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Dr. Trent Nessler
Sports Physical Therapist | Author | Researcher | Innovator in Movement Science and Technology | Combat Athlete Specialist | BJJ Black Belt
I always knew I wanted to be a physical therapist. When I was 10, my father suffered a spinal cord injury, I got to see first hand how a PT impacted the lives of patients and families of those they worked with. From that moment on I was hooked and knew this was my calling.
Throughout high school and college, I was a wrestler, competitive weightlifter and bodybuilder. Having competed in local and national body building shows, exercise was a big part of my life. Seeking a B.S. in Exercise Physiology just seemed like a natural stepping stone to physical therapy school. It was this point in my career that I worked as a personal trainer, strength coach and began to see how exercise can influence movement in a positive way. After graduating PT school from Northern Arizona University in 1997, I was blessed to obtain a job working along side some of the best in sports medicine rehabilitation in the spring training capital of the US, Phoenix, Arizona. It was during this time that I began assessing high school athletes, college to professional Major League Baseball players as a part of pre-season physicals.
After assessing 1000’s of athletes year after year, I began to see trends in what we would see in pre-season physical examination, to injury trends throughout the season. After starting my own practice in 2000, my clinic quickly became the local hub for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) rehabilitation. During this time, I began to see some common trends with non-contact ACL injuries ( which accounts for >80% of ACL injuries).
I knew from that moment on, this was my greater calling in life. After receiving my doctorate in 2003, I have spent the last 20+ years investigating ways to assess movement patterns we know that put athletes at risk for injury. I have worked on both the clinical side and computer programming side with various technologies to co-create one of the most accurate and efficient ways to assess movement in large numbers of individuals. Now, with data on almost 90,000 active individuals across 5 countries, we have learned a lot.
Now I am taking what I have learned from 25 years in sports medicine, 20+ years with the most advanced sports technologies and movement data on 90K+ and 320+ million data points, to offer athletes something completely different. In 12/2023, I launched The Athlete Lab. The Athlete Lab is a cash based sports rehabilitation and recovery business that also leverages the most advanced sports technology to capture data on athletes. This data will be used research the most effective, efficient way to provide athletes with a better outcome, improved athletic performance and mitigate risk for injury or reinjury.
My Mission is to change How We...
Assess Movement Patterns
The goal is to develop an “objective” way to assess movement that leverages the latest in wearable sensor technology with movement science. By doing this, I have created a reliable and valid tool to assess movements in athletes which compromise performance and increase risk for injury with lab quality data in 15 minutes.
Make more informed RTSport Calls after ACLR
What we have done is create the “world’s largest” movement data base for objective data. By assessing movement via wearable sensors, we have collected 3,500 data points on >90,000 athletes across 5 countries. By blinding and de-identifying this information, I can identify movement trends that put athletes at risk for performance issues and injury, prior to even being published in the research. This allows us to be years ahead & on the forefront of knowledge and exercise prescription. Book online.
Use That data to Improve Movement Patterns & knowledge
The goal is to use what we learn about movement to create better corrective strategies to improve how an athlete moves. Using the data from 100,000s of athletes I can develop better and more efficient treatment strategies to improve movements that drive athletic performance and reduce injuries. I can teach others how to use this to improve outcomes with their athletes. This will help all active individuals Move Better, Perform Better and last longer!
my mission is to Change how we:
Determine athlete's progression in rehab
The goal is to standardize how we evaluate an athlete’s movement progression in rehabilitation. To use what we learn, through mass data sets, to educate PTs, ATCs, Chiropractors and other health care professionals how to truly improve human movement.
Determine an Athlete's readiness for Return to play
The goal is to standardize how we evaluate an athlete’s readiness for return to play. One of the most critical decisions following an ACL reconstruction is when the athlete is ready for return to play. As a result of no current standardized way to assess, may be one contributing factor for such high reinjury rates. Standardizing with technology and using data to guide our decisions improves ensures a safer and healthier return to play.
“Move Better, Last Longer, Perform Better”
Current Roles
Dr. Nessler is the owner and founder of the Athlete Lab. Headquartered in Franklin, TN, The Athlete Lab is a cash based sports rehabilitation and recovery business. The Athlete Lab provides a comprehensive holistic approach to athlete's health, recovery and rehabilitation. The Athlete Lab leverages the latest in sports, nutrition, sports biomechanics and recovery science and technology to provide athletes with the most comprehensive approach typically only seen at the professional or elite military level. The Athlete Lab also functions as an active research facility.
