On the battlefield, there's no time to linger in the waiting room or wait in line at the pharmacy. Soldiers need fast and effective treatment in order to get back to helping their fellow fighters. It was in this high-stakes atmosphere that Ross Penny learned the ropes of medicine as a combat medic in the first Gulf War. As the conflict ended, Penny bolstered his skills by earning licenses in massage and neuromuscular therapy and easing pain in patients with soft-tissue injuries through a balance of Western medicine and Eastern healing traditions.

Although the therapist channels his 26 years of diverse experience into a range of bodily treatments, he specializes in the technique of neuromuscular therapy. Steady pressure on focused muscle groups mends six physiological factors linked with pain, which range from poor nutrition to posture problems. As tension melts away, ailments such as lower back pain, TMJ disorder, and chronic moonwalk dancing may begin to ease their agonizing hold on the patient's body.