Mark Shires is a Certified Athletic Trainer and Performance Enhancement Specialist with more than 27 years of experience in professional baseball, including eight seasons at the Major League level.

In addition, he has also worked with NBA G League, collegiate, and high school athletes. In 2023, Mark was part of the athletic training team recognized as the Major League Athletic Training Staff of the Year.

Mark specializes in injury rehabilitation, movement assessment, performance, and recovery. His individualized approach may incorporate TECAR Therapy, the McKenzie Method, Active Release Techniques, IASTM, dry needling, and shockwave therapy to help athletes and active adults move, recover, and perform at their highest level.

Mark Shires is a Certified Athletic Trainer and Performance Enhancement Specialist with more than... Read More

Amanda Mazza, Certified Laser Technician at Primal Physical Therapy, specializes in utilizing the Light Force Laser machine to aid in the recovery of pain, injuries, cuts, and bruises. With a background as a professional jiu-jitsu grappler competing at the world level, Amanda has extensive experience with athlete recovery and injury management. She began her journey into Laser Therapy through the successful use of laser treatments for her own injuries. Amanda understands the critical importance of health and recovery and is dedicated to sharing that knowledge to benefit others.

Amanda Mazza, Certified Laser Technician at Primal Physical Therapy, specializes in utilizing the... Read More

Joe’s undergraduate degree in Psychology from Widener University and Masters degree in Physical Therapy from University of Delaware (2002) yielded the perfect educational combination to match his treatment style, which connects the mind and body and allows him to maximize every patient’s potential for movement, performance, and recovery. In the 20 years of treating patients since graduating, Joe has continued to advance his education and training through his extensive post-graduate courses, including osteopathic manual therapy of the spine and extremities and specialized training in treating TMJ and facial pain through the Institute of Clinical Excellence (www.ptonice.com). He is also a certified dry needling specialist through the esteemed Aspire Institute. (www.aspirecourse.com) Joe utilizes an eclectic approach of various manual and neuromuscular techniques to ensure every person he works with comes away feeling better and having a better understanding of their issues and how to address them. Joe is also recognized for his clinical excellence through his role as an APTA -credentialed clinical instructor and he has served as a mentor and teacher to many students and new clinicians throughout his career. For the last 10 years prior to coming to Primal, Joe’s clinical excellence landed him in a leadership role as a clinic director for multiple Physical Therapy clinics. While Joe has enjoyed his time as a clinician in the director position, his passion lies in working with each individual patient to get them better as efficiently as possible, and he looks forward to being able to spend individualized time with patients at Primal Physical Therapy. Joe lives in Garnet Valley, PA with his wife (also a PT!) and daughter and enjoys working on product development as well as skiing, working out and Philadelphia sports.

Joe’s undergraduate degree in Psychology from Widener University and Masters degree in Physical T... Read More

Julia earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Thomas Jefferson University in 2020 and later completed Jefferson’s Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency. She is a board-certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) with advanced expertise in evaluating and treating orthopedic conditions.

Julia’s commitment to learning extends beyond clinical practice. As an adjunct faculty member in Jefferson’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, she helps educate future physical therapists by lecturing on the overhead athlete and teaching musculoskeletal laboratory courses. She continues to expand her clinical expertise through ongoing research and advanced training, including certification in dry needling for the lumbar spine and lower extremity.

For the past four years, Julia has specialized in treating athletes and active adults, from Division I competitors to recreational runners. Her advanced education includes coursework with leading running medicine experts Nathan Carlson and Brian Heiderscheit. When treating runners, Julia takes a whole-body approach that considers physical performance, impact tolerance, training load, injury history, nutrition, recovery, and overall health. She uses this information to create individualized plans that address the factors contributing to injury while building the strength and capacity needed to return to running with confidence.

Julia has a particular interest in bone stress injuries and collaborates with sports dietitians and physicians to help athletes recover safely and reduce the risk of reinjury. A runner herself, she also volunteers with the medical teams at several Philadelphia running events, including the Penn Relays, Philly Distance Run, and LOVE Run.

Julia’s treatment philosophy begins with listening. She takes the time to understand each person’s goals and creates an individualized plan that fits their life. She believes building a strong, resilient body is essential not only for recovering from injury, but also for maintaining the physical capacity to stay active for life.

Outside the clinic, Julia enjoys running along the Schuylkill River Trail, playing with her daughter, reading a good book, and cheering on Philadelphia sports teams with her husband.

Julia earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Thomas Jefferson University in 2020 and l... Read More

Mark Boutros obtained his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, TX in 2015. Completing his CFMT (Certified Functional Manual Therapist) certification and a post-graduate residency in Eugene, OR; Mark has an eclectic treatment approach to provide high quality care for any patient.

Mark Boutros obtained his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene... Read More

Jessica received her doctorate in physical therapy from Northeastern University. While in Boston, she interned at some of the top-ranked U.S. physical therapy institutions including Spaulding Rehabilitation Center, where she was able to observe both clinicians and researchers at the Harvard Running Clinic. Since coming to Primal Physical Therapy Jessica has been both working alongside and learning from Dr. JJ Thomas and Dr. Eric Abramowitz.

Jessica believes that the mind and body must work together for optimal healing and performance. She implements this by integrating ‘Foundation Training’ into her physical therapy practice. FT is a series of movement patterns that stimulate the diaphragm to work with spinal and postural stabilizers as the body learns to perform functional movement patterns properly. This decreases pain and improves performance by opening the spinal column, which stimulates mind-muscle connection. Using FT with physical therapy re-educates the body to “lock in” interventions and patterns that are introduced into the session as the patient returns to activities of daily living or sports performance.

Jessica has been a volunteer member of the Boston Marathon ICU medical team since 2021. She has researched student confidence in providing healthcare to adults with intellectual disabilities which was published in the Journal for Intellectual Developmental Disability through PubMed.

Jessica hopes to help her patients maximize their physical potential through a variety of goals whether that be for a professional sporting event, a local 5k or getting through a work day pain-free. Jessica has a South American background and loves to work with Spanish-speaking patients.

In her free time you can find Jessica playing reggaeton, looking for the nearest beach, discovering new exercises, and enjoying family and friends!

Jessica received her doctorate in physical therapy from Northeastern University. While in Boston,... Read More