President Ready Rebound
Trent current serves as President of Ready Rebound Vitality. Ready Rebound works with over 250 police and fire departments around the US. As President of Vitality, Dr. Nessler runs the Innovative Wellness division. Focused on improving the health and wellness of our first responders and aiding in reducing musculoskeletal injuries. The ViPerform AMI is used nationally with over 5000 first responders to develop individualized programs to protect those who protect us.
Combat Athlete Science Institute - Co-Founder | Developer
A company devoted to aiding combat athletes reduce injures and improve athletic performance. By applying the latest in sports medicine and technology, CASI is providing Jiu Jitsu and MMA gyms with technologies and programing to help keep their competitors on the mats, in the match and performing better.
Innovator in Movement Science & Technology
Dr. Nessler has focused his entire professional career trying to answer the question: How do we assess and change movements in our athletes to reduce injury risk and improve athletic performance. Over the span of 20 years, Dr. Nessler has attempted to blend the latest in movement science and research with technology. His latest commercial products include:
*ViMove+ AMI - commercially released 7/2022 v2.0 is a huge advancement in technology and what clinically meaningful information is provided to users. Currently being used in over 12 international research studies.
*ViPerform AMI - uses the latest in 3D wearable sensor technology to assess an athletes risk during a set sequence of movements. The ViPerform AMI has been used to assess > 13000 athletes across the US and is currently being used by 8 professional teams and numerous colleges across the US. This system is currently used by over 350 organizations in the US including 5 NFL teams, 3 NBA and 2 NHL teams.
*ViPerfrom AMI RTPlay - this platform uses the same technology used in the AMI and combines it with an on the field sprinting assessment to capture force and biomechanical data for making more informed return to play decisions for athletes. This system is currently being used by some of the top 10 orthopedic sports medicine facilities around the US.
*ACL Play It Safe - a national program developed with Select Medical, TheraBand and Cramer to aid in reducing ACL injuries in athletes. As of Jan 2019, this product has been implemented with over 7000 athletes across the US. Current studies are showing mass reductions in all lower extremity injuries, reduction in health care costs and improvement in performance.
*Run Safe - a national program developed with Select Medical, TheraBand and Cramer to aid in reducing running related injuries in athletes. Launched in April 2018 and incorporates the latest in movement science and biomechanics to aid in addressing movement pattern that put runners at risk for injury and which negatively impacts performance.
*Athletic Movement Index (AMI) Certified Specialist - a comprehensive certification series for physical therapists, athletic trainers and strength & conditioning specialists who utilize the ViPerform AMI. This comprehensive course covers data interpretation, return to sport testing using ViPerform AMI and directed intervention strategies to improve results on ViPerform AMI.
Trent current serves as President of Ready Rebound Vitality. Ready Rebound works with over 250 police and fire departments around the US. As President of Vitality, Dr. Nessler runs the Innovative Wellness division. Focused on improving the health and wellness of our first responders and aiding in reducing musculoskeletal injuries. The ViPerform AMI is used nationally with over 5000 first responders to develop individualized programs to protect those who protect us.
Combat Athlete Science Institute - Co-Founder | Developer
A company devoted to aiding combat athletes reduce injures and improve athletic performance. By applying the latest in sports medicine and technology, CASI is providing Jiu Jitsu and MMA gyms with technologies and programing to help keep their competitors on the mats, in the match and performing better.
Innovator in Movement Science & Technology
Dr. Nessler has focused his entire professional career trying to answer the question: How do we assess and change movements in our athletes to reduce injury risk and improve athletic performance. Over the span of 20 years, Dr. Nessler has attempted to blend the latest in movement science and research with technology. His latest commercial products include:
*ViMove+ AMI - commercially released 7/2022 v2.0 is a huge advancement in technology and what clinically meaningful information is provided to users. Currently being used in over 12 international research studies.
*ViPerform AMI - uses the latest in 3D wearable sensor technology to assess an athletes risk during a set sequence of movements. The ViPerform AMI has been used to assess > 13000 athletes across the US and is currently being used by 8 professional teams and numerous colleges across the US. This system is currently used by over 350 organizations in the US including 5 NFL teams, 3 NBA and 2 NHL teams.
