Sports Medicine Broadcast

Sports Medicine Broadcast


Toki Nakazawa’s Story

May 25, 2022

Being at home with the kids all day gave Toki time to think. He knew he needed to practice his skills and wanted to help others. Late one night he decided to create the joint dislocation simulator.


toki

Toki, tell us about the first time you reduced a dislocation?


Back in 2000, we were playing an hour away from San Antonio


There was no ortho available for the game.


Dr. Bud Curtis said, “Toki, you have to do the reduction.”


Tell us your AT story

1992 I came to the US from Japan. My father had business in Houston so we decided on Texas and since there were almost no Japanese people in San Antonio I knew I would have to learn English with total emersion.


Spent one year at the University of the Incarnate Word learning English


Brackenridge High School in 2000


After 14 years I needed a change


Stayed home with kids


Discuss the origin of your company

One night I started dreaming and then began collecting materials.


CAATE added 3 major standards including Reduction Techniques


I built it for ATs, but I am now getting requests from Emergency Medicine, Wilderness Medicine and a DOD contract.


When you were discussing Dr. Approved, tell us more about that.

Dr. Curtis was my team doctor and we worked with him through the whole process.


We also connected with Dr. Green, a local hand doctor , and had him test it out and give feedback.


How can Jay help you today?

Jay and I are actually going to be at NATA together sharing a vendor space.


If you are no longer in school (an ATEP) how can we get this practice?

I am hosting workshops across the country.


If you can pay for the travel expenses and the best sandwiches in town, I will be there.


What are you using for materials?

It started with an old anatomy teacher donating a broken down skeleton and me using orthoplast to replicate the bones and joints.


Do you feel guilty searching for new providers?

I do not have a problem with switching if the company can do the same thing for cheaper and better.


In the life balance you are creating, where is your line?

I do not have a lot of expectations of someone giving back.


I do a lot of things for others and do not expect anything back.


Toki, talk about Shark Tank.

I applied and presented to the first round.


If I was selected I would fly out to California, but I was not.


For me, I am glad I did not give up money and take on a loan. 


What is the feedback you are getting?

My first workshop was in San Antonio ISD with former colleagues that had never reduced a dislocation before.


A lot of clinical programs do not have someone to teach the skills even though they bought the devices.


Contact:

Toki – Facebook or pretty much everywhere


Elysia – Email or @SIBoards on Socials


Jay – Instagram or Twitter


Jeremy – @MrJeremyJackson



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Donate and get some swag (like Patreon but for the school)


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HOIST – no matter your reason for dehydration DRINK HOIST


MedBridge Education – Use “TheSMB” to save some, be entered in a drawing for a second-year free, and support the podcast.


Marc Pro – Use “THESMB” to recover better.


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