Justin Tennant was inspired to become a physical therapist after suffering multiple injuries throughout his athletic career, which in turn led him to seek the assistance of a physical therapist to get him back on the field as soon as possible. He enjoyed the process of rehab and the friendliness of the staff so much that it influenced the direction he wanted to go in for a career. Instead of pursuing a business degree as originally planned, he redirected and began his higher education at the University of Delaware, where he first earned a Bachelor of Science in exercise science in 2014. He then continued his schooling at the University of Delaware, earning a Master of Science in anatomy and clinical health science in 2015 and then a Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2016. Justin was also on the executive board of the American Red Cross Club throughout his undergraduate career and was a recipient of the ADaPT Scholarship for the University of Delaware’s physical therapy program.
After graduating, Justin joined Twin Boro Physical Therapy as a staff physical therapist at the Toms River and Red Bank locations from 2017 to 2018. He then spent about one year at Health Fusion Wellness, where he worked with many athletes of all various age groups and levels, most of whom were professional MMA fighters. Justin also worked part-time in home care-based physical therapy during this time, where he treated many deconditioned patients who were homebound due to complex issues. He then served as the physical therapy director at Sea Girt Spine and Rehabilitation for the next three years, and in 2022, he rejoined the Twin Boro team as a staff physical therapist at our Toms River clinic, and then as the clinic director at our Wall location.
Throughout his career, Justin has taken numerous continuing education courses through various organizations, including courses on the spine, spinal manipulation, temporomandibular disorders, and upper extremity peripheral nerve entrapments. He also received a Certification in Dry Needling (Cert. DN) through the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy and a Certification in Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization & Cupping (STMT-C) through Elite Learning.
Although Justin is skilled in treating all types of patients, he specializes in general orthopedic care, neuromuscular conditions, post-operative care, sports injury rehab, and peak performance training for athletes, neurological populations, and geriatric populations. Justin always tries to make physical therapy fun, exciting, challenging, and meaningful for every patient he sees. This all begins starts with getting to know the patient, including what drives them and what they want to achieve through treatment. His next step is to take everything he learns about the patient and integrate it with evidence-based interventions geared towards allowing patients to take control of their life as fast as possible. He utilizes various manual techniques, exercises, and modalities based on what is most likely to be effective for a patient at any given time, and constantly monitors how patients respond to each intervention. Some of the interventions he uses most frequently are joint mobilizations and manipulations, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, functional cupping, dry needling, advanced exercise prescription, return to sport protocol implementations, and balance training/fall prevention.
Justin also believes that the One2Four model works for him and his patients as a nice middle ground of communication within therapy. He feels it serves as a medium that allows the clinical mindset of a physical therapist and the mindset of a patient to communicate about function, progress, goals, and prognosis. It also helps patients visualize where they are, where they were, and most importantly, where they are going in terms of creating, achieving, and exceeding their own goals.
