Nick Fulco, BS Kinesiology and Health Promotion (Clinical Track)
Louisiana Tech (2016)
Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) – University of St. Augustine for Health
Sciences (St. Augustine Campus 2019)
My name is Nick Fulco. I am from Shreveport, LA. I always knew I wanted to combine my enthusiasm for sports and medicine and find a way to combine the two, but I needed to figure out how and lacked any accurate guidance at the time. I started Louisiana Tech orientation as a business major and after five minutes of lecture, decided that it was not my passion. I completed my first quarter as an undecided major, and with the help of Stacy Gilbert, I decided to choose a pre-med route using the Clinical Kinesiology track. After shadowing family/sports medicine docs and ortho surgeons, I realized the current medical system didn’t allow enough time with patients to provide the care and impact I wanted and that being an ortho surgeon was too much school for me.
Once I reached my KINE classes, I loved the small class size and that every professor knew and genuinely cared about your well-being and goals as a student, which ultimately sold me. I still have a personal soft spot with Ms. Rhonda, as she liked to play momma duck even back then. I gathered the knowledge and practical skills needed to succeed and realized that being a sports & orthopedic-based physical therapist was my career path. I was lucky to have Jereme Johnson as a mentor during my internship while working at Lambright as a fitness staff member, so I was very fortunate to be surroundedby practical scenarios where I could apply what I learned in class.
I then went to the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) in St. Augustine, FL. I quickly found that I was among the most prepared students regarding therapeutic exercise, biomechanics, and anatomy and physiology content. I fell in love with manual therapy and having a hands-on approach with patients while applying evidence-informed interventions with patients depending on their diagnoses. During my time in PT school, I was again fortunate enough to work with NFL, NHL, and other professional sports players and student-athletes at the University of Georgia.
After graduation, my professional experience as a physical therapist consisted of working at privately owned or hospital-based outpatient care dealing with Level I trauma, orthopedic post-operative, or sport-related injury patients. Through life-long learning, demonstrating competency, determination, and advocating for physical therapy, I am proud to say I have provided care from Olympic athletes to helping someone who was wheelchair-bound walk again and return to recreational soccer at her church. I am grateful for the experience along the way. I have also served in non-traditional roles as the Business Operations Manager for 1 Healthpoint Inc. (1HP), a company that provides care to professional and recreational esports athletes.
Currently, I am the co-owner and CEO of Fulco & Hall Performance & Therapy (FHPT) and the Louisiana Golf Institute (LGI) located in Bossier City and Broussard, LA. At FHPT, I can take my passion for providing one-on-one care to my patients/clients using physical therapy, strength & conditioning, and holistic wellness approaches to help them prehab, rehab, and recover from competition. Our purpose is simple: we want to help anyone who walks through our door reach their personal goals while fostering a sense of lifelong independence and health. I am also the physical therapist for the Shreveport Mudbugs and many local college and high school athletes.
Simultaneously at LGI, we utilize 3D biomechanical systems, physical therapy, mobility and strength objective testing, and data analytics to determine the critical specific factors needing improvement to increase a golfer’s effectiveness on the golf course. This can consist of creating a power-based program to increase club head speed based on their current angle of attack and swing pattern, creating a mobility program for a deficit in myofascial length or thoracic rotation limiting someone’s backswing, and many other problems we see daily. We also work with professional club fitters and swing coaches within our alliance network to facilitate a multi-professional approach that exponentially increases performance.
I would like to personally thank my mentors and dear friends along the way Ms. Rhonda Boyd, Dr. David Hall, Dr. Tom Phan, Dr. Andy Smith, Dr. Henry Pursner, Dr. Geoff McLeod, Ms. Amy Baker, and many others for their contributions to my journey.
In closing remarks, remember to always bet on you. Discover your true motivation, your “why,” and never let monetary considerations dictate your career choices. Far too often, people abandon their dreams of pursuing something unique and meaningful because they’re swayed by financial gain, doubts, fears, or other external pressures. Life can be and will be challenging. Yet, it’s up to you to determine the level of fulfillment you derive from your career. Follow your passions, and cultivate a sense of gratitude that stems from pursuing what truly matters to you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Nick Fulco, PT, DPT, Cert. DN
Titleist Performance Institute Certified
The Exponential Factor 