I core courses to ATCs.  These will be offered this fall and in the spring in Nashville, TN.  Here is a link for course registration:

http://www.naiomt.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=calendar.eventDetail&eventId=595

If you can’t make it to Nashville, then check out when and where other NAIOMT courses are being offered at www.naiomt.com.

Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART
Email: gmac922@gmail.com
Website: www.garrettmclaughlin.com

Rebecca is passionate about the message of “Better Together.”  You can visit her blog at:    http://www.RebeccaLowe.physio/blog.