Brad Sidener is the founder and president of Reno Sport and Spine Institute, opening its doors in March 1990. He had earned his Physical Therapy degree from California State University — Fresno in 1987; after completing his undergraduate work at San Joaquin Delta College and San Francisco State University. Brad completed his post-baccalaureate and credentialing by the McKenzie Institute, USA and in 1995 became one of the first physical therapists in Nevada to achieve Board Certification in Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment of the Spine (Cert. MDT).

Brad enjoys working with athletes of all ages and backgrounds. Through motion analysis, manual therapy, specific therapeutic exercises, and neuromuscular re-education, he takes great pride in helping his patients return to or exceed prior levels of function and efficiency. He utilizes this athletic rehabilitation approach, not only with his athletes, but also the general orthopedic patient, the injured worker, and post-surgical patient.

Brad’s community activities have been extensive, as he has been a member of the Reno Rodeo Association since 1990 and served as President of this prestigious organization in 2017. Throughout his career, Brad has worked with the athletic teams of several high schools in the community. He has been an integral part of the Galena High School Sports Medicine Team for close to 20 years. On any given Friday night during the fall he can be found on the sidelines of a Grizzly football game and can easily be found in the baseball dugout throughout the spring. He has coached and served on the board for Reno Continental Little League and Muckdogs Baseball Club.

Brad takes great pleasure spending time with his wife, three grown children and his grandson. He enjoys doing anything horseback including team roping and cattle ranching. Additionally, he enjoys scuba diving and an occasional game of golf.

Karen Kottinger is a native Nevadan. She attended University of Nevada, Reno and attained her Bachelor’s in Science. She then attended Western University of Health Sciences; she received her Master’s in Physical Therapy in 1997. Upon graduating, she moved to Dallas, Texas. She was the in-patient coordinator, in addition to an out-patient orthopedic physical therapist at Trinity Medical Center (Carrollton, TX). She is currently the clinic director of the Double Diamond Athletic Club location (DDAC).

In 2002, Karen received her certification in the McKenzie method of mechanical diagnosis and treatment of the spine (Cert. MDT). In 2007, Karen became board certified in orthopedic physical therapy. She attends many courses to stay current with effective treatments for the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and foot, in addition to the spine. Courses have included treatment in osteopathic approaches utilizing muscle energy techniques and strain/counter-strain. She also completed a yearlong course in the Australian Approach to Manual Therapy. All patient treatments are specific to the needs of the patient. Her treatment philosophy is education based, realizing that prevention is just as important as alleviating what ails today.

Karen also received her Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist certificate from the National Strength & Conditioning Association. Karen has been involved in the Nevada Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) since 1998. Nevada Chief Delegate to the APTA’s House of Delegates (2001). She served as Public Relations Chairman (1998-2002), the Board Member at Large (1999-2001), and also Membership CO-Chairman (2003-2005).

Marla grew up in the Reno area, attending local schools, graduating from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1992. Marla graduated from DeAnza College in 1997 with honors. Upon graduation, she returned to Reno working in a variety of inpatient and outpatient facilities. Marla has worked at Reno Sport and Spine Institute since 1998. In January 2007, Marla returned to school at the University of Findlay; Findlay, Ohio to advance her education; she received a Master’s in Physical Therapy in July 2009.

Marla recently received her certification in The McKenzie Method for the neck, back, and extremities. Her primary focus with continuing education coursework is current concepts in orthopedic and sports injuries. Other coursework she has completed includes dysfunctions of the upper and lower quadrants, as well as shoulder, elbow and hand disorders. Marla believes it is important for the patient to be educated, receive as much information as possible and to take an active role in their rehabilitation.

Marla has been an active member in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) since 1995. In the past, Marla has held offices at the state and national levels; she remains active working on issues important to the field of physical therapy.

Away from the office, Marla and her husband, Sean, along with their son enjoy camping, golfing, hiking, and spending time with family and friends, in addition to their dog:  Mo.

Alison is a native Nevadan who attended the University of Nevada and received her BS in 1990 and then went on to complete her Masters in Physical Therapy at the University of California, San Francisco in 1994.

While at UNR Alison worked as a student Athletic Trainer and had the opportunity to work with student athletes from various sports on preventative and rehabilitative activities as well as assisting with providing sideline care. She completed her Athletic Training Certification in 1990. Upon graduation from PT school, she went to work for Scottsdale Memorial Hospital, in Arizona, where she rotated through all of the hospital’s rehab assignments including ICU, acute and subacute rehabilitation, wound care, trauma/post-op, and outpatient rehab. She then took a position in their home health department and eventually their outpatient rehab department knowing that she wanted to eventually return to Nevada and work in an outpatient setting. Upon moving back to Reno, she continued working in outpatient rehabilitation, she has 20+ years of experience in outpatient PT with an orthopedic emphasis including 3 years in an industrial setting. She also has a strong background in treating Vestibular and balance disorders.

In addition to her invaluable past work experience to draw upon, Alison has taken a substantial amount of continuing education courses to help better her treatment skills. She has also completed coursework in the McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment for spine and extremity disorders. Alison recently received her Certification in the McKenzie Method of Evaluation and Treatment of the Spine and Extremities. Her treatment expertise is in general orthopedics, followed by the treatment of balance disorders and vestibular dysfunction. She prides herself on her ability to communicate with patients on what they are trying to achieve. She utilizes patient education in addition to the techniques most suited for each case versus a “cookbook” approach. She utilizes her sports background and its heavy emphasis on return to function with all her patients and sees them all as “athletes”. Her philosophy is that a patient should be treated to their potential and not by their diagnosis.

When she is not treating patients, she is spending time with her family. She enjoys outdoor recreation activities such as running, skiing, hiking, and paddle boarding. She loves to travel and enjoys artistic outlets such as pottery and painting.

Erika Williams grew up in Carson City, Nevada with a love for health, nutrition, fitness, and helping others. She attended the University of Nevada in Reno and completed her undergraduate degree in Health Sciences in 1994. She went on to attain her Masters in Physical Therapy from Chapman University in 1998. Upon returning to her home in Reno, Erika pursued her physical therapy career in outpatient orthopedics joining the staff at Reno Sport and Spine in 2015.

Over the course of her career, Erika has received her certificate in Pilates-based rehabilitation. She has also completed extensive coursework in manual therapy of the spine, pelvis, shoulder, and knee, and in the McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment of the spine and extremities. She prides herself on her manual skills and her ability to incorporate them into a comprehensive treatment program. Erika believes that patient education is key to fostering independence. Therefore, she is dedicated to ensuring that her patients understand how to move their bodies for optimal function and injury prevention. She is committed to giving personal attention and providing individualized care to each patient.

In her free time, Erika enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters traveling and enjoying the outdoors. She continues to pursue personal wellness and fitness and aims to inspire others to do the same.