Tactical Expertise
Select a tactical expertise below and discover more to the right.
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Tactical Sports Medicine
Tactical Sports Medicine
Have you ever wondered how professional athletes recover so quickly after an injury? Professional athletes have immediate access to top-tier healthcare teams who accurately diagnose the problem and begin rehab within hours of the injury. SCU’s Tactical Sports Medicine department uses this same approach, within the occupational medicine framework, with those serving in tactical roles.
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Tactical Strength and Conditioning
Tactical Strength and Conditioning
A branch of strength and conditioning that focuses on the needs of tactical populations (military, law enforcement, fire and rescue, or emergency response). Preparing to enter, working in, or returning to work after an injury in these fields requires special attention to preparedness for the tasks involved.
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Human Performance Optimization
Human Performance Optimization
A term coined by the military that refers to the combined fields of tactical sports medicine and tactical strength and conditioning.
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Occupational Medicine
Occupational Medicine
For those who have injuries in the work environment, offering the same speed and method of care for an office worker with carpal tunnel syndrome as it does for a deputy sheriff or a firefighter.
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Sports Medicine
Sports Medicine
When athletes are injured, Sports Medicine is responsible for care, fast and accurate diagnosis, a management plan for “return to play.” This is also applicable to the tactical population as there is need for speed of care and rapid return to work management.
Special Offerings
Special Offerings
TrainHeroic App
Improve your performance and build strength from anywhere, at any time with our convenient and user-friendly mobile app. The TrainHeroic app offers training programs designed by SCU Health’s elite Sports Medicine team to identify and address areas of weakness and instability, helping decrease the potential for injury and accelerate your physical health, strength and conditioning progress.
With personalized training and easy-to-use tracking and reporting for weight, energy, productivity, sleep, soreness, and more, TrainHeroic focuses on weight loss, metabolic conditioning, strength, injury prevention, endurance, flexibility, and body composition. Your $25 monthly TrainHeroic membership includes:
- Access to coaches
- Programming 5 days per week
- Exercise video guidance
- Detailed, expert instruction
- All delivered through the TrainHeroic app
Each program is available via website, mobile app and physical copy with online videos to reference each exercise.
Click here to learn more about SCU’s Tactical Athlete Program through TrainHeroic, or try a FREE 7-day trial!
Movement Screening
Our ability to identify asymmetries helps us improve injury prevention and develop a more proactive approach to “return to play” for already injured patients. Our program utilizes the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) to pinpoint impairments and dysfunctional movement patterns.
Biomechanics Video Performance and Data Analysis
Using video, we can analyze and break down athletic movement, measure angles and view the interaction of body segments while documenting our athletes’ progress. SCU Health utilizes Dartfish two-dimensional video software to bio-mechanically observe, compare and quantify the measurements of distance, time, angle and position.
Pre-Academy Fitness Assessments
SCU Health’s Tactical Sports Medicine Pre-Academy Program focuses on both movement quality and fitness assessments specific to the fire service. Our program follows National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 1582 and 1583 recommendations, as well as components of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Wellness Fitness Initiative (WFI) to emphasize the importance of fitness throughout a recruit’s career while ensuring consistency with other fire department health and wellness programs.
Tactical Strength and Conditioning Education Courses
SCU Health’s Tactical Strength and Conditioning Education Courses, taught by experienced and knowledgeable doctors and tactical strength and conditioning professionals, provide whole body health and fitness training for law enforcement and fire and rescue personnel. Our multi-faceted approach to tactical nutrition and injury prevention helps departments and personnel of all health journeys, backgrounds, abilities, duties, and goals achieve optimal performance while eliminating everyday aches and pains.
Testimonials
“Our fire academy cadets continue to reach new heights of physical fitness with the guidance of Coach John Hofman. The information he provides on diet, nutrition and stress reduction dovetail right into his sessions on strength and aerobic conditioning.”
Tennis Tollefson
Sierra College Fire Technology Program
“SCU multi-faceted approach gives our personnel many options rather than a “one size fits all. ” Johns intimate knowledge of the ins and outs of the fire service gained buy in from our PFT’s. Most importantly Coach Hofman provided us structure and direction, and goals moving forward.”
Chief William Schobel
Martin County Fire & Rescue (FL)
Tactical Education Course
Our role as Tactical facilitators is to reduce the incidence of injury and to enhance performance. We do not want to build specific fitness on top of poor general fitness; this is a recipe for disaster. The SCU TSAC approach is too incorporate scientific principles combined with hands on experience to utilize all the different physical demands placed on the first responder.
- Strength and Power
- Speed and Agility
- Endurance
- Mobility and Stability
- Recovery
Our courses are designed to educate both the first responder and tactical facilitator on the latest research and techniques in exercise science that will optimize their performance as well as their own well-being. The course is a combination of both lecture and hands on which will allow you to start practicing the concepts you learn immediately with your yourself or the first responders you work with. When you compare the cost and value you receive from our program to some of the other tactical programs, you’ll see that we offer a cost-effective way for you and your team to achieve excellent results.
