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Meet Sebastian Gonzales of Performance Place® Sports Care in Huntington Beach

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Sebastian Gonzales.

Sebastian, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began into practice with the vision to “fix people,” but over time that vision has become archaic.

I can’t fix people. People get to fix themselves.

I was a patient when introduced to sports medicine so I know their point-of-view. Over the course of 8 months I had been through many different clinicians, therapists and types of care without success. My solution came in the guidance of someone who gave me the tools to move better, play harder and condition my body so I could overcome the injury. By strengthening around the damaged tissue, we allowed the body to “deload” that tissue so it could repair.

There’s no voodoo… There’s no quick fix… Just hard work, dedication and understanding the process. This is what Performance Place grew into and this is how I continue to have happy customers. Check out our reviews on any platform.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I had struggles along the way, mostly from evolutions in my care. I started my practice with the primary focus of performing manual therapies on people, such as soft tissue work, Active Release, chiropractic adjustments. This is how we were taught in chiropractic school.

This style worked well but I found after the first year, people came back with the same injuries.

I first saw this as a challenge, “Ok, let’s get this pain to go away again fast!”

Then I started to think about what I was missing… Was I applying pain management rather than addressing the true cause? This shift in my focus lead the practice into becoming a true rehab and performance center. I know there are a lot of places that claim they are performance centers but if we aren’t teaching people how to move their body with safety, speed and efficiency then how can it be truly a performance or even a wellness center?

This shift in practice style gave me some initial redesign work to do but overall it was a great time.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Performance Place® Sports Care story. Tell us more about the business.
We specialize in active professionals. What I mean by that is, people who work for a living but also strive to keep physically active. That can be recreational league basketball, running, tennis, golf and much more. We do see some professional athletes but we by no means specialize in working with them.

When people ask me to describe what Performance Place® Sports Care is, I typically turn the tables and ask them about what aches, pain, numbness, or injuries they’ve experiencing or have experienced in the pain. The reason I do this is because my description of the clinic as a “sports medicine,” “rehab center,” or “sports chiropractic,” means different things for different people. It’s best to start by asking them what their experience with sports rehab is.

“Tell me about your physical concerns.”
“What do you plan to accomplish by overcome this concern?”
“Do you have any fears about your physical health?”
“What’s your timeline?”
“What have you tried that worked or didn’t work for you?”
“What would your goals for me?”

This is how we stand apart from the other healthcare clinics. We put the patient first, understand their goals, and design a treatment or rehab program around what they want and need. Working with patients is an art and we need to be able to communicate if we are to succeed.

Do we offer Active Release, soft tissue care, chiropractic adjustments, band work, rehab, squats, deadlifts, planks, deadbugs, core work, mobility etc…. yes, we do all of them… but not everyone will do them all.

Each treatment or rehab is a tool in a tool chest. Most of the time we need only a few tools for the job. We know most people only have 30-60 minutes in their day so we need to fill their time with only the most efficient tools for their condition.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck. I believe in having a strong work ethic, treating others as you would like to be treated and grabbing opportunities when they present themselves to you.

I’m sure there are many famous quotes about how luck is BS. I agree with most of the ones I’ve seen.

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Performance Place® Sports Care

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