Van Matre treats Colts players for soft tissue injuries

Treating athletes Ryan Van Matre, D.C., M.S. (c), right, is pictured last week in Miami with Indianapolis Colts kicker/punt returner Terrence Wilkins. Van Matre has been treating Wilkins since training camp for soft tissue injuries. Van Matre did not make it to the game, he was called home early Sunday morning due to a sick son. Photo provided

Ryan Van Matre, D.C., M.S, (c), may have had his hands, indirectly, in the National Football Championship won by the Indianapolis Colts. Van Matre has treated some of the Colts players at Indy Spine and Rehab, P.C., in Carmel and was in Miami last week, treating some of the players before Sunday's Super Bowl game.

One of the players Van Matre treated last week was kick/punt returner Terrence Wilkins. He began treating Wilkins while he was in training camp.

Wilkins went to Van Matre for his experience with Active Release Techniques (ART), a therapy used to successfully treat numerous soft-tissue injuries. Van Matre would drive once or twice a week to Terre Haute while the Colts were in training camp to treat several of their athletes. Even though he does not have any formal association with the Colts, he has consulted with their trainers on past cases.

"My most gratifying experience was consulting on a case for a tight-end who had a chronic hamstring tear," said VanMatre. "He had torn it three different times in training camp and was not getting any better. He was to be released by the Colts and was at risk of ending his professional football career. With ART we were able to locate the adhesion in his hamstring that he was reinjuring, rehab him and get him in competitive conditioning to where he was picked up by the Tennessee Titans. He has since become a primary receiver in their offense."

Van Matre said that he has been surprised by the appreciation and the approachability of the athletes. "We tend to think of many professional athletes as being ego-maniacal, but that is far from the truth. This seems to be a reflection of their coach, Tony Dungy."

"The conditions I treat are primarily soft-tissue injuries (muscle pulls, sprains and strains) with an emphasis on performance. ART works so well and is sought out by these athletes because of the quick turnaround time."

Over the course of the 2006 season, Van Matre has also treated linebacker Rocky Boiman, linebacker Gary Brackett, cornerback Nick Harper, linebacker Keith O'Neil, wide receiver Brandon Stokely, wide receiver Ricky Proehl, strong safety Mike Doss, and tight end Ben Hartsock.

Van Matre, a graduate of Delphi Community High School, also has an office in Delphi.