Tactical Nutrition
We apply a realistic approach to nutrition. We do not worry about which “diet” is the best but rather which one works best for you. All good nutritional plans include the following:
- Energy balance
- Nutrient density
- Achieves optimal health, body composition, and performance goals
- Honest, realistic, and outcome based
- Sustainable
Injury Prevention
The #1 risk factor of injuries is previous injuries. Yet often times poor movement patterns are also associated with injuries. Movement is defined as the “functioning body as it changes position under its own power.” The goal of any solid injury prevention program is to identify the weak link or asymmetry and develop it under proper load, speed, coordination, and skill. We focus on specific injury prevention strategies which include:
- Activation
- Corrective exercises
- Movement Screening
- Dynamic Warm up
- Post reconditioning strategies
- Self Myo-Fascial Release
- Breathing
Program Design
Most training programs that are designed for first responders are often riddled with problems and unrealistic. Some movements are performed to frequently, with to much intensity, too infrequent or not enough intensity. Our focus is to streamline and organize training programs for the tactical athlete that helps achieve optimal performance in a realistic manner.
Health Screenings
We believe that physical fitness and nutrition show us only half the picture. To ensure our firefighters and LEO retire healthy it is vital that they understand the health risks associated with the job. By the end of the course, students will be able understand the primary health risks related to firefighters and law enforcement officers and prevention techniques to help combat it.
- Inflammation
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
- Type 2 Diabetes
Meet Our
Tactical Doctors.
Select a Provider picture to learn more
Joseph Horrigan, D.C., DACBSP
Executive Director, Tactical Sports Medicine
Joseph Horrigan is a full time Clinical Faculty member at SCU and serves as Executive Director of Tactical Sports Medicine. This position provides oversite to the Tactical Sports Medicine Department and providing care to patients. Dr. Horrigan’s responsibilities also include managing SCU’s Sports Medicine Clinic and the Sports Medicine Residency. The first stage of the development of Tactical Sports Medicine began with Dr. Horrigan being imbedded at the LASD Training Academy for 18 months. He is an associate professor and teaches neuromusculoskeletal differential diagnosis to third year students.
He has served on the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians for twenty years, including one year as President, six years as Vice-President, and nine years as Chairperson of the Written Examination Committee. Dr. Horrigan was awarded the Sports Chiropractor of the Year in 2001. In addition to his professorship at SCU, he is a post-graduate faculty member at Northwestern College of Chiropractic and Palmer College of Chiropractic in the Sports Medicine Department.
Dr. Horrigan served as the Head Speed-Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Los Angeles Kings from 1999 –2002. He served as Team Chiropractor for the Long Beach Ice Dogs hockey team from 1995 – 1999 and as their Director of Speed-Strength and Conditioning from 1996 – 2003. Dr. Horrigan served on the Sports Medicine Committee for USA Weightlifting from 1997 – 2005 and as the Chief Medical Officer for Team USA for the 1999 Junior World Championships and 2003 World Championships in Weightlifting. There was an official medical provider status between DISC Sports and Spine with the USOC for the 2012 Olympic cycle and Dr. Horrigan was the Director of this program. He served as a member of the official sports medicine providers for Red Bull North America from 2011 – 2016.
Dr. Horrigan has been published in several professional journals. He wrote the Ironman Magazine sports medicine column for twenty years cumulatively and intermittently written the sports medicine columns for Inside Kung-Fu and Ms. Fitness magazines. Dr. Horrigan has co-authored two books, The Seven Minute Rotator Cuff Solution published by Health for Life Publications, and Strength, Condition, and Injury Prevention for Hockey published by McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books Publications. He wrote numerous blogs for The Huffington Post from 2012 – 2017 and lectured for USA Track and Field in the Elite Hurdle Development Program.
Dr. Horrigan’s sports medicine and sports performance skills have also been utilized by the entertainment industry. He has served as Medical Consultant for the films: The Matrix (1999), Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Django Unchained (2012), and The Hateful Eight (2015); and served as Athletic Performance Consultant on Seabiscuit (2003), The Skeleton Key (2005), Things We Lost in the Fire (2007), Che: Part One (The Argentine) (2008), and Che: Part Two (Guerrilla) (2008), The Lovely Bones (2008), The Hunger Games (2012), Savages (2012), and Escobar: Paradise Lost (2014), Sicario (2015), Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), No Sudden Move (2020) and Reptile (2022). He also was a Medical Consultant for the Showtime series Escape at Dannemora (2018), and the NBC television show, S.T.R.O.N.G. (2016).
Michael Fanning, D.C., DACBSP, CSCS
Tactical Sports Medicine Lead Clinician
Dr. Fanning currently is the Tactical Sports Medicine Lead Clinician at SCU Health. In this position he provides musculoskeletal care to Law Enforcement, First Responders and Veterans.
