At age 23, Eric Walberg PT was driving through Portland in his car when he had an epiphany.
“I was trying to figure out what to do with the rest of it life and it hit me — I decided to become a physical therapist,” said Walberg, who has served as Rebound’s Sunriver Clinic Director since 2012 (and has been with the company since 2009).
Soon after, he left his job in sports marketing and moved across the country to North Dakota to attend graduate school, earning a Master of Science degree in Physical Therapy in 2002.
Directing Rebound’s Sunriver clinic has proven to be a perfect match for Walberg, who obtained a degree in business prior to becoming a PT. “I get to put both of my professional degrees to use,” he said of his current role.
Walberg’s connection to Sunriver dates back to 1978, when his family began visiting the area every year on vacation, moving there permanently 20 years later. “Sunriver is a very tight-knit community,” he said. “Everyone knows each other.”
Sunriver is also home to an active retired population, with many recreational snow skiers, golfers, tennis and pickleball players, said Walberg, who enjoys treating sports-related injuries and spine disorders.
Along with strengthening and stretching, he often incorporates instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) when treating soft-tissue injuries such as tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis and hamstring strains.
The “uncomfortable but brief” technique uses instruments designed to mobilize scar tissue and myofascial tissue — the tough connective tissue that surrounds and supports muscles — to reduce pain and tightness in the body, according to Walberg.
For Eric Walberg, helping patients achieve their rehab goals is what makes his job as a PT fulfilling: “Getting people back to activities they want to do — that’s the fun thing and the challenge.”
