about red hammer rehab
the clinic is renowned in the state of colorado for getting results quickly and effectively. red hammer is all about professionalism, evidence-based treatment, manual therapy focused care, and getting to the root cause of injuries. we treat all ages and types of individuals no matter if you just want to be able to walk with your grandkids or if you are training for the next olympic games.
dr. north, the founder of the clinic, has picked up the nickname "the hammer" as a term of endearment from many of her patients and the office takes this namesake. her partner, dr. morrison is beginning to get the name "michael the mallet" as a wonderful addition to the practice. |
"it was when the more fashionable doctors in italy, in imitation of the old romans, despising the work of the hand, began to delegate to slaves the manual attentions they deemed necessary for their patients ... that the art of medicine went to ruin."
- andreas vesalius (the father of anatomy) de humani corporis fabrica (1543)
dr. heather k. north pt, dpt

dr. heather north holds a doctorate in physical therapy from the university of colorado. since graduating she has worked for five years at the other lead physical therapist at in motion rehabilitation in boulder, co which specialized in sports-related orthopaedic therapy. while there heather was awarded "best sports medicine doctor" in the mountain/west region of the united states by competitor magazine. heather stepped out on her own and established her own practice - red hammer rehab which has won "best sports medicine rehab facility" and "best sports medicine doctor" four years running.
heather’s focus is on sports medicine and orthopaedic manual and manipulation physical therapy. she is known for being aggressive with injuries and focusing on discovering and fixing the mechanics behind each and every injury. she believes that it is important to continue to learn the newest and most up to date techniques. heather’s philosophy revolves around getting patients recovered quickly and teaching them to sustain a healthy state. injuries can only be eliminated by addressing biomechanical causes and then aggressively treating the damage created from these issues. for 8 years heather has been using dry needling as part of her treatment modalities after training under dr. lin-tau ma at the biomedical acupuncture institute.
when not in the clinic, heather enjoys road/trail running, mountain biking, coaching for revolution running, and spending time in the mountains with her husband ewen. she regularly competes in races all over including the pikes peak marathon. heather was a college level swimmer and has even tested the waters with triathlon in her post-collegiate years as well.
heather teaches her exclusively created "hard core burn" class on monday nights at the louisville recreation center. her class is specially designed to keep you healthy and strong year round. great care is taken to focus on the muscles that endurance athletes need to stay injury free and to maintain speed and strength. in addition, every class is created to protect the back, preserve proper alignment, and maintain body mechanics. athletes of any level rely heavily on their core muscles for strength, speed, and stability. however if these muscles are weak (and they usually are), surrounding joints, connective tissue, and muscles will become more heavily under strain. this class is here to focus on these major muscles. class is open to anyone and registration/info is available here.
heather’s focus is on sports medicine and orthopaedic manual and manipulation physical therapy. she is known for being aggressive with injuries and focusing on discovering and fixing the mechanics behind each and every injury. she believes that it is important to continue to learn the newest and most up to date techniques. heather’s philosophy revolves around getting patients recovered quickly and teaching them to sustain a healthy state. injuries can only be eliminated by addressing biomechanical causes and then aggressively treating the damage created from these issues. for 8 years heather has been using dry needling as part of her treatment modalities after training under dr. lin-tau ma at the biomedical acupuncture institute.
when not in the clinic, heather enjoys road/trail running, mountain biking, coaching for revolution running, and spending time in the mountains with her husband ewen. she regularly competes in races all over including the pikes peak marathon. heather was a college level swimmer and has even tested the waters with triathlon in her post-collegiate years as well.
heather teaches her exclusively created "hard core burn" class on monday nights at the louisville recreation center. her class is specially designed to keep you healthy and strong year round. great care is taken to focus on the muscles that endurance athletes need to stay injury free and to maintain speed and strength. in addition, every class is created to protect the back, preserve proper alignment, and maintain body mechanics. athletes of any level rely heavily on their core muscles for strength, speed, and stability. however if these muscles are weak (and they usually are), surrounding joints, connective tissue, and muscles will become more heavily under strain. this class is here to focus on these major muscles. class is open to anyone and registration/info is available here.
dr. michael morrison pt, dpt

dr. morrison joins red hammer rehab after being the director of physical therapy at fitness quest physical therapy in sarasota, fl for the last 5 years. He has been practicing physical therapy in florida for 10 years since he graduated from the university of colorado with his doctor of physical therapy degree. in addition to post-graduate training, he has extensive experience treating runners and triathletes as well as individuals with balance conditions. He has also been a running coach for 10+ years.