*ViPerfrom AMI RTPlay - this platform uses the same technology used in the AMI and combines it with an on the field sprinting assessment to capture force and biomechanical data for making more informed return to play decisions for athletes. This system is currently being used by some of the top 10 orthopedic sports medicine facilities around the US.
*ACL Play It Safe - a national program developed with Select Medical, TheraBand and Cramer to aid in reducing ACL injuries in athletes. As of Jan 2019, this product has been implemented with over 7000 athletes across the US. Current studies are showing mass reductions in all lower extremity injuries, reduction in health care costs and improvement in performance.
*Run Safe - a national program developed with Select Medical, TheraBand and Cramer to aid in reducing running related injuries in athletes. Launched in April 2018 and incorporates the latest in movement science and biomechanics to aid in addressing movement pattern that put runners at risk for injury and which negatively impacts performance.
*Athletic Movement Index (AMI) Certified Specialist - a comprehensive certification series for physical therapists, athletic trainers and strength & conditioning specialists who utilize the ViPerform AMI. This comprehensive course covers data interpretation, return to sport testing using ViPerform AMI and directed intervention strategies to improve results on ViPerform AMI.
LifeLong Educator
Dr. Nessler taught his very first continuing education course for personal trainers back in 1996. Since then, he has taught 1000s of physical therapists, athletic trainers, chiropractors and physicians across the US and abroad on the subject of movement assessment and injury prevention. Dr. Nessler teaches an average of 32 courses a year in the US and abroad. Dr. Nessler has taught at such prestigious US organizations including: US Olympic Training Center, Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society, International Congress of Science Applied to Soccer, American Sports Medicine Institute, Seattle Mariners, Andrews Injuries In Football, Houston Texans, Novacare Philadelphia Sports Medicine Conference, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Flyers, New England Patriots, NY Giants, Kerlan Jobe Sports Medicine Conference, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia 76ers, and the UASF.
Internationally Recognized Movement Expert
Dr. Nessler is also an internationally recognized expert in movement assessment and has been teaching abroad at prestigious organizations including Centro de Educação Física Almirante Adalberto Nunes (CEFAN) in Brazil, Insituto de Pesquisa da Capacitacao Fisica do Exercito, the International Congress of Physical Activity (2016 Pre-Olympic Conference in Brazil), and the Sociedade Nacional de Fisioterapia Esportiva.
Author
In an effort to educate others on movement and injury prevention Dr. Nessler has published several research papers, a college e-textbook and provides a weekly educational blog.
*Nessler T. How To Build a Badass Firefighter: Improving Movement & Performance Using the Athletic Movement Index –LMRL Consulting LLC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. March 2022.
*E-Textbook - Dynamic Movement Assessment™: Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance is a 500 page college textbook on movement assessment. First published in 2014, this book quickly became the reference for those wanting to learn more about movement assessment.
*Move To Improve Blog - this blog first published in 2013 is now rated in the top 50 (#44) of the top sports medicine blogs on the internet. With >100 views per day, followers enjoy the latest in movement science and injury prevention research.
*Professional publications and peer reviewed journals -
-Nessler, T. A Movement Is Afoot: Sports Medicine Specialists turn to movement assessments to reduce ACL injuries. Advan Mag. 26:8-9. 2015;
-Nessler T. Using the Screen: Taking high school physical assessments to a higher level can prevent injury . Advan Mag. 19:24-32. 2008;
-Nessler, T. Using Movement Assessment to Prevent Injuries and Drive Performance. Int J of Ath Ther & Train. March, 2013;
-Nessler T, Denny L, Sampley J. ACL Injury Prevention: What Does The Research Tell Us? Curr Rev Musculoskel Med. June, 2017.
-Stickler K, Denney L, Nessler T, Kang P. Use of Movement Assessment to Determine Injury Risk in Division I Female Soccer Players. J Ortho Res Physio. 2019.
-Parrish L, Shaw K, Nessler T, Wilson S, Garner J. Implementation of the Athletic Movement Index Qualification System and Intervention Exercises Impact on Injury Rates and Movement Scores in Collegiate Athletes. Intern J Kines Sport. 2020.
-Parker C, Robinson K, Nessler T. Investigation of an Eight-5 Week Neuromuscular Training Intervention on Biomechanical Parameters of the Lower Quarter in Adolescent Female Soccer Players. J Sport Biomech. 2022.
