“Excellent, knowledgeable and committed therapists, able to pace the exercises with my recoveries and have kept me tuned up for years from various aches and pains that come with aging.”
Injury Prevention and Sports Conditioning in Corvallis, Oregon
We don't chase symptoms. We teach people about their bodies and practice evidence-based care, and that applies just as much to the work you do before an injury as the work you do after one.
At a glance
Encore Physical Therapy provides injury prevention and sports conditioning in Corvallis for active adults who want to keep running, lifting, hiking, and playing without breaking down. You get a one-on-one movement evaluation with a licensed physical therapist and an individualized strength plan. We serve Corvallis, Albany, Philomath, Newport, and Benton and Linn Counties.
- 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
Who This Is For
Most people who come in for conditioning aren't injured. They can still do the thing, but they're managing it.
Active adults
- Runners, cyclists, swimmers and hikers
- Pickleball players, lifters and weekend golfers
Heading into a season
- A first race or a backpacking trip
- A return to the gym after a long layoff
Managing a niggle
- A hip that gets cranky around mile six
- A shoulder that complains after pressing
Thinking ahead
- Strong enough at 80 to keep doing what you like
Not sure which of these describes what you're feeling? Call (541) 758-2235 and we'll talk it through.
Every condition we see, in detail
Most people who come in for conditioning aren't injured, at least not in a way that would send them to urgent care. The hip gets cranky around mile six. The shoulder complains the day after a heavy pressing session. The knee that was fine at 40 has opinions at 52. You can still do the thing, but you're managing it, and you've started planning your week around whether it will cooperate.
This service is built for that person. Runners, cyclists, swimmers, pickleball players, lifters, hikers, and weekend golfers who want to stay in the sport and want to be strong enough at 80 to still be doing something they like. It's also for people heading into a demanding season, a first race, a backpacking trip, or a return to the gym after a long layoff, who would rather find the weak link now than in the middle of it.
If you already have an injury you're working through, start with the sports medicine overview instead, and we'll match you to the right approach.
What Care Looks Like at Encore
A conditioning plan is built the same way our rehab plans are: a real evaluation first.
- A one-on-one evaluation A licensed physical therapist checks strength, flexibility, joint mobility and how you move through your sport's patterns.
- Exercise, in clinic and at home Prescriptive exercise restores flexibility, strength and integrity where you need it.
- Hands-on work when it helps Manual therapy, modalities or taping when a restriction or irritated tissue is limiting you.
- You understand the plan You should be able to describe your own program to a training partner.
The hands-on techniques we use
An injury prevention and conditioning plan at Encore is built the same way our rehab plans are: a real evaluation first, then a program that reflects what your body actually does under load.
What's included
- A one-on-one evaluation with a licensed physical therapist, looking at strength, flexibility, joint mobility, and how you move through the patterns your sport demands. Kathy Lynch, PT, DPT has completed training in the Selective Functional Movement Assessment, a structured way of screening movement to find where the restriction actually lives rather than where it hurts.
- Prescriptive exercise you perform in the clinic and at home, aimed at restoring flexibility, strength, and integrity to the areas that need it.
- Manual therapy when a joint or soft-tissue restriction is limiting you. Our team draws on an extensive set of hands-on techniques, including methods from Maitland, McKenzie, Kaltenborn, Mulligan, Strain Counterstrain, Muscle Energy, and the North American Institute of Manual Therapy.
- Modalities such as heat, cold, ultrasound, or electrical stimulation when something is irritated and needs to settle before you can load it well.
- Taping, when it helps a tissue tolerate work while you build capacity underneath it.
- Plain-language explanation of what we found and why the plan is what it is. You should be able to describe your own program to a training partner.
How it works
- You call or send the contact form. Reception aims to get back to you within a business day to schedule.
- You come in for the evaluation. One-on-one with a licensed PT, not handed off. We can typically schedule an evaluation within a couple of weeks.
- We build the plan together. Your goals set the target, whether that's a spring century ride, a full season of pickleball, or simply carrying a grandkid up a flight of stairs without thinking about it.
- We adjust as you go. If something isn't improving, we change the approach rather than repeating it. Progressions get harder as you get stronger.
Who You’ll Work With
Your evaluation is done by a licensed physical therapist, and you see familiar faces through your plan of care rather than a new person each visit.
