Xcel Sports Medicine Breaks Ground Locally
By: Phillip Collins
Drummer Staff Writer/Dayton Times Nov. 2010
Few images are more demoralizing than the somber picture of an athlete relegated to the bench because of an injury. It is not uncommon for sprained ankles, pulled hamstrings, and the dreaded ACL tear to sideline an otherwise active athlete for the duration of a season.
Remedying such injuries was the goal of Greg Mackenzie and Chuck Powder, who established Xcel Sports Medicine in June 2006.
For roughly four years, Xcel has been nursing area athletes back to health with athletic and orthopedic rehabilitation services. Now, the extremely busy sports medicine provider is preparing for a big move. Xcel broke ground for a new facility at 830 Falls Creek Dr. last Wednesday.
Of the forthcoming facility, Mackenzie said, “It will be a much more pleasant environment. It will be better in terms of aesthetics, space, ergonomics, and functionality.”
Xcel Sports Medicine is currently located at 727 Crossroads Ct. However, the business’ growth necessitated a change of venue. According to Mackenzie, the new location boasts several beneficial amenities.
“This is just a great location for us,” Mackenzie said. “Being located just off of I-70/75 gives us more visibility and it’s just a better spot for us to serve our clients.”
Mackenzie has worked as a physical therapist for about 25 years.
A sizable stretch of his time in the practice was spent in South Africa.
As of the end of November, he will have been rehabilitating athletes in the United States for nine years.
Xcel began with Mackenzie flying solo. However, his impressive skills were eventually augmented by the capable hands of fellow therapists Nick Manfred, Nichole Alexander, and Mike Mahan.
“We kind of built this from scratch,” Mackenzie said.
Mackenzie stated that the primary focus of Xcel’s treatment is orthopedic and sports injuries. Given his own athletic interests, it is an area of treatment for which Mackenzie is well-suited.
Yet, running injuries aren’t the only types of sports-related afflictions that Mackenzie and his team deals with. According to the experienced physical therapist, Xcel has had to treat a rather broad assortment of injuries.
“We’ve seen quite a wide array of kids in the area,” Mackenzie said. “We’ve treated kids who were involved in running, gymnastics, football, and several other sports.”
In particular, Xcel offers physical therapy with a strong emphasis on manual therapy. This approach is derivative of manual medicine procedures employed in the British Commonwealth. Presently, Xcel is the only clinic in the greater Dayton area that is certified in ASTYM, which stands for “a stimulation.”
The new non-invasive therapy is so named because it is designed to stimulate the body’s healing processes.
ASTYM facilitates the resorption/remodeling of scar tissue, resulting in the regeneration of degenerated tendons.
ASTYM can be employed in the treatment of several chronic muscle and tendon injuries, including Achilles tendonitis, tennis elbow, and plantar fasciitis.
Additionally, Xcel offers fitness classes and Pilates taught by former ballerina Celeste Mackenzie.
Mackenzie stated that the relatively small size of his team allows his Xcel therapists to customize their approach to each injury and offer individualized treatment plans.
“We’re not a big clinic,” Mackenzie said. “So, we can direct all of our attention to personalized care and trying to get the person back to health as quick as possible.”
Of course, while Xcel’s diminutive size provides certain advantages, it also means a heavier work load for Mackenzie and his team.