Partners in Healing: Jason Schuster ’98 and Ryan McDaniel ’98

At Fay, Jason Schuster and Ryan McDaniel might not have imagined running a business together someday. However, the combination of their talents, skills, and deep friendship is propelling the growth of Intricate Art Spine & Body Solutions and getting attention from professional sports teams and clients worldwide.

Jason, who has his doctorate in physical therapy, founded the company three years ago, offering courses and certifications in dry needling and joint manipulation to medical practitioners and trainers. After about a year and a half of running the business independently, he reached out to Ryan, who was working in development at a private school, to see if he would consider joining him. “We’d been talking about it for a long time, and I was excited and grateful that Ryan decided to do it. It’s been so cool to have my best friend as the COO of my company!” Bringing Ryan on board allowed Jason to focus on his strengths, teaching classes, writing articles for the company blog, and sharing the science and benefits behind the powerful combination of treatments they offer. Meanwhile, Ryan concentrates on growing their client base through marketing and providing a level of customer service that is becoming increasingly hard to find in the medical industry.

 

The timing for this venture could not be better as more people look for alternatives to pharmaceutical and conventional medical treatments. Unlike acupuncture, the placement of needles in dry needling is based on a knowledge of muscle location and the function of the nervous system to stimulate the body to regulate itself. The course is offered to practicing doctors and medical professionals and requires about 54 hours of class time. Ryan was sold after observing his first class. “I remember one guy who couldn’t lift his arm past his shoulder, and after Jason put two needles in his posterior deltoid, the improvement was immediate!”

 

The business has grown to include two additional teachers, and word of mouth among clients continues to bring in new clients. They are seeing particular interest from professional sports teams whose players are interested in reducing inflammation and healing soft tissue injuries. Jason has already done sessions for the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Red Sox athletic training staff. In January, they’ll be heading to Florida to teach the Tampa Bay Devil Rays medical staff. They have also started offering an online training course, bringing clients from Dubai, Serbia, Canada, and the U.K.

 

“Ryan and I get emails and calls weekly from people all over the world,” says Jason.

Jason and Ryan are excited about the opportunity to work together on an enterprise they feel passionate about. “There’s probably only five or six companies across the country that teach the type of skills that we do,” says Jason, “and nobody teaches it the way we do, so it’s pretty cool.”