At Pro Arm Academy, located inside D-BAT in Northwest Arkansas, Physical Therapist Kyler Offenbacker is doing more than just treating injuries—he’s transforming the culture around injury prevention and recovery in youth sports. Specializing in baseball and softball physical therapy, Kyler works daily with young athletes around the average age of thirteen to fifteen. He helps guide them as they recover from injuries, learn how to prevent future ones, and understand the overall importance of caring for their bodies long before a preventable accident takes place.
Kyler's journey into the world of physical therapy began on the peewee baseball fields. Growing up his family supported and nurtured his early love for the game. That passion for baseball carried him through years of competition, eventually earning him a spot on the collegiate baseball team at Harding University. However, it was during his time in the world of professional baseball that he found his true passion, the health and physical care of the athletes around him. His experience in this competitive world at the collegiate level taught him that without proper care and injury prevention, even the strongest arms can fall short of their potential.
Now a board-certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist in physical therapy, Kyler brings his love for the game into every appointment he has. He treats roughly twenty young athletes each week, offering each one a personalized twelve-week care and rehabilitation plan catered to their specific needs. Whether helping a player return from injury or teaching the fundamentals of stretching, workload management, and recovery, Kyler ensures every athlete learns to respect the physical demands of their sport and limits of their bodies. He warns that, "Elbow and Shoulder surgery risk increases by thirty-six percent if you pitch while fatigued," and that you are "2.5x higher risk of arm pain if you pitch on consecutive days."
When an athlete enters his office, Kyler asses them strictly as an individual, not just as a generalized patient. He walks them through assessments primarily focusing on measuring their levels of pain, strength, flexibility and mobility. Using tools such as a percussive massage gun, this device is used for muscle recovery and pain relief. It works by transmitting fast, repetitive percussions to the muscle tissue which results in an increased blood flow, reducing muscle soreness, and resulting in a better range of motion after the exercise. Often times, he will then lead his patients through many strength training exercises in a goal to help his patients regain better movement, endurance, and over all function of the targeted area.
His passion lies not just in healing, but also in educating. “Majority of youth athletes don’t get assessed early,” Kyler explains. “By the time they do, its most likely because they are already in pain. I want to shift that narrative and teach that injury prevention can start now.” He believes that by building strong movement habits and focusing on proper mechanics from the beginning, athletes can avoid the pitfalls of overuse injuries and ensure a long, successful career in sports.
Through his on going work at Pro-Arm Academy, Kyler Offenbacker’s focus is clear: give kids the tools they need to succeed long-term. His sessions go beyond average therapy and promote the importance of prevention as-well-as recovery.
In addition to one-on-one therapy, Kyler is on a mission to expand his impact even further. In light of this goal, Kyler now leads arm health workshops and collaborates with local coaches, equipping entire teams with the knowledge to throw safely. Through every session, workshop, and presentation he takes a step closer to making proactive care a standard, not an afterthought.
For many of these athletes who visit Pro Arm Academy, it has become a safe haven. It is a place where they can get the specialized care, attention, and education they need and for Kyler, it’s a calling rooted in love for the game and a deep desire to protect the next generation of players chasing their dreams.
Physical Therapist Kyler Offenbacker is doing more than just treating injuries, he is changing the culture around injury in youth sports!
Physical Therapist, Kyler Offenbacker warns that, "Elbow and Shoulder surgery risk increases by thirty-six percent if you pitch while fatigued," and that you are "2.5x higher risk of arm pain if you pitch on consecutive days."