He served six years in the USAF as a member of the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) stationed at the 15th Air Support Operations Squadron, Detachment 1 at Fort Benning, GA. His service included two tours in Iraq’s Diyala and Wasit provinces as a Forward Air Controller attached to the 1/15 Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. He was honorable discharged as a Staff Sergeant in 2011.
Dr. Fanning’s military specializations included joint Terminal Attach Controller (JTAC), Basic-Parachutist qualifications and receiving an Associate of Arts in Information Systems from the Community College of the Air Force.
Upon discharge, he studied Biology at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. He competed in triathlons, ultramarathons and cycling events. He also became a USA Triathlon Certified Coach. In 2013, he transferred to Southern California University of Health Sciences to begin his Doctor of Chiropractic Program.
Dr. Fanning graduated Cum Laude and awarded the Lester McCoy Clinical Excellence Award from SCU in 2016. He immediately joined SCU’s two year Sports Medicine Residency where he completed his Diplomate in Chiropractic Sports Medicine from the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians (ACBSP) and became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. During his residency he provided sideline sports medicine coverage for St. Paul High School, Whittier Christian High School and the Whittier Union High School District. Additionally, he completed two six-week Sports Medicine Rotations at the Chula Vista U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Training site providing care to resident athletes. He has traveled nationally and internationally with multiple National Governing Bodies including USA Fencing, Parafencing, and ParaTrack and Field. He was an alternate Sports Medicine Provider for both the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Dr. Fanning has been published in the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s TSAC-Report on “Bone Stress Response Injuries in Law Enforcement Recruits”. He has published with the ACBSP over a dozen Abstracts, including the ACBSP Robert C. Reed Award for Best Abstract at the 2020 ACBSP Chiropractic Sports Science Symposium. Dr. Fanning has presented for the California Chiropractic Association’s Sports Symposium in 2020 and 2021 on Conservative Care for Musculoskeletal Injuries. He currently instructs for SCU’s Sports Medicine Track in multiple Sports Related Concussion Courses. He recently joined the ACBSP’s Practical Exam Committee.
David Velasquez, D.C., CSCS
Tactical Sports Medicine Clinician
Dr. David Velasquez attended California State University Fullerton with a major in mathematics. Dr. Velasquez continued his education at the Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) where he earned his Doctorate in Chiropractic.
Dr. Velasquez worked in private practice for over twenty years which led to opportunities to work with the Long Beach Ice Dogs hockey team and the Ontario Reign hockey team, first as part of the healthcare team and later as the Director of Chiropractic Sports Medicine. Dr. Velasquez was also part of the healthcare team that had an official medical relationship between DISC Sports and Spine and the USOC for the 2012 Olympic Cycle. He was also Team Chiropractor for the gold medal winning USA Volleyball Men’s team in 2011 and 2012.
Dr. Velasquez was the Team Chiropractor for the elite high school football team at St. John Bosco High School from 2009 – 2017 including the 2013 state and national championship team.
Dr. Velasquez has presented eight podium and poster abstracts to the ACBSP Chiropractic Sports Science Symposia over a twelve-year period. He won several awards for his presentations.
David Velasquez brings a strong clinical skill set from twenty years in private practice in multidisciplinary clinics. Dr. Velasquez was asked to join SCU Health’s Tactical Sports Medicine Department as a Clinician in 2017 where he remains a popular and busy clinician.
Tomy Ton, DC, CCSP
Tactical Sports Medicine Clinician
Dr. Tomy Ton’s undergraduate degree is in kinesiology from California State University Fullerton. Dr. Ton then entered Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) to study chiropractic. Upon graduation, Dr. Ton was accepted into the intensive two-year SCU Chiropractic Sports Medicine Residency.
Early in this residency, Dr. Ton completed EMT training. He worked alongside USA National Governing Bodies for cycling, BMX, softball, volleyball, bobsled, track and field and weightlifting, as well as providing sideline care for football for a Whittier Union High school district.
A unique aspect of this residency is the work with a pilot study with law enforcement. This was part of a new and developing Tactical Sports Medicine Department. This provided Dr. Ton with the opportunity to work with first responders from Los Angeles County and Orange County. The residency also required observations and rotations with the Chula Vista Olympic and Paralympic Training Site and the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center. He completed numerous clinical rotations and observations in spine neurosurgery, extremity orthopedic surgery, and chronic pain management.
Dr. Ton had four abstracts accepted for the 2020 ACBSP Chiropractic Sports Science Symposium of which two were podium presentations and two were poster abstracts.
Currently, Dr. Ton works part-time with SCU’s Tactical Sports Medicine as a Clinician and he spends the rest of his time in private practice. Dr. Ton was asked to be medical lead for the USA Fencing Men’s Epee Team for the 2021-2022 season which requires monthly international travel.
