Sports Medicine & Consulting
Brian Hortz, PhD, ATC/L
Sports Medicine Expertise, From Injury Recovery to Performance and Education
Brian Hortz, PhD, ATC/L brings over 30 years of experience in athletic training, sports medicine, and rehabilitation. He works directly with elite athletes to optimize performance and recovery, and helps healthcare professionals and organizations build stronger clinical and educational programs.
RecoverURfunction
Elite Athletic Recovery & Performance
Personalized, holistic performance care for athletes, coaches, and agents — built around long-term career health, not quick fixes. Available to travel to the athlete for consultations.
Explore Performance CareEducation & Consulting
Education, Consulting & Speaking
Dry needling courses, continuing education development, and speaking engagements for healthcare and performance professionals.
Explore Education OfferingsAbout
About Brian Hortz
A 30-year career in sports medicine, education, and licensure leadership — now focused on hands-on athlete care and professional education.
Read Brian's Bio
About
30 Years at the Intersection of Sport, Science, and Education
A 30-year career in sports medicine, education, and licensure leadership — now focused on hands-on athlete care and professional education.
Brian Hortz, PhD, ATC/L brings over 30 years of experience in athletic training, sports medicine, and rehabilitation. From 1995–2019 he served on the athletic training staff at Denison University, as Head Athletic Trainer (1997–2010) and Director of Sports Medicine (2010–2019), while teaching in the Department of Health, Exercise, and Sports Studies.
He integrated dry needling into his practice years ago; it's now a core treatment modality in his work with collegiate and high-performance athletes. He has presented at state, national, and international conferences on dry needling, athletic training, medical ethics, and regulatory issues.
Brian currently serves as Instructor and Director of Research and Education for Structure & Function Education, teaching the Foundations and Advanced dry needling courses, and maintains a concierge practice working one-on-one with athletes.
Services
Two Areas of Deep Expertise
Whether you're an elite athlete seeking peak performance or an organization building world-class programs, Brian delivers results.
RecoverURfunction
Elite Athletic Recovery & Performance
RecoverURfunction is Brian Hortz's clinical practice for elite athlete care. It provides personalized, holistic performance care for athletes, coaches, and agents — built around long-term career health, not quick fixes. Available for national and international travel.
- Comprehensive full-body evaluation and assessment
- Movement optimization and dysfunction correction
- Advanced modalities: dry needling, DNS, IASTM, Fascial Manipulation
- Orthopedic mobilization, aquatic therapy, and cupping
- One-on-one, unrushed personalized sessions
Education & Consulting
Education, Consulting & Speaking
Dry needling courses, continuing education development, and speaking engagements for healthcare and performance professionals.
- Dry Needling Foundations and Advanced courses
- Course and curriculum development
- Certification & credentialing consulting
- Online course development and instructional design
- Speaking engagements for allied health and performance professionals
Experience & Credentials
A Career Built on Results
Career Timeline
Present
Instructor & Director of Research and Education
Structure & Function Education
Teaching Foundations and Advanced dry needling courses; concierge practice with elite athletes.
2010–2019
Director of Sports Medicine
Denison University
Led the sports medicine program while teaching in the Department of Health, Exercise, and Sports Studies.
1997–2010
Head Athletic Trainer
Denison University
Provided comprehensive athletic training services for Division III collegiate athletes.
2015–2024
Board Member & Joint Board Chair
Ohio PTOTAT Licensure Board
Nine years of service on the Ohio Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Athletic Trainers licensure board.
2017–Present
Co-Chair, Exam Test Writing Committee
National Athletic Trainers Board of Certification
Leading national exam development for athletic training certification.
Awards & Honors
Board of Certification Paul Grace Award
Ohio Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame Inductee
NATA Athletic Trainer Service Award
Board of Certification Dan Liberia Award
Ohio Athletic Trainer of the Year
Professional Affiliations
Scholarship
Research & Publications
My clinical work is built on a research foundation. I earned my PhD in Sport & Exercise Science from The Ohio State University, with a cognate in Quantitative Research, Evaluation, and Measurement, and spent over a decade as a university researcher and professor before focusing full-time on clinical practice and education.
What Colleagues Say
Trusted by Professionals
Brian's dry needling courses are exceptional. I gained practical skills and a deeper understanding of the technique.
Viki M.
PT, ATC
Brian's expertise in both clinical practice and education is unmatched. His approach to athlete care is truly holistic and evidence-based.
Kevin M. NHL AT
Sports Medicine Professional
Working with Brian transformed how I think about movement dysfunction. His depth of knowledge and hands-on approach are second to none.
Pat B. Athletic Trainer
Division I University
Contact
Let's Work Together
Whether you're an athlete seeking elite care or an organization looking to elevate your programs, reach out to start the conversation.
recoverURfunction, LLc
[email protected]