Empowering Clinicians and Improving Outcomes
Graston Technique was originally conceived by an amateur athlete who suffered a debilitating knee injury while water skiing. Frustrated about the lack of rehabilitation progress following surgery and conventional therapy. After consulting several healthcare professionals, he decided to apply his professional background in machining to create several instruments to treat his soft tissue injury.
Experiencing early success on his own knee, he collaborated with medical and research personnel at Ball Memorial Hospital and Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., to fully develop a technique and a set of instruments. From this collaborative effort, Graston Technique
In 1994, TherapyCare Resources Inc., parent company of Graston Technique therapy, opened an outpatient clinic in Indianapolis, where outcome data was gathered on a wide range of chronic and acute injuries. Five years later, the company turned all of its attention to teaching and training clinicians and continued research on the technique.
It’s our mission to empower clinicians to improve patient outcomes through quality education and products.
Our Guiding Principles
These core principles are at the foundation of Graston Technique Therapy.
YOU FIRST
You always have an audience with us, and we strive to help you in returning to a high quality of life. When everyone is focused on the same goal, it’s a recipe for success for all.
High Standards
A lack of proper experience and education could introduce serious risk to both patient and clinician. This is why only licensed professionals that meet our strict requirements are accepted into our courses.
PROPER EDUCATION
More than 20 years of experience and feedback cultivate an environment for the highest quality of training that few can match. Our continuously evolving ciriculum and highly qualified instructors provide the perfect opportunity for excellent education.
Our GT Equine Clinical Advisors and Instructors
The Graston Technique® Instructional Team is committed to providing the highest caliber of hands-on training available, based on evidence-based research and industry best practices. We’re extremely proud of the 50+ advisors and instructors that help us shape the future of Graston Technique® therapy.
Dr. Stephanie Crawford
DC, CAC
Stephanie is a Registered Chiropractor and Certified Animal Chiropractor. She treats a wide range of musculoskeletal disorders in a multidisciplinary rehab clinic in addition to operating a mobile equine practice.
Stephanie graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 2016 and holds an honours degree in English literature from Trent University. Prior to attending chiropractic college, she worked for five years as an equine veterinary assistant in a busy sport horse practice.
In 2016 Stephanie completed post-graduate training with the Veterinary Chiropractic Learning Centre to become a Certified Animal Chiropractor and has undergone additional testing to gain accreditation with the College of Animal Chiropractors. She completed Graston training in 2018 and is a member of the Clinical Advisors and Instructors team for Graston Technique Equine.
Stephanie’s equestrian background includes over twenty years’ experience training, competing and coaching in the English disciplines. She held a working student position with bio-mechanics expert Mary Wanless and later worked as a show groom for Olympic level show jumpers. She continues to train in dressage, and now runs fitness and biomechanics workshops for riders.
When she is not treating patients, Stephanie enjoys staying active in the great outdoors on rock climbing excursions with her partner Dan and their Husky-Sheppard, “Jasper”.
Randy Gootzeit
MS, OTR/L, CHT
Randy Gootzeit, MS OTR/L, CHT, TPT has been an outpatient therapist for more than 20 years. She is a member of the Graston Technique Equine Clinical Advisors and Instructors team, instructing in both the equine and human division since 2013. Argo Elite Equine MFR provides Graston Technique therapy to horses and riders. Currently, she is enrolled in the London College of Animal Osteopathy, working towards a certificate in Equine Osteopathy. Randy is an ASEA certified equine appraiser.
Randy became a thoroughbred trainer at Belmont Racetrack, ascending as hotwalker, groom, pony girl, exercise rider, foreman, and assistant trainer. She also worked with and managed the practice of the veterinarian who did the field trials on hyaluronic acid intraarticular injections. She has ridden since age 2, experiencing English forward seat, Western, Australian, polo, team penning, racing, and trail riding.
She graduated from Syracuse University, and completed a BS in Health Sciences and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy with highest honors at Touro College in NY. She is a board-certified hand therapist with several publications, presentations, and participates in research, and is a Tennis Performance Trainer.
