MEET OUR TEAM OF INSTRUCTORS

Dr. Ken Cooper began his clinical career as a 1981 Physical Therapy graduate of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas. After working for several years at Methodist Hospital of Lubbock, Texas as a staff therapist, he became a Clinical Instructor for the interns from the Physical Therapy School at Texas Tech University Health Science Center. After a brief private practice in Lubbock he returned to Dallas and attended Parker College of Chiropractic from which he graduated Summa Cum Laude and Valedictorian. In 1990 he established a private practice in Bedford, Texas. In 2000, he formed a multi-disciplinary practice that offered medical, chiropractic and physical therapy care in addition to massage therapy and myofascial dry needling.

While working in a large hospital in the early 1980’s his personal experience of mid-back pain that was unresponsive to traditional care led him on a quest of understanding myofascial dysfunction that eventually led to the works of Dr. Janet Travell and Dr. David Simons. Their work has become common place today but was not widely known 30 years ago. Equipped with a better understanding of myofascial syndromes he proceeded to focus on myofascial issues in his physical therapy practice. He continued to follow their research and upon completion of Chiropractic College he was able to begin implementing needle therapy in his practice. He was finally able to treat trigger points as outlined in Travell and Simon’s work with dry needle approaches and enjoyed significant results. Because of his growing expertise in musculoskeletal issues with dry needle techniques, many professional athletes sought his care for not only injury recovery but performance enhancement as well. Although he obtained his certification in acupuncture he found the most satisfying treatment results with dry needle techniques and has retained this focus throughout his career. His search for effective techniques eventually led to Deitrich Klinghardt, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Klinghardt essentially brought the concepts of Neural Therapy from Germany to the United States. Neural Therapy includes extensive use of treating trigger points and other body tissues with needle-based techniques. As he trained with Dr. Klinghardt and other doctors attending his seminars he expanded the use of musculoskeletal needle therapy in his practice and even implemented them in two other medical practices on his off days from his own clinic.

Dr. Cooper is in his 37th year of professional practice and currently owns and operates Cooper Functional Services and Harwood Physical Therapy Clinic in Bedford, Texas. His main focus is orthopedics, manipulation and dry needling. He has been treating collegiate and professional athletes, including numerous Dallas Cowboys and other NFL players, since 1992. He is also an instructor for Total Motion Release Physical Therapy Seminars and is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Integrative Pain Management.