David Reavy, PT, MBA, OCS
Performance Therapy Expert and Founder of React Physical Therapy
Throughout my life, sports have been my passion. Even more than a passion, my involvement in athletics taught me early on the values I have come to live by. Ambition. Dedication. Strength. These principles are required when you commit to spending your days and nights on a court, on a field, or in my latest phase in life, a clinic. You must have the drive to stay the long hours and run the extra miles when quitting is not an option. Sports teach you to have the courage to set high goals and provide you the confidence and strength to go after them.
I needed these characteristics more than ever when, at 18, I was hit by a car. My accident left me with an extensive set of injuries including low back pain, thoracic pain, SI pain, and pelvic dysfunction. The accident and the subsequent injuries altered my life path. I was unable to regain my previous level of function through traditional physical therapy, which ultimately challenged me to think beyond my limitations.
My body was left feeling unbalanced, uncoordinated, and limited for nearly a decade. I understand the frustrations of my patients because I have lived them myself. I know what it is like to feel hopeless and to believe that your abilities may never be as they once were. The accident set me on a lifelong pursuit to understand the body and discover ways to improve upon the fundamental foundations of physical therapy.
Through my clinical work, I have developed my own approach, the Reavy Method©, recognized by the Illinois Physical Therapy Association as a continuing education course. The Reavy Method© focuses on balancing the body through dynamic assessment, weakness/restriction localization through muscle testing, muscle release, and muscle activation. My goal is to not only bring my patients back to the level of functioning they had previously known but to help them become balanced and stronger than ever.
I received my credentials from the University of Illinois at Chicago and am a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy. I feel fortunate to be a regular contributor to Men’s Journal. I especially enjoy seeing my work translate into higher levels of function in my patient population. My past and current clients include Matt Forte, Dwayne Wade, Gilbert Arenas, Tracy McGrady, Tommie Harris, and the many clients that come through React Physical Therapy every day.
Lightning Round
A few of David’s favorite things.