I've been dealing with some pretty annoying hip pain for quite a while now, and I knew that several of the CrossFit Central coaches(Crystal Nelson, John Del Peral and Crystal McReynolds) had been seeing Sam Sneed, a certified Active Release Techniques(ART) practitioner, for some of the nagging issues that they had. Each of them had all been very pleased with the diagnosis, information, and treatment of their aches and pains, so I thought that it would be worth a try. I was blown away with the results of the very first treatment!!! Sam was awesome about taking the time to ask and understand what it was that was bothering me, and then continued to visually dissect my movements to get a clear picture of what was the root of the problem. This is what struck me as being completely different from all the other methods of "rehab" that I'd tried before - He was treating the root cause, not just the symptoms. The first session took about an hour, and by the end of it the pain in my hip had gone...I had an understanding of what was going on...I had several exercises and stretches to do on my own, and most importantly, we had developed a game plan to get back me to 100% again. The whole experience was refreshing and gave me hope that I wouldn't have to deal with this issue for the rest of my life. The thing is that you don't have to be in pain to benefit from Sam's amazing service. I have already talked to many of my STRICTLY STRENGTH people about getting into see him simply because with more mobility comes more strength. For example, if you are unable to get your arms back for a good low-bar back squat, or if you have a difficult time finding the proper position for an Overhead Squat, or if you have trouble getting to the true bottom of your squats - you are limiting your potential in that movement. A.R.T. is a hugely beneficial tool that you should all experience at least once, and after the first session, you will be motivated to step it up to the next level. Travis H. 8/30/10

When I started at Crossfit Central in May of 2010, I had not done any realistic exercising in four years. As you know if you put out any effort in the program you will soon find that you probably have some needs other than food and water. My needs became my muscles and connecting tissue and the associated pain and lack of movement that was impeding my progression thru the program. My coach, Big Mike Gregory referred me to Sam to "get me fixed" as Mike put it. The first time I went to Sam I could not do a complete squat. Within a few sessions Sam had me not only doing squats but also relieved most of shin and knee pain. I can highly recommend if you have anything holding you back physically, you go see Sam. Kelly B. 9/21/10

I love to work out. Unfortunately, as I have become more fit, I have also experienced an increase in injuries and pain. I have tried everything to alleviate the pain from orthopedic surgeons to sports rehabilitation to cortisone shots to prolotherapy injections. At age 47, I was beginning to think I would be resigned to walking around the lake (but that hurt too!). Then someone told me about Sam. I was expecting to be disappointed again but after only a few sessions, my pain started disappearing. Now, I am looking forward to many years of exercise. I have even started incorporating gymnastics into my workout!!!! Libby S. 9/21/10

Beyond being great at what he does, Sam Sneed does an excellent job at explaining (in lamen terms) what the issues are and what elements of the body are involved for recovery. You always walk out of his office with a very knowledgeable bank of what your body is doing/compensating and confident that he can fix you. Unlike many other treatments that band-aid pain and focus on short-term recovery, Sam finds the root of the problem and works with your body on long term strength and a permanent return to normalcy. Annie Q. 10/11/10

I started going to see Sam at Next Level Chiropractic and Rehab after having continuous headaches for about two months. Before I was referred, I had tried just about every headache medicine on the market, eliminated all types of foods I thought might be triggering the headaches, and had been to see two dentists and still could not find any relief. The first time I saw Sam he was able to give me 6 hours of relief through ART. With each subsequent visit he was able to give me longer periods of relief and after about four weeks of seeing Sam my headaches were completely gone. The treatment I received was efficient and effective and I could not be more thankful that someone thought to recommend him. Kate F. 4/18/11

Eight weeks ago, we started the program using CrossFit Total as our initial assessment. I scored a 5# PR on the backsquat right off the bat, struggling through but lifting 190#. My shoulder press tied my old PR of 115#, a number I first achieved almost a year ago. My deadlift slid by 15# to 285# as I kept rocking forward once I had the bar off the ground. The "total" of those lifts was 590#, 10 pounds below my previous PR of 600#. And that was the problem. I hadn't made much progress since November 2009′s total of 585. I had hit a wall, was on a plateau, or whatever other visualization appropriately describes this far, no farther. When Travis announced his new program, I made sure I got in the first group, because I knew he would coach and inspire me to new heights. I won't give away his program here by going into detail of what the next 6 weeks looked like. Suffice it to say, each hour-long-plus session began with a challenging warm-up involving sets of strict pull-ups, weighted sled pulls, box squats, and other movements meant to wake up the muscles and get them ready for heavy lifts. Then we would work on short sets of heavy loads, pausing after each set — sometimes each rep — to assess how we could perform it better. I gained knowledge, yes, but more importantly I gained confidence in handling these heavier loads. I also had outside help in the form of Dr. Sam Sneed and the "active release technique" of correcting flexibility and mobility issues with my shoulders and hips. In just a few weeks of (mostly) twice weekly sessions, Sam has undone decades of damage caused by inactivity, poor posture, and the realities of a computer-based desk job. When I came to him, complaining of shoulder and hamstring issues, he immediately knew it was really chest and hip issues. His treatments, while painful, have opened up whole new possibilities of movement — I can actually extend my arms fully overhead, touching my shoulders to my ears, just like the coached demonstrate, for the first time in decades — and possibilities of performance. How? Here's an example. An ideal back squat is performed with the barbell several inches below the neck, held in place by the pinched muscles of the back and hands fairly close to the shoulders. Well, my back squats resulted in bruises on the back of my neck and lots of shoulder discomfort, because I couldn't put either the bar or my hands where they needed to be. By the Strictly Strength finale, Travis had me working a new grip, tighter to my shoulders, and lower on the back, and it felt great. Confident. Strong. That result: a 15# PR on back squat, as I passed over the 200# threshold with a 205# squat, and perhaps I could have gone higher (The lift before 205# was 195#, itself a PR). Travis's coaching + Sam's treatment = PR. Jeff B. 10/14/10

