“The human body is incredibly strong and adaptable! We all have the ability to learn and change after an injury, and there is nothing more rewarding than helping someone return to the sport or activity they love.” - Brad Rickert
Education
Brad Rickert has helped people heal since August of 2017. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Arkansas with a degree in Kinesiology Pre-Professional. He then received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) from the University of Central Arkansas. Also, he’s a certified provider of Personalized Blood Flow Restriction (PBFR) from Owens Recovery Science.
Experience
Brad specializes in orthopedic injuries of the neck, back, shoulder, hip and knees. In addition, he has multiple years of experience with neurologic physical therapy.
Using “graded exposure”, Brad finds the level of activity the body or affected body part can best tolerate.
Then, he builds strength, confidence and muscular re-education through movement and exercise.
This sets the patient on the path to recovery.
From there, he monitors and adjusts the plan on how a patient responds.
Using McKenzie spinal extension for low back and neck injuries, Brad helps patients return to sports or leisure activities they love.
Philosophy
Brad feels patients require education about their injury just as much as the hands-on portion of therapy and exercising.
He spends time speaking with his patients. This builds a relationship and understanding early on.
Also, Brad promotes healthy habits and exercise to cover all aspects of care and recovery.
While directing the rehabilitation process Brad encourages and educates patients on the resiliency of the human body.
In all situations, he promotes activities the patient enjoys. In addition, he makes or recommends modifications when needed.
Keeping Sessions Upbeat
“I like to keep my therapy sessions upbeat, encouraging and fun. I push my patients to work hard. I hope to have a sense of enjoyment and accomplishment each time my patient leaves the clinic,” says Brad.
While promoting movement and exercise, Brad holds himself to those standards in his personal life.
As someone with a history of injuries, he understands the importance of appropriate exercise programming, modification and making therapy fun to create a successful experience.
Choosing Physical Therapy
When asked about why he chose physical therapy, Brad says “I have a long line of physical therapists in my family. I fell in love with helping those in pain or who are missing out on being able to move as they please."
He says, "I love all sports, and that fuels my passion for working with athletes. I knew I had to get into a field that allowed me to provide specific assistance to people in order for them to regain their quality of life.”