michael became interested in physical therapy because he is a self-described “people person” who loves to encourage others to perform at their best and enjoy healthy living. he integrates manual therapy and exercises with a heavy dose of patient education to achieve optimal performance for his patients. “i always say I am doing my job well when I don’t have to see you again for the same thing.” michael believes it is in empowering patients to be participants in their recovery that the best results are achieved. he feels it is imperative to help patients identify the root causes of their symptoms, often involving assessment of postures assumed throughout the day as well as biomechanical deficiencies identified during the activity of choice. he also utilizes dry needling techniques as an adjunct to his treatment, having received his certification from dr. lin-tau ma’s integrative dry needling program.
outside of the clinic you will find michael running, cycling, coaching with revolution running, or escaping to the mountains with his wife jen and new baby scout amani for some hiking or camping. he enjoys giving back to the local community, and he and his wife are heavily involved in a long-term community-development project in uganda. michael and Jen have spent the majority of any free time over the last two years building their tiny house, as they seek to simplify their lives (and have more time for their new family to explore the mountains).
michael became interested in physical therapy because he is a self-described “people person” who loves to encourage others to perform at their best and enjoy healthy living. he integrates manual therapy and exercises with a heavy dose of patient education to achieve optimal performance for his patients. “i always say I am doing my job well when I don’t have to see you again for the same thing.” michael believes it is in empowering patients to be participants in their recovery that the best results are achieved. he feels it is imperative to help patients identify the root causes of their symptoms, often involving assessment of postures assumed throughout the day as well as biomechanical deficiencies identified during the activity of choice. he also utilizes dry needling techniques as an adjunct to his treatment, having received his certification from dr. lin-tau ma’s integrative dry needling program.
outside of the clinic you will find michael running, cycling, coaching with revolution running, or escaping to the mountains with his wife jen and new baby scout amani for some hiking or camping. he enjoys giving back to the local community, and he and his wife are heavily involved in a long-term community-development project in uganda. michael and Jen have spent the majority of any free time over the last two years building their tiny house, as they seek to simplify their lives (and have more time for their new family to explore the mountains).
dr. john sauer pt, dpt, ocs

dr. john sauer earned his doctorate from the university of missouri in 2011, following up his degree with a formal residency and orthopedic specialist certification in 2014. while at mizzou, he served on the athletic training staff for both the men’s football and baseball teams. john spent his first 8 years of physical therapy practice in the chicago suburbs, working for a large sports and orthopedic practice where he treated a wide range of endurance and multi-sport athletes. in addition to his clinical practice he also chaired their endurance program and served as lead faculty for their running gait analysis and treatment of the endurance athlete courses, which he had the opportunity to teach at clinics across the midwest.
john is passionate about helping patients not only identify and address the root cause of their painful conditions, but also prioritizes helping athletes identify weak points in their athletic development and understand opportunities to improve their overall health and performance. his background with both endurance and field sport athletes gives him a window into more well-rounded strength and conditioning options. he enjoys the challenge of helping clients to address their painful limitations while also aiming for higher goals as they progress along the illness-fitness continuum.
when not treating patients, you’ll find john running, cycling, lifting, golfing, or out playing soccer. he and his wife nicole have 3 kids, who also enjoy getting outdoors and playing soccer or enjoying colorado’s abundant open spaces and trail systems.
john is passionate about helping patients not only identify and address the root cause of their painful conditions, but also prioritizes helping athletes identify weak points in their athletic development and understand opportunities to improve their overall health and performance. his background with both endurance and field sport athletes gives him a window into more well-rounded strength and conditioning options. he enjoys the challenge of helping clients to address their painful limitations while also aiming for higher goals as they progress along the illness-fitness continuum.
when not treating patients, you’ll find john running, cycling, lifting, golfing, or out playing soccer. he and his wife nicole have 3 kids, who also enjoy getting outdoors and playing soccer or enjoying colorado’s abundant open spaces and trail systems.
betty aga - office manager

Betty is a Colorado native who enjoys running, and anything else outdoors!! After retiring from a career in Employee Relations and Development, she followed her passion in running and fitness to get certified as a RRCA Running Coach and ACE Certified Personal Trainer. She has coached for Revolution Running for 3 years.
Her "serious" running career started at the age of 50 when she ran her first marathon in Chicago for her birthday and got hooked! Since she has completed 12 marathons which includes 3 exciting trips to Boston. Over the years Betty has run over 40 Half Marathons and hopes to continue placing in her age group. She runs for the Runners Roost Race Team.