I've been a very active person my whole life. Nine years ago I began having knee pain while running and after consulting several doctors, surgery was the general consensus. Since the only physical activity that caused me pain was a long run, to avoid surgery I quit running and stuck with biking, tennis, gym workouts, etc. Two months ago I started seeing Dr. Sam and Dr. Dave for nagging hamstring pull. To make a long story short, they fixed my hamstring and after assessing my knees, told me they could get me running again. Needless to say, I was skeptical but excited that they were optimistic! I haven't run more than a mile and a half without having to stop because of knee pain in nine years. I am ecstatic to report that I'm up to five miles now with no pain after regular visits with Sam and Dave! They are both awesome, they really care, and they really know their stuff! Beth Anne Krajicek 5/3/11

As a professional athlete I constantly push my body to its limits. I compete in the sport of Duathlon, Triathlon and running and this makes my training load extremely high. In competitive season I may train up to 30 hours a week and with out the help of Next Level Chiropractic and sports injury I would find myself out of action pretty quickly. In training for my first Ironman event I was un-coached and very competitive. This bad combination lead to my first overuse injury. My gluteus and hip flexor muscles had tightened up so severely that they tightened my IT band on my right leg causing massive knee pain and bringing me to painful limp half way through the marathon on the final leg of the Ironman. For a week after the race I could barely bend my leg without excruciating pain. I thought I had injured myself past the point of recovery until I discovered ART, accompanied by a number of other treatment methods that Next Level Chiropractic and Rehab use. Within a month of regular treatment I was back to training. I take training, recovery, and rehab very seriously now. I visit Next Level Chiropractic and Rehab at least once a week to keep my body in perfect alignment and to address any issues before they become a problem. My initial injury has never come back to haunt me and last year I won 12 of the 20 races I competed in thanks to the unique treatment offered by Next Level Chiropractic and Rehab. This treatment is now an essential and regular part of my training plan. Darrel Williams 5/1/211

I used to suffer from chronic leg pain on one side because my hips were not balanced when I squatted. Now the pain is gone, and I habe PR'd on all of my lifts! I also have been increasing my range of motion and have a better overall feeling of health. - Chad Vasquez (owner of Crossfit Leander)

I am 43 and have always been physically active, but was starting to notice mobility limitations and pain around my shoulders. After a few visits to Dr. Sam Sneed (and Dave), I feel like a new man. I am impressed by his ability to find and fix the source of the problem, not just improve the symptoms. He showed me stretching and strengthening exercises that actually work! Now I feel stronger and can maintain better posture when working out. Thanks Dr. Sam! Brian Snider 5/5/11

"As the name implies, I started working with Sam in order to take my performance to the next level. I didn't have a particular injury or presenting problem, however, throughout my training, I've realized that one of my biggest limitations is mobility/flexibility. During my initial consultation, I immediately became aware of my most limiting factors and how detrimental they were to my performance. Since I began working with Sam, I've started feeling more comfortable counting on my mobility to aid in my strength, as opposed to limiting it." - Chardonnay Poole 5/9/11

Sam and Dave are badass! Not without divine intervention has the laying on of hands had such a healing effect. Seriously. I had terrible back pain from a stupid deadlift gone bad. I thought I might of have blown a disc. I couldn't tie my shoes. One morning I couldn't even get out of the bed and fell down when I tried. They fixed it. Fixed it like a car. Like it was broken, then it was fixed. Get what I'm saying? I was blown away. A few months later, I some how janked (a technical term) my right shoulder such that I couldn't get my lifts to go to a 90 degree angle in my elbow – so forget overhead it wasn't going to happen. So I went to Sam. Two sessions later, he had diagnosed the problem and once again, fixed it. The next day I was doing full overhead presses. Like I said, they're badass. Gabe K. 5-18-11