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MOUNT VERNON — Jamie Hagerman describes leaving Kevin Rindal’s office bruised, describing his technique as “probably the most painful massage you will ever get.”

She means it as the highest of compliments.

In large part because Hagerman is such a fan, Rindal spent 11 days this month in Harbin, China as part of the four-person medical staff for the United States women’s hockey team.

“It was a great time. Tremendous,” said Rindal, a Mount Vernon chiropractor. “I had only watched a couple of hockey games. I actually really enjoyed the game. I enjoyed watching it. I’ve never been a big hockey fan, which everyone thought was funny because people who probably were wanted to be on the staff and were dying for the opportunity. I just thought it would be an incredible opportunity to be with the team. I’ve definitely become much more of a hockey fan.”

Rindal, 28, had been working in Washington, D.C. for two years in a private practice that counted among its clients athletes from George Washington University, American University and Georgetown. He also treated former athletes and triathletes like himself.

Among Rindal’s areas of expertise is Active Release Technique, a method of soft-tissue rehabilitation that helps athletes break up scar tissue. Though the technique is similar in some respects to massage, it serves more as rehabilitation than relaxation or comfort.

Hockey players are prone to chronic pain in their legs from the constant starting, stopping and change of direction the sport requires. They also experience it in their shoulders from being slammed into the boards.

Hagerman was one of his clients in Washington D.C. A former Harvard collegiate hockey player, Hagerman had been a member of Team USA during the 2005 World Championships and 2006 Olympics. She had responded well to ART during the 2006 Olympic Games and had sought to continue treatment after she retired. Rindal said at the time he was the only ART specialist in the Washington, D.C. area.

“I had heard great things about him,” said Hagerman, who was hoping to avoid another in a long line of knee surgeries. “He was wonderful, and the things he was able to do to my body and to my knee were amazing. I was at that point where I was going to get another surgery or doing something more natural — homeopathic. I was fortunate to meet him.”

The meeting also proved fortuitous for Rindal. Though retired from competitive skating, Hagerman is still on several committees for USA Hockey.

When the team’s prior ART specialist was not available for the World Championships, Hagerman recommended Rindal to Michele Amidon, the director of women’s ice hockey for USA Hockey.

Going off Hagerman’s recommendation, Amidon called Rindal and offered him a place on the team’s medical staff, which includes a doctor, a massage therapist, an athletic trainer and a chiropractor. Amidon said an ART provider has become a standard part of the medical staff for the hockey team.

“It felt like we covered pretty much our whole gamut in terms of meeting the girls’ needs and what they wanted,” Rindal said. “It worked well. They referred all the acute cases to me and it worked out pretty good.

“Active Release Technique isn’t the most comfortable treatment. It’s pretty intense. Most people, I’d only treat them for 15 or 20 minutes. It’s much more focused on a specific problem than a feel-good massage.”

The call afforded him not just an opportunity to work with the team, but also to observe state-of-the-art sports medicine.

“Being at the Olympic Training Center, that was definitely an added bonus,” Rindal said. “A lot of the athletes who are going to compete in the summer Olympics were actually there at the time, getting ready for all their qualifying runs. That was pretty incredible, to see some of the gymnasts and walk around on campus. I’m a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, and the Olympic Training Center is like the Holy Grail of sports medicine. To be able to go in the clinic and see what they do and interact with some of the doctors, that personally for me was a highlight.”

Rindal arrived in Colorado on March 27, four days before the team left. He then accompanied the team to Harbin, a city of nearly 10 million people in Northeastern China near the Russian border.

“It’s a huge city, just crazy,” he said. “There’s no green space anywhere, no trees, and the pollution is pretty bad. We ended up having to wear masks most of the time.

“We didn’t get to go out much. There aren’t a whole lot of tourist attractions in the Harbin area. The Great Wall doesn’t go through there, so we stayed pretty close to our home base.”

Hockey took up most of the time. The team played five games in 11 days, but practiced on other days. Rindal made himself available to players for treatment about three hours a day. He also did a lot of running and training, and watched a lot of women’s hockey.

“I didn’t know a lot (about the sport), but I could relate the injuries to other sports,” Rindal said. “I actually did quite a bit of studying, finding out the typical injuries you see in hockey.

“You see a lot of inside the hip injuries, and outside of the hip from all the pushing,” he continued. “The wrist from the slip and just being snapped back is also (vulnerable).”
Team USA would go on to win the gold medal at the games, upsetting favorite Canada twice.

“He’s just tireless at wanting to be better at his job at his profession,” Hagerman said. “He’s constantly thanking me for making the introduction, but he did the hard part.

“I’ve had the best replies from my teammates who are still with the team. I don’t know if the word ‘awesome’ has been used more.”

“They absolutely loved him,” Amidon added. “He did a great job. Twenty-four seven the players could go to his room and get the care they needed.”

In addition to winning the tournament, Team USA also qualified for the 2010 Vancouver, B.C., Winter Olympics. Rindal said he hoped to be able to work with the team there as well, though the selection process begins anew for each event. Amidon said she hoped the program could work with Rindal in the future.

“It all depends on the process with USA hockey, but if I’m afforded the opportunity again, I’d love it,” Rindal said. “I think there will be opportunity in the future. It was overall a very positive experience.”

• Eric Francis can be reached at 360-416-2131 or by e-mail at