Working in the running community in Boulder County is a blessing and dream come true.
Her "serious" running career started at the age of 50 when she ran her first marathon in Chicago for her birthday and got hooked! Since she has completed 12 marathons which includes 3 exciting trips to Boston. Over the years Betty has run over 40 Half Marathons and hopes to continue placing in her age group. She runs for the Runners Roost Race Team.
Working in the running community in Boulder County is a blessing and dream come true.
anna hamilton - office manager

linda hudson - office manager

more about dr. north pt, dpt
education
university of colorado: doctor of physical therapy
webster university: worked towards an mba
colorado college: bachelor of art, major: pre-medicine and studio art
additional education
manipalooza advanced manipulation and treatment conference at the university of colorado anchutz campus
trigger point dry needling certification
advanced training in the treatment of the low back and long term back pain
advanced manual therapy and manipulation training
grinders and glue advanced orthotic fabrication, education, and modification class
national physical therapy conference
ymca leadership training
valuable work experience
hard core burn - creator/instructor for 7 years
created a specific protocol of exercises that help prevent injuries in the athletic population
teaches a once weekly unique class in the louisville area
in motion rehabilitation - doctor of physical therapy for 5 years
worked as other lead physical therapist
treated athletic individuals from olympians to weekend warriors
created an exercise handout protocol for the clinic
headed up gait analysis evaluation in littleton and assisted in boulder
instigated high-tech gait analysis protocol and reporting of results
gave over 30 lectures in the front-range area on injury prevention and education
research assistant for barb headley – trigger point research
revolution running – running coach for 13 years
have trained over 500 runners
oversees multiple practices in the front range and online
uses exercise physiology and physical therapy skills
performes sub-maximal exercise testing
el paso county health department internship with hcv/clinic/database systems for 2 years
headed up database creations/conversions and co-authored two published medical papers
maintained a high volume of research information
created epchd bio-terrorism database
additional experience
clinical affiliations in physical therapy while at university of colorado
platte valley medical center – inpatient/outpatient
coal creek physical Therapy – outpatient orthopaedic
in motion rehabilitation – outpatient orthopaedic specializing in running
aurora public schools – pediatric
university of colorado: doctor of physical therapy
webster university: worked towards an mba
colorado college: bachelor of art, major: pre-medicine and studio art
additional education
manipalooza advanced manipulation and treatment conference at the university of colorado anchutz campus
trigger point dry needling certification
advanced training in the treatment of the low back and long term back pain
advanced manual therapy and manipulation training
grinders and glue advanced orthotic fabrication, education, and modification class
national physical therapy conference
ymca leadership training
valuable work experience
hard core burn - creator/instructor for 7 years
created a specific protocol of exercises that help prevent injuries in the athletic population
teaches a once weekly unique class in the louisville area
in motion rehabilitation - doctor of physical therapy for 5 years
worked as other lead physical therapist
treated athletic individuals from olympians to weekend warriors
created an exercise handout protocol for the clinic
headed up gait analysis evaluation in littleton and assisted in boulder
instigated high-tech gait analysis protocol and reporting of results
gave over 30 lectures in the front-range area on injury prevention and education
research assistant for barb headley – trigger point research
revolution running – running coach for 13 years
have trained over 500 runners
oversees multiple practices in the front range and online
uses exercise physiology and physical therapy skills
performes sub-maximal exercise testing
el paso county health department internship with hcv/clinic/database systems for 2 years
headed up database creations/conversions and co-authored two published medical papers
maintained a high volume of research information
created epchd bio-terrorism database
additional experience
clinical affiliations in physical therapy while at university of colorado
platte valley medical center – inpatient/outpatient
coal creek physical Therapy – outpatient orthopaedic
in motion rehabilitation – outpatient orthopaedic specializing in running
aurora public schools – pediatric
more about dr. morrison pt, dpt
education
university of colorado doctor of physical therapy - class president
the college of william and mary bachelor of science in kinesiology
continuing education
certificate of dry needling from dr. ma’s integrative dry needling institute
advanced management of orthopaedic conditions from apta
the running course by dr. barry morgan
management of the hip knee and ankle from the apta
pilates on the ball by north american seminars
functional exercise prescription by north american seminars
valuable work experience
lead coach for longmont area of revolution running
coach and official physical therapist for surge running club sarasota
coach and official physical therapist for need for speed marathon training program fleet feet sarasota
