Nick Crooks, DPT, CSCS

Doctor of Physical Therapy | Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist
Rehabilitation | Strength Training | Sports Performance

Nick got into physical therapy the hard way.

At 16, he hurt his rotator cuff playing baseball. It was the thing he loved most, and he was sure he'd play in college. The physical therapist he was sent to gave him the same shoulder routine as everyone else in the clinic. When that didn't work, the doctor brought up surgery. Nick said no, and that was the end of baseball for him.

He kept playing anyway. At Western New Mexico University he played Division II football and racked up the usual list: rolled ankles, stingers, concussions. Every time, he noticed the same thing. Getting cleared to play and actually feeling ready were two very different things.

He earned his B.S. in Kinesiology from Cal State Northridge and his Doctor of Physical Therapy from West Coast University. Over the past 10+ years he's worked with elite athletes, weekend warriors and people who just want to get through the day without pain. He's trained in Applied Functional Science, Postural Restoration, Fascial Manipulation and AAOMPT manual therapy.

The clients he loves working with are the ones who have already tried everything. Chronic pain that won't go away. Post-surgery patients who were discharged but still can't do what they used to. People who were told their MRI explains everything. His first session starts with a long conversation about your life, your history and what you want to get back to, because the answer is usually in there somewhere.

Outside the clinic, you'll find him lifting, hiking, on the golf course or hunting down a good meal.

David Hajjar, CPT

Movement Specialist | Rehab & Performance Coach

Dave knows what it's like to be told to live with it.

By 22, he'd played high-level basketball, competed in powerlifting and spent his free time white water kayaking. Then his body started breaking down: disc herniations, sciatica, neck pain, shoulder impingement. Simple everyday tasks became hard. He saw more than 30 doctors and physical therapists, and most of them told him the same thing. This is just how it's going to be.

He didn't accept that. While finishing his business degree, he read everything he could find on physical therapy, biomechanics and how the body moves. Eventually he found a practitioner who looked past the symptoms and found the real cause. That changed everything for him, and it's the reason he does this work today.

Dave grew up in Lebanon and now lives in Los Angeles. He started coaching at Equinox, then left to work with clients one on one, where he could give each person real time and attention. Whether you're an athlete chasing performance or rebuilding after an injury, he starts the same way: figure out what's really going on, then build from there.