“Placeholder: a verbatim Google review from a sports medicine patient goes here.”
Sports Medicine Clinic in Corvallis, OR
Something hurts, and it isn't going away on its own. Maybe you've already been told to stop running, stop lifting, or stop playing until it settles down. You shouldn't have to wait months to find out what's actually wrong.
At a glance
Encore Physical Therapy is a sports medicine clinic in Corvallis, Oregon, treating sports injuries and active-adult overuse problems for runners, cyclists, golfers, swimmers, lifters, hikers and pickleball players. Evaluations are one-on-one with a licensed physical therapist, we can typically schedule one within a couple of weeks, and in Oregon you can usually start without a doctor's referral.
- Evaluations within a couple of weeks, not months on a waiting list
- Direct access clinic. In Oregon you can usually start PT without a doctor's referral
- Medicare and most commercial insurance accepted. Cash pay available
- One-on-one evaluation with a licensed physical therapist, not a hand-off
Conditions and Sports We Treat
Running injuries, rotator cuff problems, knee pain, ankle sprains, fractures, repetitive strain, and return to sport after surgery. Pick the sport below that sounds like your week, or call us if your injury doesn't fit neatly into one of them.
- PickleballFor paddle players with shoulder, elbow, knee or Achilles pain, especially if you picked the sport up fast and your joints are still catching up.
- RunningShin, knee, hip and foot pain in runners, including a look at how you actually move when you run rather than only where it hurts.
- CyclingOveruse pain and position-related neck, low back and knee complaints that show up on longer rides.
- GolfBack, hip, shoulder and elbow pain that shows up in the swing, with a plan aimed at a full pain-free round.
- Strength Training & CrossFitRehab for lifters that keeps load in the plan instead of removing it, with a path back under the bar.
- Hiking & BackpackingKnee, ankle and hip problems that appear under a loaded pack, ideally sorted out before your next trip.
- Swimming & TriathlonShoulder pain and the accumulated overuse that comes from training three disciplines at once.
- Skiing & SnowboardingPre-season conditioning and post-injury rehab ahead of the Cascades season.
- Musical Instrument RehabilitationRepetitive strain from hours of playing. Chris Guempel earned a degree in cello performance before he became a physical therapist, so the demands are familiar here.
- Injury Prevention & ConditioningFor people who aren't hurt and would like to stay that way, or who want to be stronger going into a season.
What Sports Medicine PT Actually Means Here
Rest will quiet most sports injuries down. It rarely tells you why they happened. When you go back to the same mileage, the same lift, or the same third set of pickleball, the same tissue takes the same load in the same way.
So the evaluation starts with watching you move. Where the pain is and where the problem is are often two different places, and finding the difference is most of the work. From there we build a plan around what you're trying to get back to, because returning to a marathon block and returning to Saturday morning doubles are not the same goal.
We don't chase symptoms. We teach people about their bodies and practice evidence-based care, which mostly means you should leave your first visit understanding what's going on and what we're going to do about it.
What to Expect, From First Call to Return to Sport
- Call (541) 758-2235. Reception aims to get back to you within a business day to schedule.
- Evaluation with a licensed physical therapist. One-on-one, not handed off. We take a history, examine you, watch you move, and explain what we find.
- Goals set together. You tell us what you're training for or what you want back. That shapes the plan.
- Individualized treatment. Manual therapy, exercise and modalities in whatever combination your exam supports. If you're not improving, we change course rather than repeat the same visit.
- Home program. The work between visits is what carries you back to your sport.
How We Treat: Methods That Have Evidence Behind Them
Manual therapy
Hands-on assessment and treatment of joints and soft tissue. Our team uses techniques from Maitland, McKenzie, Kaltenborn, Mulligan, Strain Counterstrain, Muscle Energy and the North American Institute of Manual Therapy. Those are the names of the clinicians who developed them, and which one we reach for depends on what your exam shows.
Prescriptive exercise
Specific exercises done in the clinic and at home to rebuild flexibility, strength and tolerance in the tissue that's been complaining. This is the part that holds the result.
Modalities
Heat, cold, ultrasound (deep heat delivered by sound waves), electrical stimulation, and taping. These help settle pain and inflammation early so you can do the exercise work sooner.
What Patients Say
Rather than pick quotes for you, we'd point you to the unfiltered ones. Patient reviews are on our Facebook page and our Google listing, and you're welcome to call and ask us anything they don't answer.
“Placeholder: a verbatim Google review from a sports medicine patient goes here.”
“Placeholder: a verbatim Google review from a sports medicine patient goes here.”
Meet the Clinicians Who'll Work With You
Five clinicians, physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, all in one building on NW 9th Street.
Chris Guempel, PT, MPT
owner, physical therapist since 2001, founded Encore in 2009
Kathy Lynch, PT, DPT
Doctor of Physical Therapy, continuing education in cervical, lumbopelvic and sports injuries, SFMA trainedNathan Smith, PT, MPT
physical therapist
Tiesha Oare, PTA
physical therapist assistant, joined Encore in 2020
Aaron Nobiletti, PTA
physical therapist assistant, background in exercise science
Ready When You Are
Get Back to Your Life
Recover stronger. Move better. Stay active. Whether you're recovering from surgery or an injury, managing chronic pain, or working to prevent future injuries, contact us today to get started.