Throughout high school, he participated in various sports including water polo, swimming, and volleyball. While in college, he completed five marathons, a sprint triathlon, piranha fishing in the Amazon River, and spent ten days trekking the Himalayan Mountain in Nepal.
Jamie Kuljis, DACM, L.Ac, Dipl. OM
Tactical Sports Medicine Acupuncturist
Dr. Kuljis is a part-time faculty member at Southern California University of Health Sciences. She received her bachelor’s degrees in psychology and dance from UCSB, where she worked as an athletic training intern. At UCSB she studied the biomechanics of movement as well as the connection of the mind and body. After a dance injury she was introduced to acupuncture and fell in love with its emphasis on whole person treatment. She later pursued and obtained her doctorate in acupuncture and Chinese medicine from SCU. Dr. Kuljis is passionate about teaching students the foundations of anatomy and physical exam as well as treating patients to help them feel better and optimize their overall health.
Mahealani Schreindorfer, DC, DACBSP
Tactical Sports Medicine Clinician
Dr. Mahealani Schreindorfer graduated from Western Oregon University with a major in Exercise Science and a minor in Human Biology. Dr. Schreindorfer pursued further education and training at the Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) earning a Doctorate in Chiropractic. She still wanted more education and training and was accepted into the rigorous, two-year SCU Chiropractic Sports Medicine Residency.
During her internship, Dr. Schreindorfer worked with the AIDS Lifecyle Ride in 2018 and 2019, and volunteered at fencing tournaments, powerlifting meets, rowing events, and she had a wide range of clinical experiences.
During her residency she completed an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic Program, and the Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians, the highest board certification in chiropractic sports medicine in the United States. While in the residency, Dr. Schreindorfer has traveled nationally and internationally with USA Fencing and she was asked to be the clinical lead for one of the Olympic Squads for USA Fencing. She has also worked with USA Cycling, BMX, USA Field Hockey Junior Team, USA Bobsled, USA Luge, USA Softball and completed a rotation at the Lake Placid Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. The SCU Sports Medicine Team provides sideline care for football for four high schools in the Whittier Union High School District and Dr. Schreindorfer is one of the lead clinicians.
Dr. Schreindorfer still has a strong academic interest. She won the Robert Reed Award for the Best Abstract at the 2021 ACBSP Chiropractic Sports Science Symposium.
One of the key functions in the SCU Tactical Sports Medicine Department is the care of tactical patients which include law enforcement, firefighters, and veterans. Dr. Schreindorfer excels as a clinician in this department.
Kirsten Sparley, DC, DACBSP, CSCS
Tactical Sports Medicine Clinician
Dr. Kirsten Sparley’s undergraduate studies where at Saint Catherine University in Saint Paul Minnesota, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, and minors in mathematics and Latin and earned membership into the National Honor Society for Women in Chemistry. During her undergraduate years, she worked at the Alzheimer’s Research Center where she co-authored two research papers on treatments of Alzheimer’s disease.
Upon graduation, she moved to Oregon where she worked as a lead ophthalmic technician for 10 years. During this time, she also volunteered for the Portland VA Research Foundation doing clinical research in multiple sclerosis. She also volunteered at the Washington School for the Blind as a ski instructor for the visual impaired and for Guide Dogs for the Blind raising guide dogs. She also worked for Skibowl’s Olympic Ski and Snowboard School as a ski instructor.
She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Western States with a Doctorate in Chiropractic. During her time there, she also served as the Legislative Chair for the student national executive board of the American Chiropractic Association where she led advocacy efforts for Medicare and Tricare recipients to increase their access to chiropractic care.
Now she is a Sports Medicine Resident and clinician at SCU Health’s Tactical Sports Medicine. During her residency she has earned additional certifications as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner (CCSP) and strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS). As part of the residency, Dr. Sparley attended EMT school. She has also gained experience in sideline sports medicine and emergency medicine by providing national and international sports medicine coverage for USA fencing and USA field hockey.
Dr. Kirsten Sparley was born and reared in the Czech Republic. She has been an athlete her entire life, participating in a wide range of sports including traditional Czech folk dancing, weightlifting, volleyball, skiing, canyoneering, kayaking and more.
Chris Lee, DC, CCSP, CSCS
Senior Sports Medicine Resident
Chris Lee was born and reared in Southern California. In 2015, Dr. Lee graduated from California State University Northridge (CSUN) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology.
Upon graduating from CSUN he started working in the strength and conditioning field. He volunteered to work at Santa Monica College, Pepperdine University, and a private Olympic weightlifting facilities. He was hired as a Sports Performance coach in Santa Clarita, where he worked primarily with volleyball, soccer, and baseball athletes for 2 years. Dr. Lee is a Level 1 Coach with USA Weightlifting and is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Dr. Lee decided to further his education and attend Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU). He graduated with honors in 2021 and was then accepted into the intensive, two-year SCU Chiropractic Sports Medicine Residency. Dr. Lee is currently the Senior Sports Medicine Resident.
