“They got me in quickly when I had an injury and treated the symptoms while treating me as a person. Kathy and Aaron were attentive and adjusted my program as I healed.”
Ski and Snowboard Sports Injury Rehab in Corvallis, Oregon
Encore Physical Therapy treats ski and snowboard injuries and builds preseason conditioning plans at our clinic at 2609 NW 9th Street in Corvallis. We work with knee, shoulder, wrist, and low back problems from skiing and riding, and we can typically schedule an evaluation within a couple of weeks.
- 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
Common Injuries We Treat
Most people here ski two or three months a year, then ask their legs for a full day after nine months off.
Knee
- A knee that twisted in an awkward fall
- Recovery from ACL or meniscus repair
Wrist and shoulder
- A wrist you landed on
- A separated shoulder or rotator cuff repair
Back
- A low back that tightens by day two
Preseason
- Legs and balance that aren't where they were
- Riding for another twenty years
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
We serve Corvallis, Albany, Philomath, Newport, and the rest of Benton and Linn Counties.
Most people around here ski two or three months a year, then ask their legs to handle a full day of moguls, chop, and traverses after nine months off. That gap is where a lot of winter injuries start. The knee that twists on a slow, awkward fall. The wrist you land on when a heel edge catches. The shoulder that separates in the trees. The low back that tightens up halfway through day two at Hoodoo and never really loosens again.
This page is for you if:
- You hurt something on snow last season and it still isn't right.
- You are recovering from an ACL, meniscus, rotator cuff, or shoulder repair and want to ski again, not just walk without pain.
- You are heading into fall knowing your legs and balance aren't where they were.
- You are in your 50s, 60s, or 70s and intend to keep riding for another twenty years.
We know how frustrating it is to be told to wait months for an evaluation while the season ticks by. We are a small independent practice, and we schedule our own patients, so getting in usually takes weeks rather than months.
What Care Looks Like at Encore
Every plan starts with a one-on-one evaluation with a licensed physical therapist, never a handoff.
- A one-on-one evaluation We take your history, test the joint and tissue, look at how you move, and tell you what we found.
- Hands-on treatment Skilled joint and soft-tissue work, with heat, cold, ultrasound or taping when they help.
- Exercise, in clinic and at home Prescriptive exercise restores flexibility, strength and control.
- Loading toward the mountain Eccentric quad strength, single-leg control, trunk stability and balance under fatigue, not just pain-free walking.
The hands-on techniques we use
Every plan starts with a one-on-one evaluation with a licensed physical therapist. You are not handed off to a technician for your exam.
- You call or email us. Reception generally gets back to you within a business day to schedule. In Oregon you can usually start physical therapy without a doctor's referral, which is called direct access, so you don't have to chase down a referral first.
- Evaluation. We take your history, test the joint and the tissue, and look at how you actually move. Kathy Lynch, PT, DPT, is trained in the Selective Functional Movement Assessment, a structured way of finding which movement is limited and where the limitation is really coming from. Then we tell you what we found, in plain language.
- Hands-on treatment plus exercise. We use manual therapy, meaning skilled hands-on work on joints and soft tissue, drawing on methods from Maitland, McKenzie, Kaltenborn, Mulligan, Strain Counterstrain, Muscle Energy, and the North American Institute of Manual Therapy. Prescriptive exercises in the clinic and at home restore flexibility, strength, and control. When it helps, we add heat or cold to calm pain and inflammation, ultrasound or electrical stimulation, or taping.
- Loading toward the mountain. Skiing and riding demand eccentric quad strength, single-leg control, hip and trunk stability, and balance under fatigue. We progress your program toward those demands rather than stopping at "pain-free walking."
If your injury involved surgery, the post-operative side of this work is covered on our rehabilitation page.
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.
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 served Corvallis and the surrounding communities since 2009. Chris Guempel, PT, MPT, founded the practice after completing his graduate studies at the University of Louisville in 2001, and he took a genuinely unusual route to get there, earning a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance and studying in Mainz, Germany before switching careers.
Kathy Lynch, PT, DPT, earned her doctorate at the University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus and has taken continuing education in cervical, lumbopelvic, and sports injuries. She hikes and bikes around Oregon herself. Aaron Nobiletti, PTA, holds a bachelor's in Exercise Science from Western Oregon University and has a particular interest in treating athletes. Tiesha Oare, PTA, joined the team in 2020 and works closely with the therapists on each plan of care. Nathan Smith, PT, MPT, rounds out the clinical staff.
You can read more about the practice and the full team on our About page.
Why patients choose Encore
We don't chase symptoms. We teach people about their bodies and practice evidence-based care. That matters more in a seasonal sport than almost anywhere else, because you need to understand which movements to load and which to back off from when you're standing at the top of a run with no therapist next to you.
A few things that shape the care here:
- Access. Evaluations are typically available within a couple of weeks, which is why fall is a good time to call about preseason conditioning and why a January injury doesn't have to cost you the rest of the season.
- Direct access. Self-referral is accepted. No doctor's referral needed to get started.
- Individual attention. Your evaluation is with a physical therapist, and your plan is built around what you're trying to get back to, whether that's groomers with the grandkids or a full day in the backcountry.
- Insurance. We accept Medicare and most commercial plans, and cash pay is available. Call and we'll check your plan.
For other sports we treat, see the sports medicine overview.
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.
“Kathy and Aaron are clear at explaining everything I need to know about the healing of my knees. They give me really good exercises to do at home that are not overly challenging.”
“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.”
Ski and Snowboard PT Questions
Do I need a doctor's referral before starting ski injury physical therapy?
No. Oregon allows direct access, so you can self-refer and start physical therapy without a referral. If your insurance plan has its own requirement, we'll tell you when you call.
How soon can I get an evaluation?
We can typically schedule a new evaluation within a couple of weeks. Call (541) 758-2235 and reception will usually get back to you within a business day.
When should I start preseason conditioning?
As early as you can. Strength, balance, and control take several weeks of consistent work to change, so calling in early fall gives you far more benefit than calling the week before your first trip over the pass.
Do you accept Medicare and commercial insurance?
Yes. We accept Medicare and most commercial plans, and cash pay is available. Give us the details of your plan and we'll check your coverage before you come in.
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.