-Machado F, Fernandes K, Baptista M, Nessler T, Martinez E, Marson R.. Alterações nos níveis de pressão plantar gerados pelo uso de mochila militar durante a posição em pé: um estudo experimental. Rev Ed Fisica. 2021
Things You Might Not Know About Me
Textbook
This 350 page textbook is for MDs, PTs, ATCs, and DCs who treat and work with Firefighters. This comprehensive review of literature on movement assessment, how to assess movement using the AMI, how to interpret results and develop programming to change. Published 2/2022.
My First Car
1976 Corvette Stingray. Originally this car was white and the interior was destroyed. My dad helped me buy this car and it was a project car for my dad and I. We completely rebuilt this car from dashboard to interior, to the engine and exterior. Not only a great father/son experience but also was my pride and joy in high school.
Northern Arizona University
Scuba Life
My parents were both PADI instructors so I was introduced to diving at a young age. Although I was certified as a kid, I did not dive for over 30 years. My wife and I got certified together on our 25th wedding anniversary. It is now a passion we share with at least one annual dive trip per year. This particular trip we dove with over 5 sharks!
My Family
I met my wife while she was in dental hygiene school at Northern Arizona University. We dated 6 months before we got married in our early 20s. 27 years of marriage and counting, We are blessed with two wonderful children, Tatum and Braden. PT is not only what I do but a big part of our family life. With our handicapped daughter, it is not only what I do, but a part of the father I am.
Passion For Fitness & BJJ
As an obese youth, I started weight training in 1979 at a very young age and got first hand experience of how this changed my life. Creating an active lifestyle has been one of most influential decisions of my life. Now in my 50s, I still remain very active. You’ll usually find me in the gym at 3:00 AM and on the mats at 6 AM. As an avid Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt (10+ years) practitioner and competitor, I love sharing this passion with my son. Besides sharing the sport with him, it is also the influence of an active life that will pay generations forward.
THE ACL JOURNEY CONTINUES
WELCOME TO NASHVILLE
In 2005, I was recruited to Nashville, TN to work with Baptist Sports Medicine. BSM was the region’s largest sports medicine provider and provided sports medicine coverage for local high schools, colleges and professional teams (Nashville Predators and Tennessee Titans). This was also the point where I was able to start our first large scale ACL injury prevention study in high school and collegiate sports.
SPORTS MEDICINE MECCA
In 2010, I was recruited to work with the very best in sports medicine. Kevin Wilk, DPT, FAPTA and Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama. This was a pivotal time for me and a foundational period for the great work to come. Not only was I able to work side by side and learn from them but was also able to do some of our greatest and most advanced work in injury prevention research and innovation. With the national launch of ACL Play It Safe, we have been able to impact 1000s of athletes across the US.
In 2015 I began hosting the Select University sports medicine round table with Dr. Andrews and Kevin Wilk. This monthly round table for physical therapists and athletic trainers, we discuss the latest research in sports medicine and cover topics from UCL reconstruction, to latest surgical techniques to RTPlay following ACLR.
Andrew Ronchi, PT, PhD is an innovator in movement technology. As a physical therapist, he saw a need to develop a technology to accurately and reliably assess human movement. As CEO of DorsaVi, his company is on the cutting edge of movement technology.
Trent Nessler, PT, MPT, DPT is an innovator in movement assessment and injury prevention. As a sports physical therapist, he saw a need to develop a ways to accurately and reliably assess athletes for risk and to make more informed decisions for return to sport.
Andrew and Trent merged their collective passions to develop the ViPerform AMI. After commercial release in 2017, >60K assessments and 450+ users across the US, they saw opportunities to take movement assessment to the next level. Hence the release of ViMove+ AMI. In this webinar, Trent and Andrew discuss ViMove+ AMI.
Caroline Jaycox, DPT, SCS, CSMT a sports physical therapist shares how she uses the ViPerform AMI to rehab her ACL reconstruction patients and how she leverages to make a more informed decision with Return To Play.
SSM Health St. Louis
Our Results Speak Volumes
Number of athletes that have been assessed using the ViPerform AMI. With over 1,000 data points per assessment, this provides mass data related to movement!
Number of high school, college and professional athletes using our fatigue state training program. Quickly becoming the standard for prevention!
The average health care cost savings teams experience using our system. Not only reducing injuries and improving performance but saving teams & organizations money!
ViPerform AMI quickly becoming the standard of practice for performance, return to sport assessment & baseline physicals.
Testimonials