Dr. Lee completed the EMT program as all Sports Medicine Residents are required, as well as completing his Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner (CCSP) certification examination. Dr. Lee is now preparing for the Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physician written and practical exams. Dr. Lee has worked with the Whittier Union High School District football teams providing sideline care. Dr. Lee is the lead clinician for La Serna High School in the 2023 football season. Dr. Lee has traveled and worked with USA Fencing and USA Rugby. Dr. Lee has also completed his rotation with the USOPC at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Site.
Keoni Kanahele , DC, CCSP
Sports Medicine Resident
Dr. Keoni Kanahele was born in Columbia, Maryland and has resided in Southern California for most of his life. In the years between 2014-2019, Dr. Kanahele worked in the field of strength & conditioning at a private gym in Mission Viejo, California working with the general population along with various athletes in the local area participating in baseball, football, soccer, volleyball, and tennis.
After developing a path for his education through his previous work experience, he graduated from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) in 2018, where he attained his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. Dr. Kanahele participated in several research studies in the Human Performance Laboratory and was a member of the Olympic Weightlifting club during his time at CSUF.
Shortly thereafter, Dr. Kanahele pursued the Doctor of Chiropractic program at Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU). He graduated with honors from SCU in 2021. It was his time in the Tactical Sports Medicine clinic that ignited his interest in the Chiropractic Sports Medicine Residency.
Dr. Kanahele owned a private practice in Lake Forest, California following his graduation from SCU. While in private practice, he was the team chiropractor for a local semi-professional soccer team and volunteered as a medical provider for the Los Angeles Sevens Rugby Invitational. He then applied for the two-year residency position for SCU Health in 2023 and was accepted.
Dr. Kanahele is currently a Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner® and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist®, and he will be starting the EMT program in the spring of 2023.
Nguyen Nguyen, DC
Sports Medicine Resident
Dr. Nguyen Nguyen earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience at UCLA in 2017. Dr. Nguyen decided to pursue higher education in physical medicine and successfully completed the Doctor of Chiropractic program in 2022. Upon graduation, Dr. Nguyen was accepted to the Sports Medicine Residency program at SCU Health.
Outside of the clinical and academic realm, Dr. Nguyen is heavily involved in his local community in Southern California. Since 2013, Dr. Nguyen has been volunteering at different capacities for Union of Vietnamese Student Association of Southern California (UVSA SOCAL) that enables him to give back to his community.
As a Sports Medicine resident, Dr. Nguyen will be providing care to patients while continuing his education in Chiropractic Sports Medicine.
Isaac Martinez , DC
Sports Medicine Resident
Dr. Isaac Martinez, born and raised in Orange County has played soccer since 5 years old and played at the club and college level. Dr. Martinez attended California State University Chico in 2014 and graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology. After graduating from SCU in the Doctor of Chiropractic Program with the goal to become a Sports Medicine clinician, Dr. Martinez is grateful for the opportunity to continue his career as a Chiropractic Sports Medicine clinician with SCU Health. With continued plans on furthering his education in certifications such as Certified Chiropractor Sports Practitioner (CCSP), Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and eventually the Diplomate American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians (DACBSP), Dr. Martinez will be providing care to patients while continuing his education in Chiropractic Sports Medicine.
Joseph Horrigan, D.C., DACBSP
Executive Director, Tactical Sports Medicine
Joseph Horrigan is a full time Clinical Faculty member at SCU and serves as Executive Director of Tactical Sports Medicine. This position provides oversite to the Tactical Sports Medicine Department and providing care to patients. Dr. Horrigan’s responsibilities also include managing SCU’s Sports Medicine Clinic and the Sports Medicine Residency. The first stage of the development of Tactical Sports Medicine began with Dr. Horrigan being imbedded at the LASD Training Academy for 18 months. He is an associate professor and teaches neuromusculoskeletal differential diagnosis to third year students.
He has served on the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians for twenty years, including one year as President, six years as Vice-President, and nine years as Chairperson of the Written Examination Committee. Dr. Horrigan was awarded the Sports Chiropractor of the Year in 2001. In addition to his professorship at SCU, he is a post-graduate faculty member at Northwestern College of Chiropractic and Palmer College of Chiropractic in the Sports Medicine Department.
Dr. Horrigan served as the Head Speed-Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Los Angeles Kings from 1999 –2002. He served as Team Chiropractor for the Long Beach Ice Dogs hockey team from 1995 – 1999 and as their Director of Speed-Strength and Conditioning from 1996 – 2003. Dr. Horrigan served on the Sports Medicine Committee for USA Weightlifting from 1997 – 2005 and as the Chief Medical Officer for Team USA for the 1999 Junior World Championships and 2003 World Championships in Weightlifting. There was an official medical provider status between DISC Sports and Spine with the USOC for the 2012 Olympic cycle and Dr. Horrigan was the Director of this program. He served as a member of the official sports medicine providers for Red Bull North America from 2011 – 2016.