coach for denver revolution running (formerly boulder bolder training club) 2 years
official doctor of physical therapy of ton of fun weight loss for fleet feet sarasota, fl
vestibular therapist for the silverstein institute
youth pastor all saints’ episcopal church, sarasota christian church, shoreline calvary chapel
clinical education during doctural school
kawana sportscare: queensland, australia - outpatient orthopaedic, sports rehab
sewall child development center: denver - pediatric
health south physical therapy: lakewood - outpatient orhtopaedic
mcdonald physical therapy: sterling - inpatient/outpatient/home health/hospital
university of colorado doctor of physical therapy - class president
the college of william and mary bachelor of science in kinesiology
continuing education
certificate of dry needling from dr. ma’s integrative dry needling institute
advanced management of orthopaedic conditions from apta
the running course by dr. barry morgan
management of the hip knee and ankle from the apta
pilates on the ball by north american seminars
functional exercise prescription by north american seminars
valuable work experience
lead coach for longmont area of revolution running
coach and official physical therapist for surge running club sarasota
coach and official physical therapist for need for speed marathon training program fleet feet sarasota
coach for denver revolution running (formerly boulder bolder training club) 2 years
official doctor of physical therapy of ton of fun weight loss for fleet feet sarasota, fl
vestibular therapist for the silverstein institute
youth pastor all saints’ episcopal church, sarasota christian church, shoreline calvary chapel
clinical education during doctural school
kawana sportscare: queensland, australia - outpatient orthopaedic, sports rehab
sewall child development center: denver - pediatric
health south physical therapy: lakewood - outpatient orhtopaedic
mcdonald physical therapy: sterling - inpatient/outpatient/home health/hospital
more about dr. john sauer pt, dpt, ocs
education
evidence in motion post-doctoral orthopedic residency program
university of missouri doctor of physical therapy
university of missouri bachelor of health science
continuing education
dry needling through both the institute of clinical excellence and kinetacore
stress fracture school for the endurance clinician
crossfit L1 for healthcare professionals
management of the fitness athlete
the ready state certified practitioner
certification in applied functional science
mobilitywod certified specialist
(b)strong blood flow restriction training provider
pnf-1 through the institute of physical art
pose running technique specialist
valuable work experience
athletico endurance program manager/lead gait analysis faculty
developed on-ramp programming for novice clinicians
oversaw course creation and instruction
taught gait analysis and endurance training courses across the midwest
collaborated with hip, women’s health, and performing art program managers to develop new curriculum and more holistic approach to treatment
served on medical team for chicago marathon and rock ‘n roll marathon series
mizzou athletics training staff - football/baseball
oversaw treatment of higher-level athletes, with many going on to NFL and MLB careers
coordinated care with strength and conditioning staff to integrate higher level treatment plans
utilized a wide range of modalities and manual techniques to keep athletes injury-free and performing at peak levels
clinical education during doctoral school
capital region medical center - in-patient and home health
select physical therapy - outpatient orthopedics and sports rehab
northwest physical therapy - outpatient orthopedics and sports rehab
broadway ergonomics - orthopedic and on-site job demands analysis
evidence in motion post-doctoral orthopedic residency program
university of missouri doctor of physical therapy
university of missouri bachelor of health science
continuing education
dry needling through both the institute of clinical excellence and kinetacore
stress fracture school for the endurance clinician
crossfit L1 for healthcare professionals
management of the fitness athlete
the ready state certified practitioner
certification in applied functional science
mobilitywod certified specialist
(b)strong blood flow restriction training provider
pnf-1 through the institute of physical art
pose running technique specialist
valuable work experience
athletico endurance program manager/lead gait analysis faculty
developed on-ramp programming for novice clinicians
oversaw course creation and instruction
taught gait analysis and endurance training courses across the midwest
collaborated with hip, women’s health, and performing art program managers to develop new curriculum and more holistic approach to treatment
served on medical team for chicago marathon and rock ‘n roll marathon series
mizzou athletics training staff - football/baseball
oversaw treatment of higher-level athletes, with many going on to NFL and MLB careers
coordinated care with strength and conditioning staff to integrate higher level treatment plans
utilized a wide range of modalities and manual techniques to keep athletes injury-free and performing at peak levels
clinical education during doctoral school
capital region medical center - in-patient and home health
select physical therapy - outpatient orthopedics and sports rehab
northwest physical therapy - outpatient orthopedics and sports rehab
broadway ergonomics - orthopedic and on-site job demands analysis