Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Matt Centofonti DC.
Hi Matt, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Being an athlete through college, I always wanted to continue my connection with sports/athletes. When I graduated in 2004, I moved to the Dallas area to start my career in sports marketing, selling tickets for a minor league baseball team. Driving home one day after making 100+ cold calls, I knew there was something more for me. I was thinking to myself what could be a career in sports that I could have a greater impact in contributing to the athlete’s success. The thought that came into my head was an orthopedic surgeon but was immediately followed with that I wasn’t ‘smart enough’ to pass chemistry, nor could I stomach the idea of incisions, blood in the operating room, or even getting through gross anatomy, and having to deal with studying cadavers.
After taking on many more jobs in ‘Corporate America,’ working for one of the largest sports marketing agencies in the United States at the time, I found myself unfulfilled with the work, distinctively remembering a phone call with someone who professed that what we were doing, at the end of the day was insignificant. I felt an itch for some time that something ‘more’ was out there; I didn’t know what at the time, but I knew I wouldn’t be making the same career later in life. It was my birthday, and I was at a dinner, and I was asked about my future, goals, etc. I told them that night that I knew something more was out there; I didn’t know the specifics then. They looked at me, puzzled, and probably thought I was crazy.
During my time at the sports marketing agency, I was able to interface with some incredible people, one being a sports doctor for golfers on the PGA who happened to be a Chiropractor. After spending the day with them, understanding their role, and being intrigued by their profession, some wheels started to turn. Being an endurance athlete at the time, I was also in need of recovery and manual therapy. I was introduced to another sports chiropractor who helped me with a few injuries and ailments. I started to pick their brain and understand the profession, understand the different avenues one could take, and started to see some light related to helping people and athletes. Becoming a chiropractor was a viable way to do it, and later in life, having worked in marketing for 14 years allowed me a shorter runway than becoming an orthopedic surgeon. But with the security and stability of having a job, the thoughts fleeted, and I kept working with only thoughts in the back of my head.
Dealing with some things in life, it came to a point where I felt I needed to get away for a reset. I had always wanted to experience Costa Rica, and the thought of living in a treehouse in Costa Rica appealed to me. After many late nights of research, I found a yoga/wellness retreat in the jungles of Costa Rica that I booked for an entire week trip. It was my first time traveling ‘alone’ and especially out of the country. There, I met many people from all parts of the world, Europe, Norway, NYC, and Boston, all in the same place in life, looking for more or afraid to jump to what could be next. Every night, we would have communal dinner at a large table. We would talk and listen to each other. I was coined Mr. Motivator because of my encouragement towards others’s ideas and pushing them to do what they ‘wanted’ to do in life but were fearful of leaping. As I returned to my bungalow for the night, I lay awake thinking about things. I also thought about how I was coined Mr. Motivator at the resort, but I couldn’t motivate myself to get out of the place I was in, in fear of failing and fear of chemistry and cadavers. Then, I said to myself, ‘You need to start taking some risks and betting on yourself; you need to leap at the thing(s) you want to do.’
Fast forward to yet another year of Corporate America marketing, stress, and anxiety; I revisited the idea and started to kick the tires further down the road. After some time, I resigned from my job, enrolled back in school at the age of 33, obtained some science credits, including chemistry, and submitted my application To Parker University’s Doctorate of Chiropractic program. During my time, I instantly fell in love with the intricacies of the human anatomy. When it was time for the gross anatomy lab, I was nervous, scared, and intimidated, but after the first lab session of dissection, it became my favorite lab, and I was all in. It’s funny how we talk ourselves out of things before we ever experience them. For my clinical rotation, I was accepted into the sports performance program, which allowed me to hone my athletic approach to care with athletes and non-athletes alike. Being a part of the sports performance program, I was allowed to treat professional athletes with the XFL Dallas Renegades and the WNBA Dallas Wings. Being back in their locker rooms/training rooms, talking with their strength and conditioning personnel and their athletic trainers, I knew this was exactly what I wanted to do. In addition to the school’s curriculum, I explored more training taught by the Team Doctors of the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. There, I learned how to treat each muscle in the body while also learning how adjacent structures can impede on others, which will result in pain or injury. Taking an active approach to release these muscles makes treatment more effective and efficient when dealing with low back pain, neck pain, tennis/golfers elbow, ‘carpal tunnel,’ and plantar fasciitis.
After 3 years and 4 months of doctoral studies, I graduated in August 2020, at the height of COVID. My wife and I had a 2-year-old daughter with another on the way. We wanted to get closer to family and moved back to the Austin Area in August 2020. After a few years of treating patients in the North Austin area, we moved to Lakeway, which was a better fit for our family. In October of (2023), I opened up Kinetix Sport + Spine in Spicewood. This practice is a gym/clinic hybrid. We adjust and specialize in advanced myofascial release coupled with re-education of ideal movement patterns through specific exercises that correct patterns, build stability, strength, endurance, and develop speed & agility. Kinetix Sport + Spine is for athletes and non-athletes. We provide elite care to everyday people with soft tissue therapy used across every professional sports organization. Our mission is to advocate for our patients, guiding them toward a pain-free life, enhanced functionality, and optimal well-being.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In short, no. The doctorate program was intense, taking 24-27 course hours on an accelerated schedule every 15 weeks over 10 sessions. This also included taking 4 mandatory board exams and an additional board for physiotherapy. After graduation, there wasn’t much left in the tank. Moving to a new city immediately after school was challenging. I was working on starting practice and building a business book while caring for my two young daughters and wife, who traveled frequently for work. Once we made the decision (the right decision) as a family to relocate out to Lakeway, it was time to start building the practice from the ground up again. As a new business owner with school loans, banks also want to refrain from providing funding, especially as COVID was happening. After a few years, we were at a point where we could slowly self-fund this business and open our doors with the vision in mind to build out our gym/clinic hybrid.
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Kinetix Sport + Spine?
We are a sports-based chiropractic clinic that provides elite care to our patients. We don’t only adjust; we specialize in myofascial release and corrective exercises. We choose quality over haste. We spend time with our patients to understand the injury and obtain a comprehensive picture. Our new patient sessions are 60 minutes long, while subsequent visits are 30 minutes in time. We are thorough and hands-on, working together to achieve goals and understand timelines. We will never put you on a lengthy treatment plan nor ask you to pre-pay for any visits. During every visit, we will adjust (so long as there are no contraindications to such), work through soft tissue, and correct movement patterns. You will be guided through exercises provided for you to do at home through our software. What we are most proud of as a brand is the quality of the care we provide and the results we see in a short time from conditions validated through patient feedback.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kinetixatx.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/kinetixatx
- Facebook: facebook.com/kinetixatx
- Twitter: twitter.com/kinetixatx
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KinetixATX
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kinetix-sport-spine-spicewood