Dr. Horrigan has been published in several professional journals. He wrote the Ironman Magazine sports medicine column for twenty years cumulatively and intermittently written the sports medicine columns for Inside Kung-Fu and Ms. Fitness magazines. Dr. Horrigan has co-authored two books, The Seven Minute Rotator Cuff Solution published by Health for Life Publications, and Strength, Condition, and Injury Prevention for Hockey published by McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books Publications. He wrote numerous blogs for The Huffington Post from 2012 – 2017 and lectured for USA Track and Field in the Elite Hurdle Development Program.
Dr. Horrigan’s sports medicine and sports performance skills have also been utilized by the entertainment industry. He has served as Medical Consultant for the films: The Matrix (1999), Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Django Unchained (2012), and The Hateful Eight (2015); and served as Athletic Performance Consultant on Seabiscuit (2003), The Skeleton Key (2005), Things We Lost in the Fire (2007), Che: Part One (The Argentine) (2008), and Che: Part Two (Guerrilla) (2008), The Lovely Bones (2008), The Hunger Games (2012), Savages (2012), and Escobar: Paradise Lost (2014), Sicario (2015), Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), No Sudden Move (2020) and Reptile (2022). He also was a Medical Consultant for the Showtime series Escape at Dannemora (2018), and the NBC television show, S.T.R.O.N.G. (2016).
Michael Fanning, D.C., DACBSP, CSCS
Tactical Sports Medicine Lead Clinician
Dr. Fanning currently is the Tactical Sports Medicine Lead Clinician at SCU Health. In this position he provides musculoskeletal care to Law Enforcement, First Responders and Veterans.
He served six years in the USAF as a member of the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) stationed at the 15th Air Support Operations Squadron, Detachment 1 at Fort Benning, GA. His service included two tours in Iraq’s Diyala and Wasit provinces as a Forward Air Controller attached to the 1/15 Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. He was honorable discharged as a Staff Sergeant in 2011.
Dr. Fanning’s military specializations included joint Terminal Attach Controller (JTAC), Basic-Parachutist qualifications and receiving an Associate of Arts in Information Systems from the Community College of the Air Force.
Upon discharge, he studied Biology at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. He competed in triathlons, ultramarathons and cycling events. He also became a USA Triathlon Certified Coach. In 2013, he transferred to Southern California University of Health Sciences to begin his Doctor of Chiropractic Program.
Dr. Fanning graduated Cum Laude and awarded the Lester McCoy Clinical Excellence Award from SCU in 2016. He immediately joined SCU’s two year Sports Medicine Residency where he completed his Diplomate in Chiropractic Sports Medicine from the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians (ACBSP) and became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. During his residency he provided sideline sports medicine coverage for St. Paul High School, Whittier Christian High School and the Whittier Union High School District. Additionally, he completed two six-week Sports Medicine Rotations at the Chula Vista U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Training site providing care to resident athletes. He has traveled nationally and internationally with multiple National Governing Bodies including USA Fencing, Parafencing, and ParaTrack and Field. He was an alternate Sports Medicine Provider for both the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Dr. Fanning has been published in the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s TSAC-Report on “Bone Stress Response Injuries in Law Enforcement Recruits”. He has published with the ACBSP over a dozen Abstracts, including the ACBSP Robert C. Reed Award for Best Abstract at the 2020 ACBSP Chiropractic Sports Science Symposium. Dr. Fanning has presented for the California Chiropractic Association’s Sports Symposium in 2020 and 2021 on Conservative Care for Musculoskeletal Injuries. He currently instructs for SCU’s Sports Medicine Track in multiple Sports Related Concussion Courses. He recently joined the ACBSP’s Practical Exam Committee.
David Velasquez, D.C., CSCS
Tactical Sports Medicine Clinician
Dr. David Velasquez attended California State University Fullerton with a major in mathematics. Dr. Velasquez continued his education at the Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) where he earned his Doctorate in Chiropractic.
Dr. Velasquez worked in private practice for over twenty years which led to opportunities to work with the Long Beach Ice Dogs hockey team and the Ontario Reign hockey team, first as part of the healthcare team and later as the Director of Chiropractic Sports Medicine. Dr. Velasquez was also part of the healthcare team that had an official medical relationship between DISC Sports and Spine and the USOC for the 2012 Olympic Cycle. He was also Team Chiropractor for the gold medal winning USA Volleyball Men’s team in 2011 and 2012.
Dr. Velasquez was the Team Chiropractor for the elite high school football team at St. John Bosco High School from 2009 – 2017 including the 2013 state and national championship team.
Dr. Velasquez has presented eight podium and poster abstracts to the ACBSP Chiropractic Sports Science Symposia over a twelve-year period. He won several awards for his presentations.