Ask for Kathy Lynch
Kathy Lynch, PT, DPT owns Helix Training, a strength and conditioning gym in Corvallis, and is SFMA trained — prevention and conditioning are what she does outside the clinic too.
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
Credentials and training
Encore has been in Corvallis since 2009, in the same clinic on NW 9th Street. Chris Guempel opened the practice after five years of clinical work, deliberately waiting until he knew the community's needs before hanging a shingle. He came to physical therapy by an unusual road, with a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from the University of Louisville and further study in Mainz, Germany, before switching careers and completing his graduate PT studies in 2001.
The clinical bench is deep for a practice this size. Kathy Lynch, PT, DPT earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy at the University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, played intercollegiate basketball, coached at the collegiate level, and has pursued continuing education in cervical, lumbopelvic, and sports injuries. Aaron Nobiletti, PTA holds a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science from Western Oregon University and treats the patient rather than the diagnosis. Tiesha Oare, PTA joined the team in 2020 and works closely with the therapists to carry each plan through session by session. Nathan Smith, PT, MPT rounds out the clinical staff. The practice is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the Corvallis Business Network.
You can read more about the practice and the people in it on the about page.
Why patients choose Encore
You'll get in quickly
Waiting three or four months to be seen means three or four more months of training around a problem. We can typically schedule an evaluation within a couple of weeks.
You don't need a referral
Oregon is a direct-access state, which means you can usually start physical therapy without a doctor sending you first. Call and we'll tell you where you stand.
You work with the same small team
There are five of us, and you'll know who's treating you. Chris Guempel, PT, MPT founded the practice in 2009 and has been a physical therapist since 2001. Aaron Nobiletti, PTA has a particular interest in athletes, especially golfers and runners. Together the team brings more than 40 years of clinical experience.
The point is understanding, not dependence
Prevention work should end with you knowing what your body needs and how to keep giving it that on your own.
If your goal is getting back under the bar specifically, the strength training and CrossFit page covers that side of things.
Preventing Injuries, Not Just Treating Them
Kathy Lynch, PT, DPT also owns Helix Training, a strength and conditioning gym on NW 9th Street in Corvallis. It's the other half of the same commitment: helping people build the strength, balance and confidence that keep injuries from happening, not only treating them once they do. Coaches run small classes, personal training and an intro program called Strong Foundations, with programming that starts where each member is.
Visit Helix Training(opens in a new tab)Read reviews in our patients' words
Every review on our Google Business Profile is public, unedited, and written by the people we've treated and cared for. We're honored to have received nearly 200 five-star reviews, and to have helped each of those people reach a health goal.
“Therapy is amazing . I recommend Encore for an ultimate excersise that feels vitalizing and therapist who care .”
“I felt very good every step of the way from making appointments, talking about my needs and lifestyle, and working with the therapists to come up with my healing plan.”
Questions We Hear a Lot
Do I need a doctor's referral for conditioning work?
No. Encore is a direct-access clinic, so you can self-refer and schedule an evaluation yourself. Some insurance plans have their own referral rules, so call (541) 758-2235 and we'll check your plan.
How long does it take to get an appointment?
We can typically schedule an evaluation within a couple of weeks rather than months. Reception aims to return your call or contact form within a business day.
Does insurance pay for injury prevention and conditioning?
Coverage varies by plan and by what we find at the evaluation. We accept Medicare and most commercial insurance, cash pay is available, and our team will check your specific plan before you commit to anything.
I'm not injured. Is physical therapy still appropriate?
Yes. A movement evaluation identifies restrictions and weak links while they're still small, and the conditioning plan that follows is built to make you more durable in the activity you actually do. Still have a question we didn't answer? Reach us through the contact form and we'll get back to you.
What happens at my first visit?
Your first visit is a one-on-one evaluation with a licensed physical therapist. We'll talk through what happened and what you want to get back to, look at how you move to find the source of the problem, and then explain what we found and what your plan looks like.
What should I bring?
Your insurance card and a photo ID, a list of the medications you take, and any paperwork from your surgeon or doctor, including post-op instructions or a referral if you have one. Wear clothes that let us see and move the area we're treating: shorts for a knee or hip, a loose shirt or tank top for a shoulder.
Where to Go Next
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.