NY Sports and Spinal

Karn Santikul, DPT, COMT, CSCS - Director

Karn Santikul, DPT, COMT, CSCS is a graduate from Columbia University with his Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy. Karn's focus is in sports medicine and orthopedic rehabilitation. With his vision and desire, he opened NY Sports and Spinal Physical Therapy in Scarsdale in February 2008 and since then has added the Bronx office opened in July 2010 in the Pelham Bay area.

His approach to physical therapy is eclectic and pragmatic in that he draws from a number of different approaches to formulate the best plan of care. The result is a highly individualized course of therapy for each patient. Karn has worked previously at Summit Physical Therapy in Larchmont and Recovery Physical Therapy in the Bronx prior to starting NYSSPT. In addition, his completed clinical rotations at Columbia University have included affiliations at White Plains Hospital, St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, and Australian Physiotherapy in Manhattan. His completed group research thesis on VMO Strengthening was presented in New Orleans at the annual Physical Therapy's Combined Section Meetings in February 2005.

Karn's has focused on the Geoffrey Maitland approach and is certified in Orthopedic Manual Therapy by the Maitland Australian Physiotherapy Seminars. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist who works with Athletes on Performance Enhancement. He continues to grow as a clinician and is now practicing Kinesio Taping as a manual/hands on therapist.

Gelsomina Rinaldi, DPT, CKTP

Gelsomina Rinaldi DPT, CKTP has been an avid fitness enthusiast for over 20 years. She has an extensive exercise and nutrition background. She completed her undergraduate studies in Nutrition, then, went on to pursue her Doctorate Degree at Mercy College in Physical Therapy in 2008. Her completed clinical rotations at Mercy College have included affiliations at Montefiore Children’s Hospital in the Bronx, Beth Abraham Adult Day Care in White Plains, Rye Physical Therapy in White Plains, and ProActive Physical and Hand Therapy in the Bronx.

Gelsomina worked for ProActive Physical and Hand Therapy in the Bronx for over two years prior to joining the team at NYSSPT. Gelsomina is a Certified Kinesiotaping Practitioner and her post-graduate studies have included continuing education in Vestibular Rehabilitation and the Graston Technique.

Gelsomina is a Certified Spinning Instructor and has been teaching Spin classes since 1998. She is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, and has been training clients since 2000. Gelsomina believes that ‘a body in motion stays in motion’. She continues to grow in her studies as a Clinician. Gelsomina enjoys long distance cycling and running, and hopes to make the time to train for a duathlon or triathlon in the near future.

Lacey Berger, DPT

Lacey Berger, DPT completed her undergraduate coursework at The University of Michigan and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Movement Science. She graduated from Columbia University with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2012. Lacey is excited to join the staff after completing a clinical internship with Karn at NYSSPT earlier this year. Lacey’s other clinical experience includes rotations at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, Montefiore Medical Center, and Jamaica Hospital. While at Columbia, she took elective and advanced coursework in rehabilitation of the ankle and foot, wrist and hand, and adult neurologic conditions.

She is also an avid runner and has completed many road races including a half marathon. She will be competing in her first triathlon in September 2012.

Damaris Valentin - Office Manager (Bronx)

Damaris is the Office Manager of the NYSSPT Bronx Office. She performs all the administrative tasks including scheduling patients, verifying insurance, collecting copays, entering daily billing transactions, filing medical claims and calling claim managers to verify approval for physical therapy visits. She received her certification in Word Processing at the American Business Institute. She brings extensive experience in clerical and medical billing. For leisure, Damaris enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Steven Scotton - Office Manager (Scarsdale)

Steven Scotton is the Office Manager of NY Sports and Spinal Physical Therapy in Scarsdale. He performs many of NYSSPT administration tasks including overseeing all operations in both the Bronx and Scarsdale offices. After completing his undergraduate degree in business administration from Iona College, Steven decided to continue his dedication in helping NYSSPT grow and reach the potential of a successful clinic. Steven has been instrumental in helping institute our billing system and training staff on the use of it. His responsibilities have included daily billing transactions, filing medical claims, and data entry to mention a few. For leisure, Steven enjoys playing softball, weightlifting, and soccer.

Gabriella Gonzalez – Marketing Director

Gabriella Gonzalez is the Marketing Director for NY Sports and Spinal Physical Therapy. Gabriella obtained her undergraduate degree from Iona College and began her career with NYSSPT in 2012. Her responsibilities include ensuring and maintaining our patient’s quality of care at the NYSSPT standard.

She has made significant strides in creating relationships with the leading doctors and surgeons in NYC. Gabriella has become a strong liaison in keeping our patient-doctor relationship and allows referring doctors know the progress of their patient’s care as well as the new and evolving techniques and programs we perform here to help our patients get back to their goals. Her daily activities include, social media outreach, newsletter management, evaluation of marketing research, development and implementation of strategic approaches for new business opportunities, and the constant managing of all existing relationships.

Her enthusiasm and work ethic have proved vital to the success and growth of NYSSPT. For leisure activities she enjoys, horseback riding, exercising and spending time with her family and friends.