David Velasquez brings a strong clinical skill set from twenty years in private practice in multidisciplinary clinics. Dr. Velasquez was asked to join SCU Health’s Tactical Sports Medicine Department as a Clinician in 2017 where he remains a popular and busy clinician.
Tomy Ton, DC, CCSP
Tactical Sports Medicine Clinician
Dr. Tomy Ton’s undergraduate degree is in kinesiology from California State University Fullerton. Dr. Ton then entered Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) to study chiropractic. Upon graduation, Dr. Ton was accepted into the intensive two-year SCU Chiropractic Sports Medicine Residency.
Early in this residency, Dr. Ton completed EMT training. He worked alongside USA National Governing Bodies for cycling, BMX, softball, volleyball, bobsled, track and field and weightlifting, as well as providing sideline care for football for a Whittier Union High school district.
A unique aspect of this residency is the work with a pilot study with law enforcement. This was part of a new and developing Tactical Sports Medicine Department. This provided Dr. Ton with the opportunity to work with first responders from Los Angeles County and Orange County. The residency also required observations and rotations with the Chula Vista Olympic and Paralympic Training Site and the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center. He completed numerous clinical rotations and observations in spine neurosurgery, extremity orthopedic surgery, and chronic pain management.
Dr. Ton had four abstracts accepted for the 2020 ACBSP Chiropractic Sports Science Symposium of which two were podium presentations and two were poster abstracts.
Currently, Dr. Ton works part-time with SCU’s Tactical Sports Medicine as a Clinician and he spends the rest of his time in private practice. Dr. Ton was asked to be medical lead for the USA Fencing Men’s Epee Team for the 2021-2022 season which requires monthly international travel.
Throughout high school, he participated in various sports including water polo, swimming, and volleyball. While in college, he completed five marathons, a sprint triathlon, piranha fishing in the Amazon River, and spent ten days trekking the Himalayan Mountain in Nepal.
Jamie Kuljis, DACM, L.Ac, Dipl. OM
Tactical Sports Medicine Acupuncturist
Dr. Kuljis is a part-time faculty member at Southern California University of Health Sciences. She received her bachelor’s degrees in psychology and dance from UCSB, where she worked as an athletic training intern. At UCSB she studied the biomechanics of movement as well as the connection of the mind and body. After a dance injury she was introduced to acupuncture and fell in love with its emphasis on whole person treatment. She later pursued and obtained her doctorate in acupuncture and Chinese medicine from SCU. Dr. Kuljis is passionate about teaching students the foundations of anatomy and physical exam as well as treating patients to help them feel better and optimize their overall health.
Mahealani Schreindorfer, DC, DACBSP
Tactical Sports Medicine Clinician
Dr. Mahealani Schreindorfer graduated from Western Oregon University with a major in Exercise Science and a minor in Human Biology. Dr. Schreindorfer pursued further education and training at the Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) earning a Doctorate in Chiropractic. She still wanted more education and training and was accepted into the rigorous, two-year SCU Chiropractic Sports Medicine Residency.
During her internship, Dr. Schreindorfer worked with the AIDS Lifecyle Ride in 2018 and 2019, and volunteered at fencing tournaments, powerlifting meets, rowing events, and she had a wide range of clinical experiences.
During her residency she completed an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic Program, and the Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians, the highest board certification in chiropractic sports medicine in the United States. While in the residency, Dr. Schreindorfer has traveled nationally and internationally with USA Fencing and she was asked to be the clinical lead for one of the Olympic Squads for USA Fencing. She has also worked with USA Cycling, BMX, USA Field Hockey Junior Team, USA Bobsled, USA Luge, USA Softball and completed a rotation at the Lake Placid Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. The SCU Sports Medicine Team provides sideline care for football for four high schools in the Whittier Union High School District and Dr. Schreindorfer is one of the lead clinicians.
Dr. Schreindorfer still has a strong academic interest. She won the Robert Reed Award for the Best Abstract at the 2021 ACBSP Chiropractic Sports Science Symposium.
One of the key functions in the SCU Tactical Sports Medicine Department is the care of tactical patients which include law enforcement, firefighters, and veterans. Dr. Schreindorfer excels as a clinician in this department.
Kirsten Sparley, DC, DACBSP, CSCS
Tactical Sports Medicine Clinician
Dr. Kirsten Sparley’s undergraduate studies where at Saint Catherine University in Saint Paul Minnesota, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, and minors in mathematics and Latin and earned membership into the National Honor Society for Women in Chemistry. During her undergraduate years, she worked at the Alzheimer’s Research Center where she co-authored two research papers on treatments of Alzheimer’s disease.
Upon graduation, she moved to Oregon where she worked as a lead ophthalmic technician for 10 years. During this time, she also volunteered for the Portland VA Research Foundation doing clinical research in multiple sclerosis. She also volunteered at the Washington School for the Blind as a ski instructor for the visual impaired and for Guide Dogs for the Blind raising guide dogs. She also worked for Skibowl’s Olympic Ski and Snowboard School as a ski instructor.
