Dr. MARK

• Licensed Physical Therapist: American Physical Therapy Association
• Functional Manual Reaction (FMR): Functional Manual Therapy: Gray Institute
• 3-D MAPS (Movement Analysis Performance Systems: Gray Institute
• Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES): National Academy of Sports Medicine
• Certified Strength and Conditioning Speicialist (CSCS): National Strength and Conditioning Association

• Post Doctorate Fellowship: Fellowship of Applied Functional Science (FAFS) Gray Institute: Adrian, MI
• Doctorate (DPT): University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (Physical Therapy): San Marcos, CA
• Masters (MS): California University of Pennsylvania (Injury Prevention and Performance Enhancement): California, PA
• Bachelors (BS): Grand Valley State University (Movement Science): Allendale, MI

• 6 years spent as an Injury Prevention Specialist, Strength and Conditioning Coach and Coordinator for the Minnesota Twins
  • 2 AL CY Young Award Winners
  • 1 NL CY Young Award Winner
  • 2 AL MVP Award Winners
  • 2 AL Batting Champions
  • 2 NL Batting Champions
  • 20+ AL/NL ALL-STARS

I was introduced by a mentor to the Applied Functional Science approach and Gary Gray back some 18 years ago in undergraduate school. I felt instantaneously connected due to my involvement in sports, cultural upbringing, and movement story. My affinity for movement and activity began growing up in Michigan on my parents' farms. My parents always encouraged my creative free play outside. It provided me the freedom to be a creative experimenter with movement and taught me how to play and survive learning a variety of skillful movement patterns through daily practice. For generations my family has relied upon movement for survival, progression, and providing. The movement story that was embedded into my culture was a perspective shared with me from generations of valuable learning experiences and finding connection amongst making the land we worked on our home. Movement has always helped me feel connected, it has always been my primary language. The connection I’ve developed with family, friends, and teammates has always created unique stories. Spending the last 16+ years working with professional athletes and almost six years as a strength and conditioning coordinator for the Minnesota Twins enabled me to further glean perspective from diverse cultural stories and some of the best professional movers in the world. 

Becoming a Physical Therapist and Movement Performance Coach has been my own personal way of protecting the movement story that connects myself with my family, friends, culture, and the ancient movement story that connects us all to each other. As a Physical Therapist my goal is to encourage fundamental skill development through activity progression. Fundamental skills are the root of movement efficiency and consistency, enabling the body to be a self-regulating system. The body thrives upon movement due to the feedback it receives. I love the feedback we’re able to supply patients with our functional manual therapy skills (FMR), Applied Functional Science biomechanical principles, and how empowering it is to provide a learning and re-learning opportunity for patients with those hands on techniques in skillful positions meaningful to them and be able to reinforce them with movement. Our movement IQ’s are highly dependent upon how well we can change directions, speeds, and levels through our ability to squat, lunge, locomote, rotate, bend, kneel, twist, reach, push, pull, drag, hold, crawl, roll, throw, kick, jump, skip, hop, catch, and climb in all dimensions. These are all foundational skills required every day and that are keynoted as major motor milestones for children as celebration points due to the significance of that accomplishment upon their ability to survive. Regardless of our age, gender, occupation and recreation we must be able to perform these tasks well in chaotic, unpredictable, and unstable environments to maximize our efficiency and repeatability in order to fight off chronic fatigue, pain, wear and tear. 

It’s an honor to pass along the gift of movement, to cherish and uphold genuine, authentic function and is a responsibility that enables me to feel apart of something much greater than myself. I’m thankful for the family, friends, patients, environments, and mentors that have played and will continue such a large role in my melting pot education. Taking a customized approach to rehabilitation honors and respects an individual’s unique story and provides a collaborative environment in which everyone’s genetic potential is maximized and shared.