She moved from native New York to Phoenix, AZ in 2006, living with Marty B and their two Italian Greyhounds.
Dr. Karen Backall
PT, MPT, CMTPT
Karen A Backall PT,MPT,CMTPT has been an outpatient physical therapist for over 30 years. She received her masters degree from Hahnemann Medical Schools Physical Therapy program. Karen was ranked in the top 10% of over 300 therapists nationwide for her treatment of low back pain by FOTO ( focus on therapeutic outcomes, a nationally based outcome survey company). Karen has received University of North Carolina at Chapel Hills’ Gynecology Department’s highest 3-star rating for her treatment of their pelvic pain patients.
Karen is part of the clinical advisors and instructors team for Graston Technique Equine is certified in trigger point dry needling.
Karen is a lifelong equestrian, catching “horse fever” at the age of 5. Karen worked as a groom/hotwalker/pony rider at the flat tracks around Philadelphia to put herself through college. She attended the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, showed in the adult hunters on the A circuit, foxhunted with the Moore County Hounds and is currently learning the intricacies of dressage.
Karen resides on a 23-acre farm in Moore County, NC with two off-the-track thoroughbreds, one Hanoverian-thoroughbred, five dogs, five cats and her husband Ray.
Dr. Steve Katz
DC
Dr. Steve Katz is a 1985 graduate of Life Chiropractic College in Marietta GA. He started his own practice in 1986 and soon after, his love for animals took over. Dr. Katz took an animal chiropractic course in 1990 to learn to adjust the occasional pet. When training started, he fell in love with horses, and became an avid rider through the 1990’s. After his certification in 1992, his “human” practice went to 3 days a week as he built his equine base. As the years progressed, Dr. Katz started to limit his office time in order to see more horses and in 2010 gave up the human practice to work on horses full time.
He was lucky enough to do his initial training with Dr. Sharon Willoughby and was amongst her first group of students. Dr. Willoughby developed the curriculum and format for the basic and advanced animal chiropractic programs. Dr. Willoughby was both a DVM and a DC. Dr. Katz is the 18th person in the country to be certified by America Veterinary Chiropractic Association, making him one of the most experienced animal chiropractors around. Over the past 28 years he has adjusted thousands of horses.
Dr. Katz has also trained with some of the most experienced animal chiropractors and veterinarians in the country, including a postural rehabilitation certification program taught by Judith Shoemaker DVM, and Karen Gellman, DVM.
Early on in his career, Dr Katz became interested in proper saddle fitting. Due to the lack of saddle fitters and training in this country at that time, Dr. Katz went to England to study with David May, a master saddler.
Dr. Katz joined the Graston Technique clinical advisors and instructors team in 2020 and has been key in developing equine training programs for the company.
In addition to his full-time equine chiropractic practice, Dr. Katz and his wife Sheri own and run Duett Saddlery, specializing in saddles made for wide and broad back horses.
Gina Thorn
RN
Gina graduated from college with a degree in Nursing which has been her career path for the past 30 years. Working as a travel nurse brought her to Florida in 2003 and she has been there ever since.
It wasn’t until 10 years later in 2013 that her path crossed with a Mustang named Gambler and her journey into horsemanship began. Together, they began competing in Cowboy Mounted Shooting and were the Rookies of the Year in 2016. She also enjoys trail riding and cow sorting.
In her pursuit of wanting to give her horses the best care possible, Gina came across an ad for Graston Technique Equine and immediately knew that this was something that she wanted to pursue. Through her career as a Nurse, teaching came naturally—so educating horse owners on the benefits of Graston Technique helped to enhance her growing clientele at Equus Healing Arts.
Now Gina stays busy working as a travel nurse, growing her Equus Healing Arts business and is now excited to be an Instructor for GT Equine.
In her downtime, she enjoys being home on her farm with her family and their 5 horses, 2 mini donkeys, 2 standard donkeys, 4 dogs, 2 cats and their cockatoo Ricki Bird!