She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Western States with a Doctorate in Chiropractic. During her time there, she also served as the Legislative Chair for the student national executive board of the American Chiropractic Association where she led advocacy efforts for Medicare and Tricare recipients to increase their access to chiropractic care.
Now she is a Sports Medicine Resident and clinician at SCU Health’s Tactical Sports Medicine. During her residency she has earned additional certifications as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner (CCSP) and strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS). As part of the residency, Dr. Sparley attended EMT school. She has also gained experience in sideline sports medicine and emergency medicine by providing national and international sports medicine coverage for USA fencing and USA field hockey.
Dr. Kirsten Sparley was born and reared in the Czech Republic. She has been an athlete her entire life, participating in a wide range of sports including traditional Czech folk dancing, weightlifting, volleyball, skiing, canyoneering, kayaking and more.
Chris Lee, DC, CCSP, CSCS
Senior Sports Medicine Resident
Chris Lee was born and reared in Southern California. In 2015, Dr. Lee graduated from California State University Northridge (CSUN) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology.
Upon graduating from CSUN he started working in the strength and conditioning field. He volunteered to work at Santa Monica College, Pepperdine University, and a private Olympic weightlifting facilities. He was hired as a Sports Performance coach in Santa Clarita, where he worked primarily with volleyball, soccer, and baseball athletes for 2 years. Dr. Lee is a Level 1 Coach with USA Weightlifting and is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Dr. Lee decided to further his education and attend Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU). He graduated with honors in 2021 and was then accepted into the intensive, two-year SCU Chiropractic Sports Medicine Residency. Dr. Lee is currently the Senior Sports Medicine Resident.
Dr. Lee completed the EMT program as all Sports Medicine Residents are required, as well as completing his Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner (CCSP) certification examination. Dr. Lee is now preparing for the Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physician written and practical exams. Dr. Lee has worked with the Whittier Union High School District football teams providing sideline care. Dr. Lee is the lead clinician for La Serna High School in the 2023 football season. Dr. Lee has traveled and worked with USA Fencing and USA Rugby. Dr. Lee has also completed his rotation with the USOPC at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Site.
Keoni Kanahele , DC, CCSP
Sports Medicine Resident
Dr. Keoni Kanahele was born in Columbia, Maryland and has resided in Southern California for most of his life. In the years between 2014-2019, Dr. Kanahele worked in the field of strength & conditioning at a private gym in Mission Viejo, California working with the general population along with various athletes in the local area participating in baseball, football, soccer, volleyball, and tennis.
After developing a path for his education through his previous work experience, he graduated from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) in 2018, where he attained his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. Dr. Kanahele participated in several research studies in the Human Performance Laboratory and was a member of the Olympic Weightlifting club during his time at CSUF.
Shortly thereafter, Dr. Kanahele pursued the Doctor of Chiropractic program at Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU). He graduated with honors from SCU in 2021. It was his time in the Tactical Sports Medicine clinic that ignited his interest in the Chiropractic Sports Medicine Residency.
Dr. Kanahele owned a private practice in Lake Forest, California following his graduation from SCU. While in private practice, he was the team chiropractor for a local semi-professional soccer team and volunteered as a medical provider for the Los Angeles Sevens Rugby Invitational. He then applied for the two-year residency position for SCU Health in 2023 and was accepted.
Dr. Kanahele is currently a Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner® and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist®, and he will be starting the EMT program in the spring of 2023.
Nguyen Nguyen, DC
Sports Medicine Resident
Dr. Nguyen Nguyen earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience at UCLA in 2017. Dr. Nguyen decided to pursue higher education in physical medicine and successfully completed the Doctor of Chiropractic program in 2022. Upon graduation, Dr. Nguyen was accepted to the Sports Medicine Residency program at SCU Health.
Outside of the clinical and academic realm, Dr. Nguyen is heavily involved in his local community in Southern California. Since 2013, Dr. Nguyen has been volunteering at different capacities for Union of Vietnamese Student Association of Southern California (UVSA SOCAL) that enables him to give back to his community.
As a Sports Medicine resident, Dr. Nguyen will be providing care to patients while continuing his education in Chiropractic Sports Medicine.
Isaac Martinez , DC
Sports Medicine Resident
Dr. Isaac Martinez, born and raised in Orange County has played soccer since 5 years old and played at the club and college level. Dr. Martinez attended California State University Chico in 2014 and graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology. After graduating from SCU in the Doctor of Chiropractic Program with the goal to become a Sports Medicine clinician, Dr. Martinez is grateful for the opportunity to continue his career as a Chiropractic Sports Medicine clinician with SCU Health. With continued plans on furthering his education in certifications such as Certified Chiropractor Sports Practitioner (CCSP), Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and eventually the Diplomate American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians (DACBSP), Dr. Martinez will be providing care to patients while continuing his education in Chiropractic Sports Medicine.